Chamber
Plenary, 14 Dec 2006
14 Dec 2006 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill
I thank the Government for introducing the bill and the ministers for steering it through Parliament. I imagine that the volume of correspondence that I have passed to them on the subject might have made the issues involved somewhat difficult to avoid, but I am glad that we are having this debate.
Mr Butler asked from where I took comfort. Much as I hang on every word of Mr Wallace and Mr MacAskill, I found the deputy minister's comments on appeals this morning particularly clear and specific. I welcome the fact that she went to great lengths to set out the fact that there would not be a general, widespread right of appeal, and that it would apply only in limited circumstances.
The bill contains many desirable and welcome provisions. I hope that it will create a new atmosphere in the way the minority of individuals who have a bad experience of solicitors find recourse through the system.
I hope that the bill will create recognition in some of the professional organisations that there has to be a cultural shift in their outlook on the world. We see that in some organisations, but not in others. I was intrigued by an interview that the chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland gave to The Herald on 30 October, in which he said, in relation to the provisions of the bill that would provide the commission with oversight of the master policy:
"If they try to do this, I believe the insurers and the Financial Services Authority will tell the Scottish Parliament to take a hike."
If I were to capture a sentence that illustrates the cultural shift that is required, it would be that one. We are living in a different world. We are living in an age when the consumer in every walk of life has every right to expect the highest standard of service from any organisation. I hope that the bill will lead to a cultural shift in some of the organisations that have been far from responsive to some of the changes that have taken place in consumer attitudes in the past.
I hope that the bill will achieve the objectives that the Government has set, which I think recognise that there has been a problem in the design of the system. The Government has made a serious attempt to tackle that problem. I hope that in passing the bill later this afternoon, we will see public confidence in the legal system begin to be rebuilt over a period of time and that consumers can achieve the satisfaction to which they are entirely entitled.
Mr Butler asked from where I took comfort. Much as I hang on every word of Mr Wallace and Mr MacAskill, I found the deputy minister's comments on appeals this morning particularly clear and specific. I welcome the fact that she went to great lengths to set out the fact that there would not be a general, widespread right of appeal, and that it would apply only in limited circumstances.
The bill contains many desirable and welcome provisions. I hope that it will create a new atmosphere in the way the minority of individuals who have a bad experience of solicitors find recourse through the system.
I hope that the bill will create recognition in some of the professional organisations that there has to be a cultural shift in their outlook on the world. We see that in some organisations, but not in others. I was intrigued by an interview that the chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland gave to The Herald on 30 October, in which he said, in relation to the provisions of the bill that would provide the commission with oversight of the master policy:
"If they try to do this, I believe the insurers and the Financial Services Authority will tell the Scottish Parliament to take a hike."
If I were to capture a sentence that illustrates the cultural shift that is required, it would be that one. We are living in a different world. We are living in an age when the consumer in every walk of life has every right to expect the highest standard of service from any organisation. I hope that the bill will lead to a cultural shift in some of the organisations that have been far from responsive to some of the changes that have taken place in consumer attitudes in the past.
I hope that the bill will achieve the objectives that the Government has set, which I think recognise that there has been a problem in the design of the system. The Government has made a serious attempt to tackle that problem. I hope that in passing the bill later this afternoon, we will see public confidence in the legal system begin to be rebuilt over a period of time and that consumers can achieve the satisfaction to which they are entirely entitled.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh):
Con
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5223, in the name of Cathy Jamieson, that Parliament agrees that the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scot...
The Deputy Minister for Justice (Johann Lamont):
Lab
I thank the Justice 2 Committee for its thorough consideration of the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill. A number of refinements were made to th...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
I am minded to accept a motion without notice to bring forward decision time to 5.30 pm.
Motion moved,
That, under Rule 11.2.4 of Standing Orders, Decision Time on Thursday 14 December be taken at 5.30 pm.—Ms Margaret Curran.
Motion agreed to.
Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
I pay tribute to the minister's endeavours today. I concur with the tribute that the minister paid to everyone in the bill team.The bill has been a long time...
Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con):
Con
I joined the Justice 2 Committee as convener on day 1 of stage 2 of the bill, which gave me a real introduction to the trenches in the front line—I had to re...
Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD):
LD
I will refer to the debate at stage 1 and to the committee's stage 1 report. The main areas of consideration at that stage have been substantially addressed,...
Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab):
Lab
I record my appreciation of the sterling support that the clerking team and the Scottish Parliament information centre have given the committee.No one would ...
Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP):
SNP
I thank the Government for introducing the bill and the ministers for steering it through Parliament. I imagine that the volume of correspondence that I have...
Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP):
SSP
As other members have said, there were many issues for the Justice 2 Committee to consider in scrutinising this 80-page bill, which was probably dwarfed by t...
Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con):
Con
The fact that the bill is a completely different animal from what appeared at stage 1 is a good advertisement for the parliamentary process. I pay tribute to...
Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I add my thanks to those of other members who were on the Justice 2 Committee during stages 1 and 2. I thank the clerks and my fellow committee members, who ...
The Minister for Justice (Cathy Jamieson):
Lab
Like Kenny MacAskill, I recognise the fact that the bill has been a long time in the making. I thank the parliamentary committees—not just in this Parliament...