Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill

My Lords, the effect of the amendment moved by the noble Lord, Lord Beecham, would be to make civil legal services available for consumer matters. There is a degree of familiarity about the pattern of these debates. I do not think that I am speaking out of turn in saying that the previous Administration and the Labour Party went into the last election with an understanding that the legal aid system would have to be reformed. What I find difficult in listening to the debates—and I hope that I am not offending anyone—is the sentiment, ““Lord make me chaste, but not just yet””. We must reform legal aid, but when examples are presented people say, ““We don’t want to reform that part of it””.