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Complaints Against Solicitors

EDM number 434 in 2004-05, proposed by Richard Shepherd on 20/12/2004.

That this House is concerned that the continuing failure of self-regulation of complaints against solicitors by the Law Society has still not been adequately addressed by Government, whose only action so far has been the half measure of appointing a Legal Services Complaints Commissioner who is also the full-time Legal Services Ombudsman, whose power to fine has already been reduced from a suggested five million pounds to one million after consultation with the Law Society, and whose work has been made dependent on milestones or targets determined by the Society despite the fact that the law Society has consistently failed to achieve its own target; is further concerned that the review of the regulatory framework on legal services in England and Wales, due to report in December, has been compromised by its close meetings with and sympathetic responses to a Law Society still fighting vigorously to retain the maximum degree of self-regulation, despite the huge weight of evidence showing that it has already failed; and therefore calls on the Government to stop deferring to the Law Society and taking hesitant half measures and instead to set up a fully independent, full-time, external system of regulation of complaints against solicitors with power to fine and award compensation.

This motion has been signed by a total of 48 MPs.

MPDateConstituencyPartyType
Richard Shepherd20/12/2004Aldridge-BrownhillsConservativeProposed
Adrian Sanders21/12/2004TorbayLiberal DemocratSigned
Tony Colman21/12/2004PutneyLabourSigned
Ann Cryer21/12/2004KeighleyLabourSigned
Jane Griffiths21/12/2004Reading EastLabourSigned
David Taylor21/12/2004North West LeicestershireLabour Co-operativeSigned
Paul Tyler21/12/2004North CornwallLiberal DemocratSigned
John Barrett10/01/2005Edinburgh WestLiberal DemocratSigned
Sue Doughty10/01/2005GuildfordLiberal DemocratSigned
Austin Mitchell10/01/2005Great GrimsbyLabourSigned
Alan Meale10/01/2005MansfieldLabourSigned
Lynne Jones10/01/2005Birmingham, Selly OakLabourSigned
Kelvin Hopkins10/01/2005Luton NorthLabourSigned
Paul Holmes10/01/2005ChesterfieldLiberal DemocratSigned
Iris Robinson11/01/2005StrangfordDUPSigned
Martin Smyth11/01/2005Belfast SouthUUPSigned
Tony Lloyd11/01/2005Manchester CentralLabourSigned
Tom Brake11/01/2005Carshalton & WallingtonLiberal DemocratSigned
Vincent Cable11/01/2005TwickenhamLiberal DemocratSigned
Martin Caton11/01/2005GowerLabourSigned
Tom Cox11/01/2005TootingLabourSigned
Roy Beggs11/01/2005East AntrimUUPSigned
Nigel Jones12/01/2005CheltenhamLiberal DemocratSigned
Jim Dobbin12/01/2005Heywood & MiddletonLabour Co-operativeSigned
David Burnside12/01/2005South AntrimUUPSigned
John McDonnell12/01/2005Hayes & HarlingtonLabourSigned
Glenda Jackson12/01/2005Hampstead & HighgateLabourSigned
Simon Hughes12/01/2005North Southwark & BermondseyLiberal DemocratSigned
Alice Mahon12/01/2005HalifaxLabourSigned
John Cryer13/01/2005HornchurchLabourSigned
David Drew13/01/2005StroudLabour Co-operativeSigned
Roger Williams13/01/2005Brecon & RadnorshireLiberal DemocratSigned
Andrew Stunell17/01/2005Hazel GroveLiberal DemocratSigned
Jenny Tonge17/01/2005Richmond ParkLiberal DemocratSigned
Bill Etherington18/01/2005Sunderland NorthLabourSigned
Brian White18/01/2005North East Milton KeynesLabourSigned
David Wilshire18/01/2005SpelthorneConservativeSigned
John Pugh19/01/2005SouthportLiberal DemocratSigned
Annette Brooke19/01/2005Mid Dorset & North PooleLiberal DemocratSigned
Andy Reed20/01/2005LoughboroughLabour Co-operativeSigned
Alan Simpson24/01/2005Nottingham SouthLabourSigned
Adrian Bailey24/01/2005West Bromwich WestLabour Co-operativeSigned
Jeff Ennis26/01/2005Barnsley East & MexboroughLabourSigned
Patsy Calton01/02/2005CheadleLiberal DemocratSigned
Greg Pope03/02/2005HyndburnLabourSigned
Eric Illsley03/02/2005Barnsley CentralLabourSigned
John Austin03/02/2005Erith & ThamesmeadLabourSigned
George Stevenson21/02/2005Stoke-on-Trent SouthLabourSigned

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