§ Lord McCLUSKEYasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in view of the considerable public interest in the matter in Scotland, they will publish a Green Paper outlining the measures promised in Her Majesty's gracious Speech to make reforms to criminal procedure and criminal justice in Scotland so as to 1087WA allow the public to consider and make representations about the proposals before the introduction of a Bill containing them.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, SCOTTISH OFFICE (The Earl of Mansfield)It would be inappropriate to issue a Green Paper so short a time before the publication of the criminal justice legislation for Scotland which, as announced in Her Majesty's gracious Speech, the Government are to introduce in the present parliamentary Session, particularly since most of the provisions in the Bill derive from inquiries by the Thomson Committee and similar bodies, the reports of which have already been the subject of extensive consultations.