Chamber and committees

As you have said, the range of views and opinions in the consultation was very mixed—the issue is about being able to see the wood for the trees so that you get the benefits indicated in the report and the views of the consumer and the legal profession can be married together to ensure that everyone feels that they have achieved something. If that does not happen, the danger is that people will feel that they have missed out or have lost something in the process.

I, too, thank you for the frankness of your evidence and the personal testimonies that you have given today. It is useful for the committee to hear at first hand about your experiences.

I will focus on where we are on evidence. Can you give examples of how a legislative ban has been, and continues to be, effective? Can you advise us of any areas of best practice that we should look into when we are looking at how the evidence is being managed and processed?

I will follow up that point. You have touched on the issue of faith, but the committee has seen evidence that, in about 20 per cent of cases, the conversion therapy was carried out by people in the medical profession or by healthcare providers. What lessons can we learn from that sector? That is quite a large percentage, and there are much stronger rules and regulations in that sector, on which, as parliamentarians, we can have more impact to ensure that the proper procedures are followed. What areas should we strengthen, and what lessons can be learned from experience in that profession?

You have given us the example of what is happening in Australia. Any there any other international practices or benchmarks that the committee should investigate or analyse, so that we can collate as much information as possible to find out what is happening in other parts of the world?

We touched on reforms earlier, but I would like to talk about the specific reforms to the regulation of legal services and some of the recommendations that came from the Roberton review. How do you plan to manage the relationships that are involved in this area as you go through the reviews that have been proposed?

Item 2 is the choosing of convener. The Parliament has agreed that only members of the Scottish National Party are eligible for nomination as convener, and I understand that Joe FitzPatrick is the party’s nominee.

Joe FitzPatrick was chosen as convener.

Good morning, and welcome to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee’s first meeting in session 6. As the oldest member of the committee, I have the pleasure of convening the meeting for the first two agenda items. I welcome all members and I look forward to working with them. I remind all individuals present to ensure that their mobile phones are switched to silent.

Agenda item 1 is for each of us to declare any interests that are relevant to the committee’s work. I will go first, and I have no relevant interests to declare.

Congratulations, Joe.

Congratulations, Martin.

I welcome everyone to the first meeting in session 6 of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee.

As the oldest member of the committee present, I have the pleasure of convening the meeting for the first two items of business. I welcome all members to the committee and I look forward to working with them during this tenure. I remind all members present to switch their mobile phones to silent.

We have received apologies from Edward Mountain.

Under agenda item 1, I invite members to declare their interests. I will go first: I have no relevant interests to declare.