Seòmar agus comataidhean

Okay, and then I will bring in Oliver Mundell for a supplementary.

Thank you. As Jeremy Balfour has no further questions, I call Oliver Mundell.

Morag, do you have anything to add?

The bill as introduced contains 21 delegated powers. We have focused on eight of them, which appear to have been the focus of comments that you have made in response to the lead committee’s call for views. As a committee, we will report on all 21 of the proposed delegated powers in our report to the lead committee. Do you have any comments on any of the other delegated powers that are contained in the bill?

Thank you for that. I note that Rachel Wood said that we would be receiving something in writing, and the committee certainly looks forward to that.

As colleagues have no more questions, I thank Morag Ross KC and Rachel Wood for their extremely useful and helpful evidence this morning. The committee might well follow things up in writing afterwards if we have any further questions.

With that, I move the committee into private session.

Under agenda item 3, we are considering three instruments. An issue has been raised on the following instrument.

The instrument makes amendments to the Council Tax Reduction (State Pension Credit) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 and the Council Tax Reduction (Scotland) Regulations 2021 to ensure that certain types of payments, largely based on compensation or redress schemes, are disregarded for the purposes of calculating entitlement to council tax reduction. The instrument also makes provision to ensure that the capital of a person who is liable to pay council tax has no impact on their entitlement to second adult rebate.

In correspondence with the Scottish Government, the committee asked whether the Government considers it appropriate to insert the new paragraph 46 under part 5 of schedule 4 of the 2021 regulations, under the heading “Payments”, as the amendment does not concern a payment; it concerns the whole of a person’s capital. The Scottish Government recognised that it would be helpful to the reader to insert a new part number and heading into schedule 4 of the 2021 regulations at the next available opportunity, which it anticipates will be February 2024, when other substantive amendments to the 2021 regulations are expected to be made.

Does the committee wish to draw the instrument to the attention of the Parliament on the general reporting ground, in that it inserts under the heading “Payments”, a new paragraph that concerns the whole of a person’s capital rather than a payment?

Members indicated agreement.

Is the committee content with the instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

Under item 5, we are taking evidence on the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill.? I welcome Esther Roberton, the author of “Fit for the Future—Report of the Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation in Scotland”. Esther and I sat on the board of the Scotland’s Futures Forum think tank until I left earlier this year.

Esther, do not worry about turning on your microphone during the session as that will be done by broadcasting. There is no need to answer every question. You are welcome to follow up any question in writing after the meeting, if you wish.?

We move to questions, which I will open. Will you give the committee an overview of the work that you undertook in 2017-18 on the regulation of legal services and the main points of your report?

I have one final question in this area. Would the requirement for the Lord President to grant consent in relation to the powers in section 5 be of any assurance to you?