Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 4:15 pm on 20 May 2025.
Siobhian Brown
Scottish National Party
4:15,
20 May 2025
No, we do not share your view and have to agree to disagree. A lot of concessions have been made to the legal profession throughout the bill process. We also have to look after consumer bodies, which is why we will oppose Amendment 135.
Maggie Chapman will be aware that amendment 14 was raised at stage 2. We have engaged with the SLCC on the approach to the wording in order to find a compromise and progress with a flexible approach that allows the SLCC to investigate a complaint more quickly while retaining the requirement to reject complaints that are without any merit. That is why we lodged amendment 14.
Amendment 5 agreed to.
Section 57—Commission decision making and delegation
Amendment 129 not moved.
Section 58—Commission review committee
Amendments 6 to 8 moved—[Siobhian Brown]—and agreed to.
Section 60—Disclosure of information by practitioners etc to the Commission and relevant professional organisations
Amendments 9 and 10 moved—[Siobhian Brown]—and agreed to.
Amendment 11 moved—[Paul O’Kane]—and agreed to.
Section 61—Power of Commission to request practitioner’s details in connection with complaints
Amendments 12 and 13 moved—[Siobhian Brown]—and agreed to.
Section 65—Unregulated providers of legal services: voluntary register, annual contributions and complaints contributions
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
