§ [References are to Bill 45 as first printed for the Commons]
§ [No. 1]
§
Clause 2, page 1, line 19, at end insert—
(1A) It shall be the Society's duty before submitting training regulations to the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls for their concurrence under subsection (1) above, to consult the Secretary of State, or, if he so directs, any person or body of persons specified in the direction".
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 1. This Amendment requires the Law Society, before submitting training regulations to the judges for their concurrence, to consult the Secretary of State or persons or bodies specified by 732 him. The Amendment meets arguments that were raised in another place that legal education should be set in a wider educational context. The training regulations at present specify the educational I qualifications required of a person before he can enrol with the Law Society as a I student, and these qualifications are in many cases obtained in universities or other institutions for which the Secretary of State is responsible. Therefore the Secretary of State already has an indirect interest in legal education.
The Secretary of State has no general responsibility for professional training, but if and when, in accordance with the Ormrod Report, academic and vocational legal training is provided by universities and institutions of higher legal education, the Secretary of State will have a greater interest, even though it is not for him to decide the contents of the curricula. Therefore this would be an appropriate Amendment in the circumstances. I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 1.
§ Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(The Lord Chancellor.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.