In Scotland Which? has had an office in Edinburgh since January 2002 to strengthen our campaigning work with members of the Scottish parliament.
Legal services
Small claims and civil justice
Which? campaigned for an increase in the Small Claims ceiling in Scotland from £750 to £3,000. Small Claims is the only low-risk and cost-effective way for people to pursue redress for poor goods and services in court up to this amount.
For a fixed fee, complainants can have their case heard at their local Sheriff Court, without running the risks of paying costs if they lose their case. We would still like to see the amount increased further to £5,000, as it is in England and Wales, and would also like to see the system updated and made more user friendly.
However, after being frozen at a paltry £750 for 19 long years, we are delighted the system has been saved to protect consumer rights in Scotland.
The increase in the small claims limit is good news for Scottish consumers
Which? also welcomes Lord Gill's review of civil justice, and is calling on the Government to implement those recommendations not requiring primary legislation, such as making the Small Claims system easier for the public to use, with a less formal court, the removal of wigs and gowns, the use of plain English, and a more problem-solving, less adversarial approach.
Legal services complaints
Which? welcomes the new Independent Scottish Legal Complaints Commission and believes it will much improve complaints handling in legal services, which has led to serious concern in the past.
Competition in legal services
In 2007 the Office of Fair Trading upheld our Supercomplaint that consumers are losing out because of the lack of competition in legal services.
The Scottish government is now introducing legislation to allow lawyers to work in new ways which will allow more competition, and sweep away many of the unnecessary restrictions.
We believe this will make for fairer treatment and more choice for consumers when they use legal services, and lower prices. More people should be able to access justice as a result.
McKenzie Friends
Which? supports the introduction of the McKenzie Friends system, which permits a litigant representing themselves in court to have a supporter or advisor with them. This system has worked well in England and Wales for many years, and we see no reason for Scottish litigants to be deprived of this important help.
Food issues
Food matters are devolved, and fall within the remit of the Food Standards Agency (Scotland) in Aberdeen. We support the Government's new National Food Plan for Scotland, to tackle obesity and encourage healthier eating.
In Scotland we're campaigning to:
- Stop unscrupulous marketing tactics which encourage children to eat unhealthy foods
- Encourage food companies to put the Food Standards Agency's combined front of pack nutrition label on food packaging to allow consumers to make healthier choices
- Encourage supermarkets to use price promotions and product placement to help people make healthy choices
- Encourage food outlets to put calories on foods to help people make healthy choices when they are eating outside the home
We campaigned for and won a pilot scheme for food hygiene scores to be published in five areas across Scotland - Aberdeen, Edinburgh. Fife, Perth, and Renfrewshire.
The pilot, which launched in November 2006, followed research Which? carried out earlier in the year showing that 82% of the public want this information displayed before they enter the restaurant and 94% thought it should be available online.
Initial research carried out by FSA Scotland found the scheme is valued by both consumers and businesses.
Health issues - Dentistry
We have campaigned for better access for patients to NHS dentistry and the delivery of free dental checkups and necessary treatment. We believe NHS dental treatment should be available for anyone who wants it.
After campaigning for several years for more access to NHS dental treatments, we were delighted to see the service given more funds from the Government, as well as a commitment to free dental checks.
Housing - Home Reports
We believe it's in the interests of homebuyers and sellers to have the best possible information on a prospective new home before making an offer. That's why we campaigned for the new Home Reports, which began in December 2008 and are a welcome addition to consumer rights and information in Scotland.
As they contain a full survey instead of just a valuation, Home Reports will allow all homebuyers access to more in-depth information on the condition of a house, right at the beginning of a potential transaction. This will also prevent the problem of multiple surveys. First time buyers will benefit most of all, as the Reports are commissioned by the seller.