§ Mr. Bill WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made on conveyancing research by his Department.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonI am pleased to announce that a research report on factors influencing the market for conveyancing in Scotland has been published today. I have placed copies of the report, "The Market for Conveyancing in Scotland", in the Library. The research was carried out at Strathclyde university with Scottish Office funding.
The report concludes that there has been greater competition in conveyancing and house selling since 1985 when, with Government persuasion, the Law Society of Scotland introduced changes relating to advertising and fee quotations and abolished scale fees. The report also found that 40 per cent. of solicitors who responded were in favour of multi-disciplinary partnerships with non-lawyers. The statutory barriers to the formation of such partnerships were removed by the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990.
A second study which looks particularly at fees charged for conveyancing before and after the abolition of scale fees is in progress.