Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 01 February 2017
01 Feb 2017 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Legal Aid Review
As I stated in answer to one of Mr Ross’s four questions, the funding allocation for the legal aid fund for the coming year is the same as it was last year—namely, £126.1 million. Of course, legal aid is demand led, so it is not a cash-limited budget. I have seen different figures in some Law Society documents; they include the administration budget for SLAB, which is a different element. When it comes to the draft budget—which we will be discussing further on Thursday—we are looking at the legal aid fund itself. Needless to say, if the budget is not agreed to, there will be no money for the legal aid fund.
We have committed to a wide scope for legal aid—I gave a flavour of that in my statement—and we will continue to be committed to that. It is vital that everyone in Scotland who needs support in the form of access to legal aid can get it.
The review that I have announced today is independent, and it will be up to the chair and his review panel to engage, to investigate and to discuss. They will do so without fear or favour. We are holding the review in 21st century Scotland, in 2017-18, and, as a Government, we are subject to significant financial constraints as far as our budgetary settlement from Westminster is concerned. I imagine that that will be known to every member of the panel.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani)
SNP
The next item of business is a statement by Annabelle Ewing on a review of legal aid. The minister will take questions at the end of her statement; there sho...
The Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests, where they will find that I am a solicitor by profession and hold a current prac...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I will allow about 20 minutes for the minister to take questions on the issues raised in her statement. Many members want to ask a question, but we will not ...
Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I thank the minister for advance sight of her statement. Access to justice is one of the most important tenets of a civilised society, with the legal aid s...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
That was hardly brief, Mr Ross.
Annabelle Ewing
SNP
I will try to give brief answers. In broad-brush terms, with regard to the Law Society of Scotland’s paper and the budgetary issues, it is important to say ...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the minister for providing an advance copy of her statement. A review of legal aid is welcome, and we wish Martyn Evans and the review panel well in...
Annabelle Ewing
SNP
As I stated in answer to one of Mr Ross’s four questions, the funding allocation for the legal aid fund for the coming year is the same as it was last year—n...
Fulton MacGregor (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)
SNP
The minister has given an overview of those who will form the review panel. In her response to Douglas Ross, she assured Parliament that its membership will ...
Annabelle Ewing
SNP
Yes. I announced the panel members, and the member will see that various interests are represented, including those of Citizens Advice Scotland. It is clear ...
John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Green
I thank the minister for early sight of her statement. The Scottish Green Party welcomes the review, and I am particularly delighted that former colleague ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Can we get to the question, please, Mr Finnie?
John Finnie
Green
Indeed. Will this review cover the Aarhus convention and remove any dubiety about Scotland’s compliance with it?
Annabelle Ewing
SNP
As I have said, the review is independent, and all members are encouraged to make their views known to the review panel. On the Aarhus convention, we have ...
Gordon Lindhurst (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I, too, welcome the review that the minister has announced. Like her, I have an interest in the matter—in my case, as a practising advocate. Those at the co...
Annabelle Ewing
SNP
I felt that it was helpful in the statement to put the Scottish legal aid system in context. After all, it has been recognised by the International Legal Aid...
Mairi Evans (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP)
SNP
As the minister said, the current legislation is largely piecemeal, and the last substantive act was passed in 1986. Given that the world is now a very diffe...
Annabelle Ewing
SNP
I thank the member for an important question. As I have said, the review’s remit includes looking at changes in the technological landscape in 21st century S...
Mary Fee (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I am grateful to the minister for early sight of her statement. She referred to “proposals to streamline and modernise the system” and went on to say that ...
Annabelle Ewing
SNP
The fee reforms work to which I referred in my earlier answer follows from strands of work that were commissioned from SLAB by my predecessor, Paul Wheelhous...
Ben Macpherson (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
SNP
On assisting those who are most vulnerable, will the minister assure Parliament that the extra support that is provided to the Scottish women’s rights centre...
Annabelle Ewing
SNP
Yes—I am happy to do that. Last year, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice announced some £665,000 extra for the Scottish women’s rights centre to enable it to ...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
I, too, thank the minister for early sight of her statement. Notwithstanding the now customary critique of what is happening elsewhere in the UK, the ministe...
Annabelle Ewing
SNP
The review will take up to 12 months. Liam McArthur’s point about the particular position of rural and island communities was well made. I know—at least I a...
Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Con)
Con
At a time when, as the Scottish Parliament information centre has confirmed, the Scottish Government’s budget is increasing, many people will wonder why we a...
Annabelle Ewing
SNP
It is clear that, between 2010-11 and 2019-20, Scotland’s budget will decrease by some 9.2 per cent, which is some £2.8 billion. Imagine what we could do wit...
Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
SNP
In all such reviews, hearing from stakeholders and those with first-hand experience is vital. What steps will be taken to ensure that stakeholders have wide ...
Annabelle Ewing
SNP
In my statement, I encouraged the widest possible engagement. I am conscious that we have set up an independent review; having done so, I do not want to undu...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I call Rhoda Grant, and we might even manage to get Stuart McMillan in.
Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
Further to Claire Baker’s question, legal aid has a stand-still budget this year. Will the review panel be able to recommend increasing the scope of payments...