Prosecution Policy (Hansard, 11 December 1985)

§ 47. Mr. Foulkes
asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with procurators fiscal on prosecution policy.

§ The Solicitor-General for Scotland
I meet procurators fiscal from time to time to discuss matters relating to prosecution policy.

§ Mr. Foulkes
Will the Solicitor-General consider discussing with chief constables their practice of referring to procurators fiscal complaints made against the police which should more properly be dealt with by internal police complaints procedures?

§ The Solicitor-General for Scotland
It is certainly not for the procurator fiscal to deal with complaints if they contain no allegation of criminality. However, the hon Gentleman will appreciate that, with the Scottish system, if any allegation includes the prospect of a possibility of criminal offences being committed by a police officer, it is proper that the matter should be examined not only by the procurator fiscal but, ultimately, by Crown counsel and either the Lord Advocate or myself.

§ Mr. Strang
Further to the point of order raised earlier by my hon. Friend the Member for Monklands, West (Mr. 919 Clarke), Mr. Speaker. Your ruling was correct and all hon. Members understand it. However, notwithstanding the enormity of the repercussions on the House of Commons of that act of sabotage by Tory Members, we cannot discuss it. You said that the minutes of that disastrous decision are being published today. Were they published at 3.30? If that is so, can we discuss the issue, which will not stop the campaign to save Gartcosh?

§ Mr. Speaker
I did not know that the minutes were being published until Question Time had started. If the minutes have been ordered to be published, as I understand from the Chairman that they have, it was in order to refer to them in Question Time. That is why I corrected my earlier ruling.

§ Mr. Ewing
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I apologise for raising this point of order, because you have been more than generous with Question Time. Nevertheless, this is a very important marker, as you will appreciate. Will you consider the wider implications of what has happened today? It is well known in the House —I do not make anything of this—that there have been internal problems inside the Scottish Conservative group and—

§ Mr. Bill Walker (Tayside, North)
indicated dissent

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I do not know that and it is not a matter for me.

§ Mr. Ewing
I shall come to my point of order, Mr. Speaker. Such outside influences are now seen to have an effect on the work of the Scottish Select Committee and the price for settling that dispute has been the jobs of 700 steel workers at the steel plant at Gartcosh.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. That has a touch of the extension of Question Time.
Later—

§ Mr. Fairbairn
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. This relates to the point of order raised earlier. You said that the minutes of the proceedings of the Select Committee would be ordered to be printed. The Select Committee did not order them to be printed. The vote against a report came from a majority of those in opposition, who voted to annul the report. If the report is annulled by a vote, by whose order are the minutes, containing the report that was to be annulled, to be printed?

§ Mr. Speaker
I hope that I was not misled. I understood from the Chairman of the Select Committee that the minutes had been ordered to be printed today.

§ Mr. Fairbairn
With respect, that was not done. If it is suggested by the Chairman of the Select Committee that he has ordered the minutes to be published, may I have your ruling that they should not be published?

§ Mr. Speaker
If that should be the case I was in error and my earlier ruling should have stood. I will look into it.