Written Question · S2W-06660 · Session 2
On how many occasions it has received representations from the Office of Fair Trading since 1999 regarding (a) the contents and effectivene…
The question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions it has received representations from the Office of Fair Trading since 1999 regarding (a) the contents and effectiveness of the Master Insurance Policy of the Law Society of Scotland and (b) the provision of legal services in Scotland and, if it has received such representations, what concerns, if any, were expressed by the Office of Fair Trading.
The answer
We have received no representations from the Office of Fair Trading on the contents and effectiveness of the Master Insurance Policy of the Law Society of Scotland.
As regards the provision of legal services, the Office of Fair Trading published a report in 2001 Competition in Professions which challenged anti-competitive restrictions in England and Wales. The report triggered a range of consultation by the former Lord Chancellor’s Department which led to the far-ranging independent review of the regulation of the legal services market in England and Wales, led by Sir David Clementi, of which competition in the provision of legal services is a significant element.
The Scottish Executive has been in regular contact with the Office of Fair Trading about the implications of competition law for the provision of legal services in Scotland. Regulation and competition in the legal services market in Scotland is to be the subject of research steered by a working group chaired by the Justice Department and including representatives of consumer and professional interests, the Office of Fair Trading and the Scottish Legal Aid Board.
As regards the provision of legal services, the Office of Fair Trading published a report in 2001 Competition in Professions which challenged anti-competitive restrictions in England and Wales. The report triggered a range of consultation by the former Lord Chancellor’s Department which led to the far-ranging independent review of the regulation of the legal services market in England and Wales, led by Sir David Clementi, of which competition in the provision of legal services is a significant element.
The Scottish Executive has been in regular contact with the Office of Fair Trading about the implications of competition law for the provision of legal services in Scotland. Regulation and competition in the legal services market in Scotland is to be the subject of research steered by a working group chaired by the Justice Department and including representatives of consumer and professional interests, the Office of Fair Trading and the Scottish Legal Aid Board.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S2W-06660 by reference.