§ Mr. Charles KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the advantages of using Portree sheriff court for the purposes of hearing Skye bridge toll non-payment cases; and if he will make a statement. [10840]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The prosecution of offences is a matter for my noble and learned friend the Lord Advocate. Persons charged with the non-payment of tolls on the Skye bridge commit an offence within the jurisdiction of Dingwall sheriff court. These offences are therefore prosecuted in that court. Section 4 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 provides that where an offence is alleged to have been committed in one district in a sheriffdom, it is competent to try that offence in a sheriff court in any other district in that sheriffdom.
210WThe Lord Advocate informs me that there are no plans to try non-payment offences in Portree sheriff court or any other sheriff court in the sheriffdom of Grampian, Highland and Islands other than Dingwall sheriff court. The procurator fiscal at Dingwall and regional procurator fiscal at Aberdeen are keeping the matter under review, and, if it were considered that the efficient administration of justice would be better served by prosecuting some of these cases in any other court or courts in the sheriffdom in addition to Dingwall sheriff court then the regional procurator fiscal would discuss this possibility with the procurators fiscal in the other districts and with the sheriff principal.
Mr. KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will estimate the additional cost per week of extending sitting days at Dingwall sheriff court from three to five for the purposes of accommodating the extra demands of Skye bridge toll non-payment cases; and if he will make a statement; [10842]
(2) what estimate he has made of the impact upon progress on other court cases of the Skye bridge toll non-payment hearings at Dingwall sheriff court; and if he will make a statement. [10843]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The marginal cost of providing additional sitting days at Dingwall sheriff court is expenditure on temporary shrieval assistance, amounting to some £600 for two additional sitting days. At present, there has been no appreciable impact on progress of other business at the court. The position will be kept under review by the regional procurator fiscal and regional sheriff clerk in consultation with the sheriff principal.