§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Lord Advocate how many contraventions of the Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) (Scotland) Acts were reported in 1975; which rivers were concerned; how many prosecutions were initiated; how many were successful; and what were the reasons for non-prosecution in any relevant cases.
The Lord AdvocateThere were 13 cases under the Rivers (Prevention of Pollution (Scotland) Acts reported to procurators fiscal in Scotland in 1975. Of this number, 10 prosecutions were initiated and convictions were obtained in all of them. One other case is awaiting trial.
There were only two cases reported where a decision not to prosecute was taken. The river affected in those two cases was the River Ythan, Aberdeen, and a prosecution was not taken on the ground that the polution was not "knowingly committed.
The rivers affected in the oher 11 cases are as noted below:
- Tributary of the River Lugar, Lugar
- Quarrilhill Burn, Dailly
- Pow Burn, Prestwick
554 - Tomnavoulin Burn/River Livet
- Unnamed stream flowing into the Cromarty Firth
- Tributary of the River Nairn near Bitumen Works at Culloden Moor
- Noddesdale Water, Brisbane Glen, Largs
- Unnamed tributary of Cander Water known locally as Lairs Burn
- Unnamed tributary of the Black Cart Water at Lochwinnoch
- Culbae Burn, a tributary of "The Canal" which runs into the River Bladnoch
- Airlour Burn, District of Wigtown