§ Mr. SillarsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons were(a) recruited to the procurator fiscal service in the past year, (b) how many left because of retirement age and (c) how many resigned for other than retirement reasons.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonIn the year from 1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991(a) 94 persons were recruited to the procurator fiscal service, (b) eight retired, and (c) 62 resigned. These figures refer to all staff in the procurator fiscal service.
§ Mr. SillarsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the Crown Office policy on plea bargaining.
606W
North Strathclyde Sheriffdom 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 Reports received 43,973 45,254 41,459 42,530 40,779 Number proceedings 3,559 3,488 6,180 6,003 7,588 Number1 further proceedings 1,068 n/a2 n/a2 n/a2 n/a2 Non-court proceedings Warning letters 1,960 1,736 1,780 2,322 2,218 Conditional offers 11,577 11,528 7,392 6,860 5,604 Fiscal fines 3,629 3,450 1,984 n/a3 n/a3 Diversions 95 119 112 n/a4 n/a4
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton"Plea bargaining" is generally understood to involve an agreement whereby an accused will tender pleas in return for an assurance as to the sentence which will then be imposed by the court. No such arrangements can be made in Scotland and accordingly "plea bargaining" is an inappropriate term in Scotland. The prosecution does retain the right in the public interest to abandon proceedings, amend the charges, or accept a partial plea of guilty, at any stage prior to the final determination of proceedings. This may be done by the prosecutor for a variety of reasons. As with the decision to institute proceedings, it is left to the discretion of advocate deputes or procurators fiscal. In specified circumstances individual prosecutors may be required to consult senior members of the procurator fiscal service, Crown counsel or the law officers before taking such a course.
§ Mr. SillarsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many criminal trials in the past six months started within 10 days of the legal termination that would have been applied by the 110-day rule.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. SillarsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the percentage of prosecutions when measured against the total number of charges reports submitted to procurators fiscal in each sheriffdom at the latest available full year; and if he will give the comparable figures for each of the last five years.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information which is set out in the tables below refers to court proceedings as a percentage of reports submitted to procurators fiscal. The first column details the number of reports received in each year. The subsequent columns detail the disposals for each year, although some of the disposals may relate to reports received in the preceding year.
607W
1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 Court proceedings 22,085 24,933 24,011 27,345 25,369 Court proceedings as percentage of Total 50.22 55.10 57.92 64.30 62.21 1 Proceedings discontinued. 2 Not separately recorded. 3 Fiscal Fines were introduced in 1988. 4 No figures are available for the numbers of Diversions in 1986 and 1987. Such disposals would have been recorded as "Number proceedings".
South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway Sheriffdom 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 Reports received 64,284 62,471 59,308 57,820 52,757 Number proceedings 4,907 5,166 7,329 4,781 4,521 Number1 further proceedings 499 n/a2 n/a2 n/a2 n/a2 Non-court proceedings Warning letters 1,977 2,163 2,448 2,447 2,617 Conditional offers 17,273 16,787 15,396 14,210 10,236 Fiscal fines 3,423 3,509 1,809 n/a3 n/a3 Diversions 164 83 63 n/a4 n/a4 Court proceedings 36,041 34,763 32,263 36,382 35,383 Court proceedings as percentage of Total 56.07 55.65 54.40 62.92 67.07 1 Proceedings discontinued. 2 Not separately recorded. 3 Fiscal Fines were introduced in 1988. 4 No figures are available for the numbers of Diversions in 1986 and 1987. Such disposals would have been recorded as "NO PROS".
Lothian and Borders Sheriffdom 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 Reports received 58,551 60,419 54,880 57,970 74,123 Number proceedings 5,815 5,472 6,855 12,789 31,522 Number1 further proceedings 3,814 n/a2 n/a2 n/a2 n/a2 Non-court proceedings Warning letters 1,829 1,909 1,943 2,930 3,076 Conditional offers 16,544 17,917 14,666 11,775 8,488 Fiscal fines 1,746 1,912 860 n/a3 n/a3 Diversions 353 296 300 n/a4 n/a4 Court proceedings 28,450 32,913 30,256 30,476 31,037 Court proceedings as percentage of Total 48.59 54.47 55.13 52.57 41.87 1 Proceedings discontinued. 2 Not separately recorded. 3 Fiscal Fines were introduced in 1988. 4 No figures are available for the numbers of Diversions in 1986 and 1987. Such disposals would have been recorded as "NO PROS".
Glasgow and Strathkelvin Sheriffdom 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 Reports received 80,543 79,126 70,477 75,434 69,868 Number proceedings 14,377 19,066 18,514 19,772 10,824 Number1 further proceedings 5,644 n/a2 n/a2 n/a2 n/a2 Non-court proceedings Warning letters 3,897 4,826 6,223 6,393 5,986 Conditional offers 21,077 14,198 10,297 8,680 5,790 Fiscal fines 2,366 1,963 1,048 n/a3 n/a3 Diversions 264 296 178 n/a4 n/a4 Court proceedings 32,918 38,777 34,217 40,589 47,268 Court proceedings as percentage of Total 40.87 49.01 48.55 53.81 67.65 1 Proceedings discontinued. 2 Not separately recorded. 3 Fiscal Fines were introduced in 1988. 4 No figures are available for the numbers of Diversions in 1986 and 1987. Such disposals would have been recorded as "NO PROS".
608W609W
Grampian, Highlands and Islands Sheriffdom 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 Reports received 46,090 42,231 41,204 39,654 44,216 Number proceedings 3,798 3,388 5,038 7,471 8,486 Number1 further proceedings 106 n/a2 n/a2 n/a2 n/a2
1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 Non-court proceedings Warning letters 1,211 1,004 840 1,691 1,326 Conditional offers 12,597 10,240 9,075 6,617 8,699 Fiscal fines 2,244 2,359 2,393 n/a3 n/a3 Diversions 337 312 336 n/a4 n/a4 Court proceedings 25,797 24,928 23,522 23,875 25,705 Court proceedings as percentage of Total 55.97 59.03 57.09 60.21 58.14 1 Proceedings discontinued. 2 Not separately recorded. 3 Fiscal Fines were introduced in 1988. 4 No figures are available for the numbers of Diversions in 1986 and 1987. Such disposals would have been recorded as "NO PROS".
Tayside, Central and Fife Sheriffdom 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 Reports received 73,031 69,459 67,976 65,151 62,243 Number proceedings 8,357 7,489 8,581 8,203 8,287 Number1 further proceedings 1,172 n/a2 n/a2 n/a2 n/a2 Non-court proceedings Warning letters 2,771 2,669 3,202 3,260 3,417 Conditional offers 20,723 19,766 17,981 13,479 11,596 Fiscal fines 3,577 2,363 1,210 n/a3 n/a3 Diversions 190 69 25 n/a4 n/a4 Court proceedings 36,241 37,103 36,977 40,209 38,943 Court proceedings as percentage of Total 49.62 53.42 54.40 61.72 62.57 1 Proceedings discontinued. 2 Not separately recorded. 3 Fiscal Fines were introduced in 1988. 4 No figures are available for the numbers of Diversions in 1986 and 1987. Such disposals would have been recorded as "NO PROS".
§ Mr. SillarsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the staffing levels in each office of the procurator fiscal service for the latest available year and each of the past five years.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information is set out in the table below.
610W
Staffing levels 1 April each year Office 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 Aberdeen 34.0 35.0 37.0 37.5 36.5 Airdrie 27.0 25.0 28.0 29.0 30.0 Alloa 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 Arbroath 3.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 5.0 Ayr 20.5 19.0 18.0 20.5 21.0 Banff 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Campbeltown 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Cupar 4.0 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.0 Dingwall 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 Dornoch/Tain 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.5 5.0 Dumbarton 23.0 22.0 23.0 23.0 24.0 Dumfries/Kirkcudbright 20.0 20.0 20.0 22.0 22.0 Dundee 32.5 32.5 36.5 38.5 38.5 Dunfermline 14.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 16.0 Dunoon 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Duns/Jedburgh 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Edinburgh 115.0 115.0 123.5 130.5 135.5 Elgin 6.0 6.5 6.5 6.5 7.0 Falkirk 14.0 17.0 17.0 14.0 19.0 Forfar 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 4.0 Fort William 2.5 2.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 Glasgow 273.5 282.5 278.0 287.5 285.5 Greenock/Rothesay 21.5 21.0 19.0 18.0 20.0 Haddington 6.0 6.0 6.5 8.0 7.0 Hamilton 55.0 60.5 63.5 66.0 64.5 Inverness 14.0 15.0 16.0 17.0 17.0 Kilmarnock 32.0 32.0 28.5 33.0 35.0 Kirkcaldy 17.0 17.0 17.0 19.0 18.0 Kirkwall/Wick 5.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 4.0 Lanark 4.5 5.0 3.0 5.5 5.5 Lerwick 2.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.0
Office 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 Linlithgow 16.0 17.0 17.0 17.0 17.0 Lochmaddy/Portree 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Oban 2.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 Paisley 35.0 37.0 38.0 38.0 40.5 Peebles 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.5 2.5 Perth 15.0 16.5 17.5 20.0 18.5 Peterhead 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 Selkirk 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Stirling 12.0 12.0 12.5 13.0 14.0 Stonehaven 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 Stornoway 2.0 2.0 1.0 2.5 2.5 Stranraer 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.5 5.5 878.0 901.0 913.0 955.5 968.0
§ Mr. SillarsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many specialist drug offences units exist within the procurator fiscal service.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThere are no specialist drug units within procurator fiscal offices. Restraint and confiscation procedures in relation to drug trafficking are dealt with by the fraud and specialist services unit at the Crown office.
§ Mr. SillarsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the salary scales for the procurator fiscal service.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information which is set out in the table below refers to the minimum and maximum points on the scale for each legal grade. An officer on the maximum point for his grade may be eligible for performance pay.
611W
£ £ Crown Agent (grade 2) 59,020 — Regional procurator fiscal (Glasgow and Edinburgh—Grade 3) 47,090 — Min. Max. Regional procurator fiscal (Aberdeen, Dundee, Hamilton and Paisley); 40,116 41,681 Senior assistant procurator fiscal, deputy crown agent Upper level procurator fiscal; 32,551 36,997 Assistant procurator fiscal; Assistant solicitor Lower level procurator fiscal; 23,407 31,851 Senior depute Senior legal assistant 22,399 30,481 Legal assistant 15,156 19,348
§ Mr. SillarsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons charged with drugs offences connected with dealing had the charges reduced in severity on the day of trial at Glasgow sheriff court in each of the past six months.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonMy noble and learned Friend, the Lord Advocate will write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. SillarsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will show the number of legal staff by age ranges in each procurator fiscal office.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information is set out in the table below.
612W
Office 25–35 36–45 46–55 56+ Aberdeen 5 3 1 2 Airdrie 5 2 — 1 Alloa — 1 1 — Arbroath 1 — — 1 Ayr 3 2 — 1 Banff — 1 — — Campbeltown — — 1 — Cupar 1 — — 1 Dingwall — 1 — — Dornoch/Tain — — 1 — Dumbarton 4 1 — 2 Dumfries — — 1 1 Dundee 4 6 — — Dunfermline — 1 1 — Dunoon — 1 — — Duns/Jedburgh — — — 1 Edinburgh 9 9 5 2 Elgin 1 — — 1 Falkirk 2 1 2 — Forfar — — — 1 Fort William — — — 1 Glasgow 31 29 3 1 Greenock/Rothesay 3 2 1 — Haddington 1 1 — — Hamilton 9 8 — 1 Inverness 3 1 1 — Kilmarnock 2 4 3 — Kirkcaldy — 3 — — Kirkwall/Wick — 1 — — Lanark — 2 — — Lerwick — 1 — — Linlithgow 1 — 2 1 Lochmaddy/Portree — 1 — — Oban — 1 — — Paisley 7 2 2 — Peebles — — — I
Office 25–35 36–45 46–55 56+ Perth 1 4 — 1 Peterhead — 1 — — Selkirk — — 1 — Stirling — 2 1 1 Stonehaven — — 1 — Stornoway — — 1 — Stranraer — — 1 —