The First Minister will be aware of the collapse of W W & J McClure Limited, which happened in 2021 and has affected an estimated 100,000 people across the United Kingdom.

The firm was based in Greenock and it had many local clients. The Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Bill, which was passed in December, and the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill will, I hope, make similar situations more manageable in the future. Will the First Minister provide an assurance that the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission will be supported, if it requires to be, to deal with the expected increase in complaints relating to McClure’s as former clients become aware of the collapse and as public information events take place similar to the one with the SLCC that was hosted in Greenock earlier this week, which was attended by 150 people?

The First Minister:

I am hopeful that the SLCC will be appropriately funded, and I will come to that point shortly.

I am aware of the matter and I appreciate, as Stuart McMillan rightly noted, the distress that it continues to cause. I cannot comment on individual cases, but the Scottish Government has taken proactive steps to militate against such a situation happening in the future. Stuart McMillan is right to mention the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill, which introduces authorisation of legal businesses, bringing benefits such as greater consistency in regulating legal firms and enabling the regulator to identify and address deficiencies early doors.

I understand the concerns that Stuart McMillan raises. The SLCC is funded through a levy paid by legal professionals in Scotland. The SLCC is required to forecast trends in complaints when considering its budget in order to set the levy, so any proposed levy takes into account the consideration of potential increases in complaints, such as complaints relating to the matter that has been raised.