§ 36. Mr. Canavan asked the Lord Advocate how many prosecutions there have been in Scotland for contravention of the Sex Discrimination Act.
§ The Lord AdvocateThis information is not collected centrally, but so far as I am aware there have been no prosecutions for offences under this Act.
§ Mr. CanavanHow can my right hon. and learned Friend explain the complete absence of prosecutions in view of the evidence of sex discrimination in Scotland, particularly in education, with relatively few female head teachers and the curriculum options for girls often restricted? Will he, in liaison with Scottish Office Ministers, see that these authorities are encouraged and even prosecuted, if necessary, in order to rid Scotland for ever of educational establishments which resemble male chauvinist pig sties?
§ The Lord AdvocateIf my hon. Friend has evidence of sex discrimination in education, he has not put it before me. The Act rightly does not depend primarily on criminal sanctions.
§ Mr. YoungerWould the right hon. and learned Gentleman go further than that and agree that he should exercise the greatest reluctance in considering any prosecutions under the Act, since a number of prosecutions would merely make the law appear to be an ass whereas application of common sense would achieve the aims of the Act?
§ The Lord AdvocateYes.