§ 35. Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Lord Advocate when he next proposes to meet the Lord President of the Court of Session.
§ The Lord AdvocateI think I am now entitled to say that I have regular meetings with the Lord President of the Court of Session as business demands.
§ Mr. WilsonWhile one would recommend the use of a calculator to the Lord Advocate for the purpose of selection of answers to Questions, at his next meeting with the Lord President, who is responsible for fixing court fees, will he note that divorce expenses in an undefended divorce cost three times as much as those for an undefended separation action in the sheriff court? What facilities will there be for transferring divorces to the sheriff court?
§ The Lord AdvocateThat matter will have to be taken into account by the Government in future when this issue next arises. It is only fair to say, however, that I think that practitioners would certainly not accept that the work done in a divorce case is necessarily the same as the work done in the lesser cases of separation in the sheriff court.
§ Mr. FairbairnAssuming that the Lord Advocate can tell whether he is meeting the Thomson Committee or the Lord President, and that he is meeting the Lord President, may I ask him to use his influence to break the particularly restrictive bonds on the criminal fees paid to solicitors who engage in more work, paid for out of the same Treasury, when very much more is paid to English practitioners for the same work, a fact which is prejudicial as against comparative work undertaken by solicitors in Scotland?
§ The Lord AdvocateI am not sure that I understand the hon. and learned Member's point, but I can say that charges for divorces in Scotland are very reasonable.