Whether it will ensure that good training and education is made available to solicitors and other professionals involved in social welfare …

The arrangements for training, education and continuing professional development for solicitors are a matter for the Law Society of Scotland in terms of the Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980. The society sets requirements in practice rules and regulations. The Admission as Solicitor (Scotland) Regulations 1991 and 2001 made under section 5 of the 1980 act prescribe the entrance requirements for admission and the Solicitors (Scotland) (Continuing Professional Development) Regulations 1993 require every solicitor to undertake continuing professional development. The society requires solicitors to undertake each year a minimum of 20 hours of continuing professional development relevant to their particular practice.As regards social work professionals, the Minister for Education and Young People announced a 12-point Action Plan for the Social Services Workforce in April 2002. This action plan included a commitment to introduce a new honours degree in social work by 2004. A project group was set up under the action plan charged with taking forward this reform of social work education. The project group will report to ministers at the end of this month with recommendations about the introduction of new standards in social work education. These standards will set the framework for the new honours degree curriculum.