The Law Society President's views on international competition are to be welcomed (see [2003] Gazette, 4 December, 15).

However, I have concerns that almost nothing is being done to help smaller English law firms.

The conveyancing market in most of our nearby European Union neighbours is controlled by notaries who are exempt from the various EU directives on qualifications.

In some major EU countries, you cannot act in a land transaction unless you were born a national of that country.

Their fees are fixed by law and can comfortably exceed three times what an English solicitor would charge.

English solicitors, on the other hand, are not protected from external competition in this way.

It means millions of English clients have no choice and are forced to pay inflated prices.

I am no expert on the finer points of EU competition law, but from my simple perspective this looks like protectionism and price maintenance.

David Anderson, Sykes Anderson LLP Solicitors, London