§ Mr. R. Gibsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many sheep have been reported missing or stolen in each of the counties of Scotland during each of the last three years, respectively; what steps are being taken by the State or local authorities to diminish or stop such losses; and if he has any statement to make on the subject?
§ Mr. ElliotThe numbers of sheep reported to Procurators Fiscal as missing or2270W 1936, and 1st November, 1937, and the available figures are given below.
stolen in Scottish Counties during the years 1935, 1936 and 1937 were as follow:
County. 1935. 1936. 1937. Aberdeen 16 31 68 Angus — 93 — Argyll 296 86 666 Ayr 34 37 40 Banff — 11 — Berwick 10 6 6 Bute — — 6 Caithness 2 6 43 Clackmannan — 19 — Dumbarton 10 90 5 Dumfries and Kirkcudbright 22 2 56 East Lothian — 14 9 Fife 26 43 42 Inverness 140 228 172 Kincardine — — 22 Kinross 11 30 68 Lanark 34 37 38 Midlothian 2 5 12 Moray 7 — 46 Nairn — — — Orkney — — — Peebles — — — Perth 140 143 174 Renfrew 1 1 1 Ross and Cromarty 6 14 56 Roxburgh 12 2 4 Selkirk 3 — — Stirling 109 187 74 Sutherland 21 33 29 Wigtown — 1 1 West Lothian 45 72 38 Zetland — 1 — Total 947 1,192 1,676 Separate figures for Dumfries and Kirkcudbright are not available.
The figures given for Inverness may include a few cases occurring in Argyll.
All cases of theft or suspected theft are investigated by the police and I have received no recent representations on the 2271W subject, suggesting that other measures should be' taken.