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Legal System (Waiting Times)
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what statistics his Department collates on the interval between a report on an accused person being received by the procurator fiscal and the accused person's first appearance in court; and if he will provide the statistics for the year 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96. [6554]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: I am informed by my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate that the Crown Office records the average time between (1) receipt of a report and service of a complaint and (2) service of a complaint and the pleading diet. These records do not relate to solemn proceedings, custody cases or cases where the accused was released on an undertaking. The figures for 1993 to 1996 are as follows:
| Average number of weeks between receipt of report and service of complaint | Average number of weeks between service of complaint and pleading diet | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offices | Number | Offices | Number | |
| 1993-94 | Regional | 8 | All | 4 |
| Other | 4 | |||
| 1994-95 | Regional | 6.5 | All | 4 |
| Other | 5 | |||
| 1995-96 | All | 5 | All | 4 |
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what statistics his Department collates on the interval between the pleading diet and the trial diet in the sheriff court; and if he will provide the statistics for the years 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96. [6553]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Court Service. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. M. Ewart, to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Michael Ewart to Mr. Ian Davidson, dated 2 December 1996:
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2 Dec 1996 : Column: 557
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the interval between the pleading diet and the trial diet in the Sheriff Court.
Average figures for the waiting period between pleading and trial diet for summary criminal cases in each of the Sheriff Courts for each of the years 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96 are shown in the attached table below.
The figures for 1995-96 were published in the Scottish Court Service Annual Report and Accounts which was placed in the House of Commons Library earlier this year. I am also enclosing a copy with this letter. We will be including similar statistics in our Annual Report and Accounts in the future.
I hope that this is helpful.
1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 Aberdeen 14 14 12
Airdrie 15 15 12
Alloa 9 10 11
Arbroath 11 13 13
Ayr 12 11 13
Banff 13 8 9
Campbeltown 9 10 11
Cupar 12 11 11
Dingwall 12 11 10
Dornoch 9 11 10
Dumbarton 10 11 10
Dumfries 11 12 11
Dundee 15 16 12
Dunfermline 13 12 12
Dunoon 9 13 11
Duns 10 9 11
Edinburgh 10 11 13
Elgin 9 10 11
Falkirk 15 12 12
Forfar 10 9 8
Fort William 15 13 16
Glasgow 23 26 28
Greenock 10 14 12
Haddington 14 13 10
Hamilton 14 16 19
Inverness 11 12 12
Jedburgh 11 10 12
Kilmarnock 11 11 11
Kirkcaldy 12 11 10
Kirkcudbright 11 11 10
Kirkwall 8 9 9
Lanark 11 12 13
Lerwick 7 8 8
Linlithgow 18 22 30
Lochmaddy 12 7 10
Oban 12 12 10
Paisley 14 15 13
Peebles 11 11 12
Perth 9 13 14
Peterhead 16 14 14
Portree 8 9 8
Rothesay 9 10 9
Selkirk 9 11 11
Stirling 12 12 13
Stonehaven 10 11 11
Stornoway 12 11 10
Stranraer 10 11 10
Tain 11 10 11
Wick 11 12 11
Directly Employed Solicitors
Mr. Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what estimate he has made of the non-wage costs of employing extra staff to implement part V of the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Bill; [6889]
- (2) what estimate he has made of the average salary to be paid to the extra members of staff to be recruited if part V of the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Bill becomes law. [6892]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: It is anticipated that the annual non-wage cost of employing directly employed solicitors will be £260,000. The estimated average salary of the additional staff is £17,500, representing six legally qualified and 14 non-qualified staff salaries.
Annual non-wage costs for power of investigation and registration measures are expected to amount to £43,000. It is anticipated that the average salary costs of the extra staff will be £26,500, for eight staff at various grades.
Pesca Projects
Mrs. Ray Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the current Pesca projects in Scotland approved for European funding; by (a) region and (b) of expenditure; [6838]
- (2) if he will list the Pesca projects that have been approved in principle but which have not been allocated any funding by Government; and if he will make a statement; [6839]
(3) what was the total Pesca funding for each local authority in Scotland for each year since 1994. [6840]
Mr. Kynoch: Pesca is delivered in eligible areas in Scotland through local Pesca groups, LPGs. The Scottish Office has approved a business plan for each LPG detailing the budget and criteria for selecting individual projects at local level. Each LPG has began to implement its business plan and approve projects. Detailed lists of projects will be provided in annual reports from the LPGs for collation by the Scottish Office and transmission to the European Commission in June 1997.
| Local PESCA group | Allocation in MECU (1995-1999) | Approximate value in £s | Lead organisation and telephone number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Argyll | 0.676 | 528,122 | Argyll and the Islands Enterprise--01546 602281 |
| 2. Caithness and Sutherland | 0.860 | 671,655 | Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise--01847 896115 |
| 3. Lochaber | 0.189 | 147,655 | Lochaber Ltd.--01397 704326 |
| 4. Orkney | 0.286 | 223,436 | Orkney Enterprise--01856 874638 |
| 5. Wester Ross | 0.218 | 170,312 | Ross and Cromarty Enterprise--01349 853666 |
| 6. Shetland | 0.442 | 345,311 | Shetland Enterprise--01595 693177 |
| 7. Skye and Lochalsh | 0.297 | 232,030 | Skye and Lochalsh Enterpise--01478 612841 |
| 8. Western Isles | 0.608 | 474,998 | Western Isles Enterprise--01851 703703 |
| Total | 3.576 | 2,793,736 | |
| Regional projets | 0.387 | 302,342 | Highlands and Island Enterprise--01463 234171 |
| Management | 0.398 | 310,936 | Highlands and Island Enterprise--01463 234171 |
| Total | 4.361 | 3,407.014 |
| Local PESCA group | Allocation in MECU (1995-1999) | Allocation in sterling (1995-1999) | Lead organisation and telephone number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Grampian | 8.149 | 6,366,374 | Aberdeenshire Council--01224 682222 |
| 2. Tayside/Fife | 1.34 | 1,046,870 | Fife Council--01592 414141 |
| 3. South-west Scotland | 1.34 | 1,046,870 | Dumfries and Galloway Council--01387 260070 |
| 4. Borders | 1.34 | 1,046,870 | Scottish Borders Council--01835 824000 |
| Total | 12.169 | 9,506,983 |
Farm Payments
Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which regulations affect the eligibility of farming enterprises currently determining their separate business status to receive payments of sheep annual premium, suckler cow premium, hill livestock compensatory allowances and arable aid payments; and if he will make a statement. [7214]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: Separate regulations govern each of the individual aid schemes listed. In addition, over-arching rules on business eligibility are laid down in the Council and Commission Regulations 3508/92 and 3887/92, as amended, respectively establishing an integrated administration and control system for community aid schemes. Elaboration of these rules is contained in the annual IACS booklet provided to potential claimants.
Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to effect payment of 1996 sheep annual premium, suckler cow premium, hill
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livestock compensatory allowances and arable aid payments to farming enterprises currently determining their separate business status; and if he will make a statement. [7215]
Mr. Robertson: Payments under the schemes to eligible businesses will be made in the normal way. In cases where the status of the business is in dispute and where the special review arrangements, which we have established, have been invoked, letters are being sent to the farmers concerned inviting them to agree that the related businesses should be treated as one, on a provisional basis, to facilitate payment and to avoid potential hardship.
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