Siobhian Brown: The expansion to Glasgow of the domestic abuse courts will mean that many more victims and witnesses benefit from cases being resolved at an early stage, and from the reduction in unnecessary citations and hearings. As Katy Clark knows, a pilot court has already demonstrated a significant reduction in the volume of witness citations being issued. It is an on-going pilot; I am happy to keep...
Siobhian Brown: Possible offences are investigated independently by Police Scotland and other enforcement agencies. Prosecutions are brought by the independent Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and the courts are independently responsible for their disposal. Up to the end of February 2024, 40 charges had been reported to procurators fiscal under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act...
Siobhian Brown: Yes. The legislation will take a while to bed in and to change societal behaviour. From meetings at the Criminal Justice Committee, I remember that Jamie Greene was interested in football banning orders. In February this year, I had a meeting with local football authorities, Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and supporters’ groups in order to take forward our...
Siobhian Brown: Yes, I am confident about that. We have received expressions of interest from local authorities for funding for 11 firework control zones. I recognise that it was disappointing that no zones were in place for bonfire night in 2023, but firework control zones have been developed to support a long-term cultural change with regard to fireworks, and were never intended to be a quick fix. A...
Siobhian Brown: On 6 February, we published our strategy, “Scotland’s strategic approach to challenging and deterring men’s demand for prostitution and supporting the recovery and sustainable exit of those involved in prostitution”, which was informed through lived-experience research by those with experience of selling or exchanging sex. The lessons learned from the actions in the strategy will...
Siobhian Brown: I know how passionate the member is to challenge and deter men’s demand for prostitution and commercial sexual exploitation as a whole. I am more than happy to meet her and any organisation.
Siobhian Brown: The safety and wellbeing of firefighters remains a priority for the Scottish Government and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The fire service continues to make progress on important issues through a specific contaminants implementation plan, which has been developed and delivered in partnership with the Fire Brigades Union. The plan includes the development of a recording system for...
Siobhian Brown: I commend Maggie Chapman for championing this important issue. The Scottish Fire Rescue Service has embraced the need for action. Although the health and safety of firefighters is primarily a matter for the SFRS as the employer, the Scottish Government is willing to listen and consider any proposals to help with the safety and wellbeing of firefighters in Scotland. Legislating on the area is...
Siobhian Brown: I regularly meet the fire service board chair and the chief officer. The safety and wellbeing of our firefighters is central to those meetings. I have received assurances from the SFRS that it prioritises the issue of contaminants and is working in partnership with the FBU so that the appropriate actions can be taken across all SFRS operations, which I will set out. The SFRS is currently...
Siobhian Brown: I welcome the opportunity to open the debate on the general principles of the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill. I thank the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee and the Finance and Public Administration Committee for their careful and considered scrutiny of the bill, and I thank all those who submitted views and gave...
Siobhian Brown: I apologise, Presiding Officer. There will, for the first time, be a power to review the regulator’s performance and ensure their compliance with their statutory duties and the regulatory objectives. Regulators will be required to submit annual reports on their performance, as category 1 regulators.
Siobhian Brown: I will come to that further on in my speech, if I may. A regulator will also be required to create a register of all its members that is “free” and “accessible” to the public, thereby enabling consumers to access useful information about legal service providers. A total of 94 per cent of respondents to our consultation on the bill agreed that it was “important” that the regulatory...
Siobhian Brown: I thank John Swinney for his intervention. Following the introduction of the bill, and having carefully considered the responses to the committee’s call for views, I acknowledge the concerns that have been raised about the role that was placed on the Scottish ministers, and I have committed to addressing those at stage 2. The provisions are only one part of the bill and are based on...
Siobhian Brown: As I have said, there were polarised views going back to 2015 and from the Scottish Government’s consultation. Members will note from the briefings about stage 1 that have been sent to MSPs in the past few days that the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, Citizens Advice Scotland, Consumer Scotland, the Competition and Markets Authority and the Law Society of Scotland all welcome stage 1...
Siobhian Brown: I move, That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill.
Siobhian Brown: Would the member acknowledge that I have recognised the point about the ministerial powers and am engaging to remove them from the bill? I have written to the committee about that.
Siobhian Brown: Does the member acknowledge that I have been advised that it would be inappropriate to share the amendments ahead of stage 2? Does he agree that I have committed that, at stage 2, I will share the amendments with the committee?
Siobhian Brown: Will the member take an intervention?
Siobhian Brown: Would the member acknowledge that ministers have had a role in legal regulation in Scotland since 1990? In 2007 and 2010, Parliament placed further functions on Scottish ministers in respect of legal services regulation. Having said that, I understand the concerns that have been raised and I will be lodging amendments. I simply note that there have been ministerial powers previously.
Siobhian Brown: I will draw the debate to a close by thanking all the members for their views today. Of course, I will consider carefully everything that has been said in the debate. Once again, I thank the committee that has considered the bill, and I thank all those who provided and gave evidence at stage 1 for their careful consideration and views. It is fair to say today that there has been a...
