§ Mr. Corrieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to receive the report of the committee on the administration of sheriffdoms by full-time sheriffs principal.
§ Mr. YoungerI have received the committee's report and have arranged for it to be printed; it is being published today. The committee has made a number of recommendations about ways in which the administration of sheriffdoms can be improved and my Department will be consulting interested bodies before I reach a final decision on these. I have, however, accepted the committee's principal recommendation that the office of sheriff principal should continue to be whole-time but that there should be a review of the size and number of sheriffdoms. This review will be put in hand as soon as possible. I am most grateful to Lord Grieve and his two colleagues for the expeditious way in which they have discharged their remit.