§ DR. CAMERON (Glasgow, College)asked the Lord Advocate, Whether his attention has been called to the Memorial addressed to the Secretary for Scotland by the Procurators practising at Tobermory protesting against the abolition of the weekly Sheriff Court there; whether it is true that the Sheriff Clerk Depute has been removed from Tobermory to Oban, with all papers and documents connected with crofter applications and cases depending or to be brought before the Crofters' Commission; whether he is aware that the removal of the Court from Tobermory to Oban will involve much trouble and expense to litigants in many of the Western Islands; and, whether he would consider the advisability of deferring the proposed change at least till the Crofter Commission has dealt with the district of which Tobermory forms the centre?
§ THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. H. A. MACDONALD) (Edinburgh and St. Andrew's Universities)My attention has been called to the Memorial referred to. There have hitherto always been Sheriff Clerk Deputes both at Tobermory and Oban, and there is no intention to alter this practice. I am not aware that the alteration will involve trouble and expense to litigants. So far as I can ascertain, this will not be so, but rather the reverse. As at present advised, I cannot adopt the suggestion in the fourth paragraph of the Question. The Courts are already being carried on under the new Order; and, with the exception of the Memorial referred to by the hon. Member, no representations have been made to me against the recent Order.