§ Mr. ChisholmTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to introduce a criminal offence of stalking. [19691]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe Government have recently completed an examination of the anti-stalking laws passed in the United States, Australia and Canada and are currently considering whether specific legislation to address the problems of stalking could with benefit be introduced in the United Kingdom. In Scotland, the breadth of the common law charge of breach of the peace is such that virtually any conduct which might constitute stalking can already be prosecuted as breach of the peace.