§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received on his reforms for(a) administration of estates and (b) multi-disciplinary practices.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonMy right hon. and learned Friend received 27 responses to his 1989 consultation paper "The Legal Profession in Scotland" which made reference to the confirmation of executors which is the only part of the administration of estates reserved to solicitors. He received 24 responses to his proposals for multi-disciplinary practices as set out in his 1987 discussion document "The Practice of the Solicitor Profession in Scotland". He has also received a number of representations about the provisions of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Bill which relate to confirmation of executors and multi-disciplinary practices.
§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research his Department has conducted into the effect of the proposed legal reforms on rural practices.
§ Sir David SteelTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research his Department has conducted into the effect of the proposed legal reforms on rural practices.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonI refer the right hon. and hon. Members to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 18 January 1990.
§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what response he has received to his proposals for multi-disciplinary practices.
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§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonMy right hon. and learned Friend invited views on proposals to remove the existing statutory barriers which prevent solicitors from entering into multi-disciplinary practices in his consultative paper "The Practice of the Solicitor Profession in Scotland", which was published in November 1987. Twenty-four organisations and individuals, mainly from the legal, financial and property sectors, submitted responses.
§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met members of the Scottish Law Society to discuss legal reform.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonMy right hon. and learned Friend meets members of the Law Society of Scotland from time to time, both formally and informally, for discussions on a wide range of topics. The last such formal occasion was his address to the Society's special conference on his policy statement "The Scottish Legal Profession: The Way Forward" on 23 October 1989.