§ Mr. Soleyasked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the following information in relation to the mining dispute: (i) the charges laid, and the number of persons charged with each offence listed and (ii) the number of persons charged against whom evidence was not offered, or who have been acquitted.
§ The Solicitor-General for ScotlandThe information to 28 November 1984 on the nature and number of charges brought by procurators fiscal as a result of incidents arising from the current mining dispute is set out in the table; of the 238 persons whose cases have been disposed of, 30 persons have been acquitted.
Nature of charges Number of charges Breach of the peace 690 Police (Scotland) Act 1967 section 41 319 Bail etc. (Scotland) Act 1980 section 3 45 Vandalism and malicious mischief 27 Possession of an offensive weapon 10 Roads (Scotland) Act 1970 section 24 10 Assault 7 Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act 1875 5 Theft 3 Careless driving 1 Reckless conduct 1 Urinating 1
§ Mr. Soleyasked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the following 103W information in relation to the mining dispute: (i) the number of persons convicted, and the offences they committed, for each police force area and (ii) the number of persons remanded in custody for each police force area.
§ The Solicitor-General for ScotlandThe most readily available information on persons convicted of offences arising out of the mining dispute in each police force area is set out in the tables.
The first table details, to 16 November 1984, the nature of the charges brought by procurators fiscal in those areas which have resulted in convictions; the second table details, to 28 November 1984, the number of persons convicted of such offences in each area: as at 3 December 1984, out of the total number of persons proceeded against for such offences, 18 persons were remanded in custody prior to trial; two persons were subsequently released on bail and one immediately changed his plea to that of guilty.
TABLE 1 Police force area and nature of the charge Number of persons convicted Strathclyde Breach of the peace 27 Possession of an offensive weapon 3 Police (Scotland) Act 1967 section 41 2 Vandalism 2 Urinating 1 Lothian and Borders Breach of the peace 38 Bail etc. (Scotland) Act 1980 section 3 21 Police (Scotland) Act 1967 section 41 12 Assault 3 Vandalism 2 Possession of an offensive weapon 1 Fife Breach of the peace 15 Police (Scotland) Act 1967 section 41 9 Bail etc. (Scotland) Act 1980 section 3 2 Tayside Breach of the peace 15 Vandalism 2 Police (Scotland) Act 1967 section 41 1 Dumfries and Galloway Vandalism 4
TABLE 2 Police force area Number of persons convicted Strathclyde 110 Lothian and Borders 46 Fife 34 Central 1 Tayside 15 Dumfries and Galloway 2