Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-04-05-Speech-4-245"
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"en.20010405.14.4-245"2
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"I suppose I should start by declaring an interest as a member of a liberal profession to whom this question applies, being a lawyer. It seems to me that this week in Parliament we have been lobbied hard by lawyers' organisations supporting their professional position. In contrast, last week in the UK we saw the publication of a report by the Office of Fair Trading looking at competition in the professions, the very issue that we are looking at today. That report was based on two premises: first, that the professions are entrusted with the delivery of services of considerable public importance; but second, that any restriction on the supply of professional services will tend to drive up costs and prices and will limit consumer access and choice. That is why the Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party in this Parliament has tabled certain amendments. Yes, liberal professions have a special position in society, but that position and the services they offer should be enhanced by more competition and independent scrutiny. That is what we want to see the Commission look at.
Let me give you two UK-based examples. First, price: should this be regulated? Solicitors, my own profession, used to have a monopoly of conveyancing, the buying and selling of land. Competition was introduced, licensed conveyancers allowed, and it drove down prices, but not standards. I experienced this myself the other week. I had to renew the lease of my office. I was bound to use my landlord's solicitors. To set up the original lease they charged me GBP 300; that seemed quite enough to me. But to vary a couple of words in the self-same document, they proposed to charge me GBP 500. That, to me, is licensed robbery by our profession. They need to be challenged.
Secondly, a constituent of mine recently came to me with a history of a dispute over the last 15 years. That dispute had taken him through five law firms, ruined his business and his family life, all about a debt that had actually been acknowledged in writing. He had had no help from my profession's complaints body. These are the kinds of examples that do the liberal professions no service; and sadly they are not limited or isolated. Yes, professional standards can be imposed by professional bodies, but they can only be further enhanced by competition and external scrutiny. That is why I ask colleagues to support the amendments tabled by my group."@en1
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