Chamber and committees

Is the committee content with the instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

Under item 5, we are taking evidence on the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill.? I welcome Esther Roberton, the author of “Fit for the Future—Report of the Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation in Scotland”. Esther and I sat on the board of the Scotland’s Futures Forum think tank until I left earlier this year.

Esther, do not worry about turning on your microphone during the session as that will be done by broadcasting. There is no need to answer every question. You are welcome to follow up any question in writing after the meeting, if you wish.?

We move to questions, which I will open. Will you give the committee an overview of the work that you undertook in 2017-18 on the regulation of legal services and the main points of your report?

I have one final question in this area. Would the requirement for the Lord President to grant consent in relation to the powers in section 5 be of any assurance to you?

Thanks very much for that comprehensive opening answer. I will hand over to Jeremy Balfour.

Thank you. I do not really have any questions; what has been put on the table so far has been extremely enlightening, to say the least.

As members have no more questions, I thank Esther Roberton for her evidence. The committee might follow up with a letter if any additional questions stem from the session.

I suspend the meeting briefly for a change of panel.

Oliver Mundell, do you have a supplementary question?

Oliver Mundell has one more question.

Welcome to the 28th meeting in 2023 of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee. We have received apologies today from Mercedes Villalba. Before we move to the first item on the agenda, I remind everyone to switch off mobile phones and electronic devices or put them to silent.

The first item of business is to decide whether to take items 6, 7, 8 and 9 in private.??Is the committee content to take those items in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Under agenda item 2, we are considering two instruments, on which no points have been raised.

Is the committee content with the instruments?

Members indicated agreement.