§ Mr. Robin F. Cookasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what volume of cases he anticipates would be transferred from Edinburgh Sheriff Court to Edinburgh District Court in the event of a stipendiary magistrate being appointed to the latter court.
§ Mr. William Ross:Under subsection (1) of Clause 5 of the District Courts (Scotland) Bill a local authority may appoint a stipendiary magistrate to sit in a district court. Such an appointment is subject to the approval of the Secretary of State who in considering whether to approve the establishment of the office of stipendiary magistrate would take account of various factors such as the likely volume of business, but any question of the transfer of cases from the sheriff court to the district court would be a matter for local decision in the light of the circumstances of the area concerned.