§ 12. Mr. WATTasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he has any statistics of the number of cases dealt with in any single year by the late holder of the office of Procurator-fiscal at Dunblane; can he say how many hours in the week the duties of that office occupied him; and has the Treasury considered whether it is necessary to have a local depute appointed, in view of the fact that economy is being insisted on by his Department in other directions in Scotland?
§ The LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. Munro)With regard to the first part of the question, the number of cases dealt with by the late Procurator-fiscal last year was 222. I have no information with regard to 40 the second part of the question. With regard to the last part of the question, I would point out to my hon. and learned Friend that, under the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act, 1907, a Procurator-fiscal is entitled to appoint, with the consent of the Lord Advocate, one or more fit persons to be his deputes, and that these deputes are paid by the Procurator-fiscal, and not by the Treasury. The question, therefore, whether a depute at Dunblane should be appointed is primarily for the consideration of the Procurator-fiscal, when arrangements have been made for him to take over the duties of the whole county.
§ Mr. WATTasked whether, in considering the question of salary to be paid on the conjunction of the offices of Procurator-fiscal at Perth and at Dunblane, he can give any statistics of the work at present done at Perth; can he give the number of cases reported to the Procurator-fiscal in the last year available, the number inquired into, and the number prosecuted; does the work occupy the Procurator-fiscal fully during the week; and is it possible that he can undertake the further duties of Dunblane without the necessity of appointing a local depute?
§ Mr. MUNROThe number of cases reported to and inquired into by the Procurator-fiscal during the year ending 30th June, 1915, is 840. Of these 320 were tried summarily, 204 were reported to Crown counsel, and in 316 no proceedings were taken. The Procurator-fiscal also during the same period made inquiry in connection with thirty-two cases from other counties. I am unable to make any statement regarding the actual time occupied by the Procurator-fiscal in the performance of his official duties. For the reasons given in the previous answer to my hon. and learned Friend, the last part of the question is primarily for the consideration of the Procurator-fiscal.
§ Mr. WATTIs it in contemplation to raise the salary of this particular Procurator-fiscal at Perth?