HC Deb 11 February 1976 vol 905 cc441-2
41. Mr. Grimond

asked the Lord Advocate whether the submission to the Monopolies Commission about the necessity of senior and junior counsel includes Scotland.

The Lord Advocate

Yes, Sir. Reference of the matter to which the right hon. Gentleman refers was made by the Director of Fair Trading to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission under Sections 47 (1) and (2) and 50(1) of the Fair Trading Act 1973.

Mr. Grimond

In thanking the Lord Advocate for his answer, may I add that I am also aware that advocates in Scotland are not nearly as expensive as are barristers in England—although I may be in some trouble over suggesting that?

Does the Lord Advocate not agree that it is a pity that the Scottish Bar did not set up its own inquiry into this matter and, indeed, into the question whether it is necessary in England and in Scotland to have so many layers of lawyers?

The Lord Advocate

I note what the right hon. Gentleman said, but he is perhaps not aware, for example, that the Faculty of Advocates no longer rigidly insists on the two-counsel rule in criminal trials.

Mr. Rifkind

Will the Lord Advocate advise the right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Grimond)—who is, I believe, a barrister of the Middle Temple—that when he chooses to make pronouncements on the legal profession throughout the United Kingdom he should acquaint himself with differences in policy and practice as betweeen Scotland and England?

The Lord Advocate

I think that the right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Grimond) might bring himself a little more up to date.

Mr. Cryer

Will my right hon. and learned Friend agree to an investigation by a Royal Commission into legal practice in both Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom, in order to deal with the allegations of many people that both Scottish and English lawyers make a number of extortionate claims on legal aid systems?

The Lord Advocate

Without agreeing with my hon. Friend's final comment, I note his desire for a Royal Commission on these matters.