SLCC Budget for 2014-2015 laid before Scottish Parliament

The SLCC laid its annual budget for 2014-2015 before the Scottish Parliament today.

The budget shows that the SLCC is continuing to become more efficient and effective. It also outlines plans to increase the share of costs borne by practitioners who have complaints upheld against them.

The SLCC’s budget is funded by a levy of legal practitioners in Scotland. As part of the consultation to the budget, which ended on the 26th March, the Law Society of Scotland, the Faculty of Advocates and the Cabinet Secretary for Justice provided responses.

SLCC CEO Matthew Vickers commented, “One of our objectives as an organisation is to be efficient. This budget will deliver a 5% reduction in expenditure, including a 9% reduction in staff costs. These reductions have allowed us to freeze the general levy for most practitioners and reduce it for some.”

The SLCC continues to incur costs and shortfalls in enforcing compensation, fee rebates and complaint levy payments from a small minority of non-compliant practitioners. It estimates these costs will be £43k for the 2013/14 operating year.

Vickers added, “In our operational plan we have committed to exploring whether we can find a mechanism whereby those practitioners and sections of the profession which generate more complaints should meet a higher proportion of our running costs. We look forward to working with the professional organisations on this.”

In addition, the SLCC is also considering ways to improve overall levels of engagement with the complaints system and will be investigating publishing carefully selected complaint decisions.

Says Vickers, “We are aware that this is an initiative where thoughtful consultation with the professional organisations and consumer groups will be required so that all can have confidence in how and when we publish.”

The SLCC’s budget for 2014-2015 is available here.