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Law Society And Restrictive Practices

EDM number 1343 in 2001-02, proposed by Tom Watson on 20/05/2002.

That this House notes the publication of two Office of Fair Trading reports on Competition in Professions in the past 15 months; further notes calls for the Law Society to take prompt action to end restrictive practices in the profession relating to employed solicitors advising the public, fee-sharing and referral fees; censures the Law Society for having made no substantial progress to reform these archaic rules while purporting so to do; believes that reform of such professional regulations will drive up standards of service and promote better value for those needing legal help, whilst safeguarding the independence of the professionals who provide it; recognises that these important consumer issues can no longer be subject to further protectionism and prevarication from vested interests; and calls on the Office of Fair Trading to refer the matter to the Competition Commission for urgent review as soon as the Enterprise Bill is enacted.

This motion has been signed by a total of 33 MPs.

MPDateConstituencyPartyType
Tom Watson20/05/2002West Bromwich EastLabourProposed
Mark Tami20/05/2002Alyn & DeesideLabourSigned
Lynne Jones21/05/2002Birmingham, Selly OakLabourSigned
Colin Breed21/05/2002South East CornwallLiberal DemocratSigned
Vincent Cable21/05/2002TwickenhamLiberal DemocratSigned
Martin Caton21/05/2002GowerLabourSigned
Rudi Vis21/05/2002Finchley & Golders GreenLabourSigned
Nigel Jones22/05/2002CheltenhamLiberal DemocratSigned
Kevin McNamara22/05/2002Kingston upon Hull NorthLabourSigned
Russell Brown22/05/2002DumfriesLabourSigned
Mike Hancock22/05/2002Portsmouth SouthLiberal DemocratSigned
Win Griffiths23/05/2002BridgendLabourSigned
Paul Tyler23/05/2002North CornwallLiberal DemocratSigned
John Battle23/05/2002Leeds WestLabourSigned
Matthew Green23/05/2002LudlowLiberal DemocratSigned
Brian Jenkins23/05/2002TamworthLabourSigned
Chris Ruane23/05/2002Vale of ClwydLabourSigned
Julie Morgan23/05/2002Cardiff NorthLabourSigned
Khalid Mahmood23/05/2002Birmingham, Perry BarrLabourSigned
Sue Doughty24/05/2002GuildfordLiberal DemocratSigned
Jim Knight10/06/2002South DorsetLabourSigned
Ann Cryer10/06/2002KeighleyLabourSigned
Bill Etherington10/06/2002Sunderland NorthLabourSigned
Andrew Stunell11/06/2002Hazel GroveLiberal DemocratSigned
Paul Holmes11/06/2002ChesterfieldLiberal DemocratSigned
Andrew George13/06/2002St IvesLiberal DemocratSigned
Annette Brooke17/06/2002Mid Dorset & North PooleLiberal DemocratSigned
Ian Davidson17/06/2002Glasgow, PollokLabour Co-operativeSigned
Alan Simpson19/06/2002Nottingham SouthLabourSigned
Jeff Ennis19/06/2002Barnsley East & MexboroughLabourSigned
John Barrett19/06/2002Edinburgh WestLiberal DemocratSigned
John McDonnell02/07/2002Hayes & HarlingtonLabourSigned
Doug Naysmith09/07/2002Bristol North WestLabour Co-operativeSigned

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