Seòmar agus comataidhean

Good morning, and welcome to the second meeting in 2025 of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. We have received no apologies. Our first and only agenda item is consideration of the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill at stage 2.

I will briefly explain the procedure that we will follow for the benefit of anyone who is watching. Members should have with them a copy of the bill, the marshalled list and the groupings of amendments. The documents are available on the bill page on the Scottish Parliament’s website. I will call each amendment individually in the order on the marshalled list. The member who lodged the amendment should either move it or say “not moved” when the amendment is called. If that member does not move the amendment, any other member present may do so.

The groupings of amendments set out the amendments in the order in which they will be debated. There will be one debate on each group of amendments. In each debate, I will call the member who lodged the first amendment in the group to speak to and move that amendment and to speak to all the other amendments in the group. It would be helpful if members could be clear about which amendment they are speaking to, given that there are so many amendments.

I will then call other members who have amendments in the group to speak to, but not to move, their amendments and to speak to other amendments in the group, if they wish. I will then call any other member who wishes to speak in the debate. Members wishing to speak should indicate that by catching my or the clerk’s attention. I will then call the minister, if she has not already spoken in the debate.

Finally, I will call the member who moved the first amendment in the group to wind up and to indicate whether he or she wishes to press the amendment or to withdraw it. If the amendment is pressed, I will put the question on the amendment. If a member wishes to withdraw an amendment after it has been moved and debated, I will ask whether any member present objects. If there is an objection, I will immediately put the question on the amendment.

The other amendments in a group are not debated again when they are reached. If they are moved, I will put the question on them straight away. If there is a division, only committee members are entitled to vote. Voting is done by a show of hands and it is important that members keep their hands raised clearly until the clerk has recorded their names. If there is a tie, I must exercise a casting vote.

The committee is also required to consider and decide on each section and schedule of the bill and the long title. I will put the question on each of those provisions at the appropriate point. We will not go beyond the end of section 50 today.

Before we begin proceedings, I welcome the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, Siobhian Brown.

Section 1—Overview of the regulatory framework

Amendment 1, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 2 to 4 and 38 to 46. I call the minister to move amendment 1 and to speak to all the amendments in the group.

I invite Tess White to wind up and press or seek to withdraw amendment 541.

I call Tess White to speak to amendment 638 and other amendments in the group.

Welcome back. Amendment 179, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 180 to 188, 543, 189, 190, 544, 191 to 199 and 545.

Amendment 548, in the name of Tess White, has already been debated with amendment 541. If amendment 548 is agreed to, I cannot call amendments 206 to 208 because of pre-emption.

Amendment 548 not moved.

Amendment 206 to 208 moved—[Siobhian Brown]—and agreed to.

Section 26, as amended, agreed to.

After section 26

Amendment 209 moved—[Siobhian Brown]—and agreed to.

Section 27—Publication of draft regulatory scheme and representations

Amendments 210 to 213 moved—[Siobhian Brown]—and agreed to.

Section 27, as amended, agreed to.

Section 28—Consideration of applications

Amendments 214 to 216, 218, 217 and 219 to 227 moved—[Siobhian Brown]—and agreed to.

Section 28, as amended, agreed to.

Section 29—Approval of application and giving effect to the regulatory scheme

Amendments 228 to 234 moved—[Siobhian Brown]—and agreed to.

Section 29, as amended, agreed to.

Section 30—Exercise of rights to provide legal services

Amendment 235 moved—[Siobhian Brown]—and agreed to.

Section 30, as amended, agreed to.

Section 31—Surrender of rights

Amendment 236, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 237 to 249, 264, 266, 265 and 267 to 270.

Amendment 250, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 455 to 458.

Amendment 68, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 93 to 101, 105, 104, 102, 103, 106 to 121, 310, 311, 122 to 178 and 459.

Amendment 200, in the name of the minister, is grouped with amendments 201 to 235. I point out that amendments 206, 207 and 208 are pre-empted by amendment 548, previously debated in the group entitled “Complaints: Commission to investigate and determine all complaints (services, conduct and regulatory).”