§ Mr. McKelveyasked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will list the responsibilities exercised by the Lord Advocate and himself for which he answers parliamentary questions.
§ The Solicitor-General for ScotlandThe responsibilities exercised by the Lord Advocate and myself in 59W respect of which I answer parliamentary questions extend to all the ministerial functions exercised by us or on our behalf. These are:
- 1 Functions exercised through the Crown Office, principally the investigation and prosecution of crime in Scotland, the responsibility in relation thereto for Crown counsel and the procurator fiscal service and the investigation of sudden deaths and fatal accidents. The Lord Advocate is not however responsible for policy or administration in relation to the police, criminal statistics or the treatment of offenders, which are responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Scotland;
- 2. Functions exercised through the Lord Advocate's Department, principally in relation to the Scottish parliamentary draftsmen;
- 3. Functions exercised through the Scottish courts administration, principally relating to
- (a) certain subjects connected with the administration of justice, as set out by the then Prime Minister on 21 December 1972 at columns 455–457. These subjects include: the jurisdiction and the procedure of the Scottish courts in civil proceedings; the law relating to the enforcement of the judgements of Scottish courts in civil matters (including diligence); the law of evidence; and the law relating to prescription and the limitation of actions;
- (b) the Scottish Law Commission;
- (c) the Council on Tribunals and its Scottish committee;
- (d) rules regulating procedure before certain statutory inquiries and tribunals.
§ Mr. McKelveyasked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will list the subjects about which he has transferred questions for oral answer from himself to the Secretary of State for Scotland in the current Session of Parliament.
§ The Solicitor-General for ScotlandIn the current Session of Parliament, questions have been transferred from myself on the following subjects
increased competition among lawyers; changes in the law relating to illegitimacy and parent and child; damage to the salmon industry; action in connection with the law on environmental health; and statistics on legal aid, assaults on the elderly, convictions and fines in salmon and sea fisheries offences.These questions have been transferred to the Secretary of State for Scotland.