§ Baroness Faithfullasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have any plans to issue further guidance in Scotland on the reporting for prosecution of children alleged to have committed offences.
§ The Lord Advocate (Lord Cameron of Lochbroom)I have recently distributed to chief constables revised directions concerning the reporting to procurators fiscal of children for prosecution. These will come into effect upon 3rd August 1987. They arise from a review of the operation of the previous guidance which was undertaken by the Crown Office in consultation with representatives from the Reporters and the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland). Account has also been taken of the conclusions of a report published last October by the Scottish Association for the Study of Delinquency entitledSpeedy Justice for Children. As the directions are lengthy, I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.