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Yes, not guilty.

I know that this will be hard to say definitively but, based on your experience of working with people in and around the courts, do you think that, if the verdict is removed, it will lead to a higher number of convictions for these sorts of offences?

Thanks, convener—that is very generous.

We have heard some argument that the system of regulation and complaints handling that is proposed in the bill is too complex. What do you say to that, minister? Do you believe that it is too complex or do you have another view?

Good morning to you and your officials, minister. I have a few questions. You will probably acknowledge from having watched the evidence that no stakeholder that we have heard from supports the full package of reforms in the bill. I had to go back through some of the evidence on that myself. You made the point that some aspects of the bill could be lost and many stakeholders have told us that they support certain aspects of it that are relevant to them. How much of an issue is it that support from the groups that we have heard from is not outright and full? Where are you on that?

Thank you.

Where do you think that there might be more benefits for consumers? I will give a specific example that other MSPs are likely to be aware of from constituency work and from an event that my colleague Bob Doris held last week. It relates to McClure solicitors, which went bust in 2021. I have had a couple of queries from constituents on the issue, but I had not thought about this point before Bob’s event last week. Is there anything in the bill that would have helped in that particular situation and that might help in similar situations?

I hear what you say about striking a balance and I think that the Government has tried to do that. Do you run the risk of ending up with a bill that nobody is very happy with?

Can you respond to arguments that we heard from the Law Society and others that the case has not been made for splitting regulators into category 1 and category 2, which will be subject to different requirements?

Is it okay to move on to that area, convener?

Thanks. Convener, I have one final question.

Like my colleague Karen Adam, I have a couple of questions on the substance of the bill as drafted. Before I ask them, however, it would be remiss of me not to recognise the concerns that you and others have expressed about the bill. We will have a decision to make on its general principles, and it looks as though that will be very difficult. That is coupled with the fact that amendments are coming but we do not know when. However, I will leave that to the side, because you have articulated your concerns well, and move on to my questions.

My first question is a basic one. Do you think that the complaints process under the bill would be more consumer friendly than the existing one?