§ 43. Lord James Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Solicitor-General for Scotland what percentage of the total number of cases brought before the High Court in 1985 have been drug cases; how may cases have been brought to court this year; and how many are pending.
§ The Solicitor-General for ScotlandFigures available to 31 October 1985 indicate that approximately 31 per cent. of cases brought before the High Court so far this year have been drugs cases. Six hundred and ninety-one cases had been indicted into the High Court to 31 October 1985 of which 213 were drugs cases. It is presently estimated that there are 134 cases pending for sittings of the High Court in November and December. Thirty six of these are drugs cases.
§ 45. Mr. David Marshallasked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will give the numbers of prosecutions for drug-related offences under summary and solemn procedure, respectively, for the latest year for which statistics are available.
§ The Solicitor-General for ScotlandThe latest year for which the statistics requested are available is 1984. The figures are at present provisional. Three hundred and forty-four persons were proceeded against for drug-related offences under solemn procedure; 2,239 persons were proceeded against for such offences under summary procedure.