§ Mr. VazI beg to move amendment No. 17, in page 13, line 7, at end insert—
'and duties on employees who are members of a professional body to comply with the rules of the body.'.Amendment No. 17 reflects an undertaking made by the Government in Committee in response to an amendment tabled by the hon. and learned Member for Harborough (Mr. Garnier) and others. He sought to add to the list of matters which must be included in the code of conduct for employees of the Legal Services Commission who provide criminal defence services. In response, my hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield 998 (Mr. Hoon), now the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, said that although it was not really necessary, he was content to introduce an amendment.Amendment No. 17, therefore, requires the code specifically to include duties on employees providing criminal defence services who are members of a professional body—they might be barristers, solicitors or legal executives—to comply with the rules of that body.
The amendment shows that the Government are willing to put into statute sensible amendments such as the one tabled by the hon. and learned Member for Harborough, and I am most grateful to him for his suggestion on this issue.
§ Mr. GarnierI thank the Minister for delivering on the undertaking given by his predecessor.
§ Amendment agreed to.