HC Deb 03 February 1983 vol 36 cc192-4W
Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were employed in the sheriff clerks service in each of the last five years.

Mr. Allan Stewart

The number of full-time staff or their equivalent employed in the sheriff courts at 1 April in each of the last five years was as follows:

Year Number
1 April 1978 596½
1 April 1979 603½
1 April 1980 619
1 April 1981 650½
1 April 1982 666½

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the total cost of operating the Scottish courts administration in each of the last five years.

Mr. Allan Stewart

The relevant information on the total direct administrative costs of operating the Scottish courts—the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary, the sheriff courts, the Scottish land court and the Lands Tribunal for Scotland—is set out in the following table. Expenditure incurred by the PSA on accommodation, Consolidated Fund expenditure on judicial salaries and expenditure on district courts incurred by local authorities is not included. The direct costs of the Scottish courts administration—SCA—are shown separately. The figures are taken from the Appropriation Accounts for class XV, Votes 11 and 13.

Court Services Expenditure (excluding SCA) Central Administrative Expenditure (SCA) Total
£ £ £
1977–78 4,106,051 243,641 4,349,692
1978–79 4,321,235 282,114 4,603,349
1979–80 5,168,631 344,450 5,513,081
1980–81 7,349,210 414,005 7,763,215
1981–82 7,755,887 489,382 8,245,269

1980–81 1981–82 1982–83
Argyll and Clyde health board
Nil Group living for the elderly, Paisley. Nil
Ayrshire and Arran health board
Nil Nil Nil
Borders health board
Lanark Lodge day centre for the mentally handicapped, Duns. Day centre for the elderly Galashiels. St. Mary's home for the physically and mentally handicapped, Balnakiel—Fire precautions and improvements.
Sheltered housing scheme for the mentally handicapped, Howdenbank, Hawick. Provision of wardens for sheltered housing at various locations.
Day centres for the elderly Kelso and Hawick.
Dumfries and Galloway health board
Dunmuir Park hostel for the mentally handicapped, Castle Douglas Crossmichael adult training centre, Castle Douglas. Hostel for the mentally handicapped, Dumfries. Adult training centre, Newton Stewart.
Social work support, Crichton royal hospital. Alcohol advice information day centre, Dumfries.
Fife health board
Nil Nil Crossroads care attendant scheme, Dunfermline.
Forth Valley health board
Mobile emergency care service (Remote alarms, augmentation of home help provision, 5 communication operators) centred at Bellsdyke Hospital. Nil Nil
Grampian health board

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many full-time sheriffs are presently employed in the Scottish courts; how many were employed five and 10 years ago; and if he will give the total cost of shrieval salaries in each of these years.

Mr. Allan Stewart

It is not possible to provide information in precisely the form requested, but the following table shows the number of full-time posts and total gross salaries:

Number of full-time sheriff posts* and total gross salaries
£
1972–73 58 474,000
1977–78 67 866,000
1982–83 85 2,348,000
* As at 1 January in the relevant financial year.

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