§ Mr. McFallTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received regarding the Sheriff Court Fees Amendment (No. 2) Order 1993; and what was the content of those representations.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonA number of representations regarding the Sheriff Court Fees Amendment (No. 2) Order have been received from tile Law Society of Scotland and others. These mainly concern the possible effects of the fees on potential litigants. As my noble and learned Friend the Minister of State has made clear, and as I explained in debate on the order in Standing Committee on 9 February, court fees form only a small proportion of the costs of taking a case in the sheriff courts.