Seòmar agus comataidhean

Under section 23 of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, Scottish Ministers must review the operation of Parts 1 to 3 and report to the Scottish Parliament as soon as practicable after the end of the five-year period following Royal Assent. The intention behind this period was to allow sufficient time for those Parts to be fully in force and operating as intended before the review took place.

While some sections came into force on Royal Assent and others shortly thereafter, implementation of Qualified One-Way Costs Shifting (QOCS)—which sits within Part 2 —required detailed court rules. Work on these rules was delayed because urgent rule changes were needed to keep courts operating under COVID-19 restrictions. As a result, QOCS did not come into effect until June 2021.

The Act specifies that the review must include information on the effect of QOCS on access to justice and the administration of the courts. To provide a meaningful assessment based on robust and meaningful data, the review will therefore focus on five years of actual operation rather than five years from Royal Assent. This approach reflects the original policy intention.

The Scottish Government will publish the review once sufficient evidence has been gathered and analysed. This will be after QOCS has operated for five years, ensuring the review reflects its practical effects on access to justice and court administration.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42458 on 6 January 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The statutory review of qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS), as provided for under the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, falls under the portfolio of the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, who has responsibility for civil law policy.

Operational responsibility sits with the Directorate for Justice – Civil Law and Legal System Division within the Scottish Government. Oversight arrangements include internal governance through the Justice Directorate’s policy teams and senior officials to ensure the review is completed in line with statutory requirements.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42458 on 6 January 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42458 on 6 January 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

As already noted in my 11 December response to the member’s previous question (S6W-42117), following Professor Alexis Jay’s letter of 26 September, Scottish Government officials contacted Professor Alexis Jay about this matter. As Professor Jay’s request was for clarification of the quote by providing additional context, it was agreed that it would be minuted at the Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group’s meeting on 8 October that the quote was correct, but was from January and not made specifically in relation to the amendment or the Victims Bill.

I considered these steps satisfactory when advised on 7 October by Scottish Government officials, noting that Professor Jay was content with this approach as it put her position on the public record via publication of the meeting minutes on the Scottish Government’s website.

I subsequently wrote to the editor of the Official Report on 17 December with a request to update the parliamentary record to clarify the context of Professor Jay’s quote. I was advised that the proposed change could not be made under the Official Report’s remit or the members’ correction procedure.

To ensure that the correction I sought was made widely known, I made two Points of Order, and wrote a letter to the Presiding Officer, which was copied to business managers and members who are not represented in the Parliamentary Bureau. I also placed a copy of this letter in SPICe.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42557 on 5 January 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT) exists to bring together a range of organisations and sectors to promote the aims and objectives of the SOC Strategy through partnership working. It has no operational or tasking function, and its priorities are informed by partners’ intelligence assessments.

There are currently no plans to introduce a risk register for the SOCT.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42557 on 5 January 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42117 on 11 December 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.