HC Deb 22 June 1999 vol 333 cc980-1

Resolved, That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Access to Justice Bill [Lords], it is expedient to authorise—

  1. (a) the imposition on professional bodies of requirements to make payments towards meeting the expenditure of the Legal Services Ombudsman and the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner, and
  2. (b) the payment of sums into the Consolidated Fund.—[Mrs. McGuire.]

6.52 pm
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Mr. Keith Vaz)

Before moving to the formal business, may I take this opportunity to thank all members of the Standing Committee who considered the Bill. Members on both sides contributed to a thorough and useful examination of this important Bill. The House will note that many of the suggestions made in Committee have been taken forward in the amendments to be discussed this evening.

In particular, I thank the hon. and learned Member for Harborough (Mr. Garnier) and the hon. Member for Torridge and West Devon (Mr. Burnett). I note that the contribution of the hon. and learned Member for Harborough to our debate has resulted in his promotion to observer to the shadow Cabinet as the shadow Attorney-General. I am sure that the hon. and learned Gentleman will thank the Government for their part in his elevation.

As the House knows, my hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon) was the Minister responsible for guiding the Bill through its earlier stages. I pay tribute to his skilful handling of the Bill and his determination to steer through a piece of legislation that will radically improve access to justice for all our citizens. My hon. Friend's handling of the Bill has brought him well-deserved promotion, as Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

My hon. Friend the Member for Hastings and Rye (Mr. Foster), who was also a member of the Standing Committee, has recently been promoted to become the Attorney-General's Parliamentary Private Secretary. The hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Mr. Hawkins) has received recognition in becoming the Opposition's spokesperson for the Lord Chancellor's Department.

The Access to Justice Bill is a landmark piece of legislation. It seeks to modernise justice so as to ensure that the law benefits all our citizens. However, I am not entirely certain that the Government anticipated that the Bill would achieve such success in supporting, enhancing and, indeed, modernising the careers of so many hon. Members who were involved in its parliamentary passage.

The Ways and Means resolution is necessary to authorise the Lord Chancellor to require the legal professional bodies to pay towards the expenditure of the Legal Services Commissioner and the legal services ombudsman; and to allow the commissioner to levy penalties on professional bodies. We will discuss the substance of our proposals later—

Mr. Deputy Speaker

Order. I do not want to hear again the preface to the Minister's speech on Third Reading. It seems slightly misplaced, attached to the Ways and Means resolution.