Chamber and committees

All Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service staff involved in the new summary justice system introduced by the Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007 have received two days of training, supplemented by e-Learning packages. Staff have also been issued with prosecutorial guidance which is focussed on achieving the most appropriate outcome in each case at the earliest opportunity. As with all aspects of the new summary justice system, the guidance is kept under review to ensure that it is effective and progress with the implementation of the changes is monitored by area procurators fiscal.

While it would not be appropriate to disclose the content of the training or publish this detailed prosecutorial guidance, both seek to achieve the aims of the Summary Justice System Model which was published by the Scottish Government in 2007.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13334 on 9 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The purpose of the summary justice reforms, as set out by the Scottish Government in the Summary Justice Reform System Model in 2007, is to improve the speed and effectiveness of the summary criminal courts in Scotland, by ensuring that only cases which should go to court do so and that those cases get there more quickly, are better prepared and progress more speedily for the benefit of victims and witnesses. A copy of the System Model paper is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number. 45774) and on the Scottish Government website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/09/06092618/0.

Whilst the programme is not primarily designed to make savings, the Scottish Government expects that, alongside improvements in the operation of the summary justice system, some cash-releasing and time-releasing savings will accrue.

It is estimated that the legislative reforms to fines enforcement will lead to annual cash savings for the Scottish Court Service (SCS) of around £1 million. These expected cash savings derive from a reduction in the number of means enquiry courts and more administrative collection of fines through the introduction of fines enforcement officers. These cash savings will allow SCS to improve the level of court service provision they provide by investing in front line court services.

In addition, further estimated savings arising from SCS centralising their fines collection systems and phased court unification have been identified and feature in DG Justice Efficiency Delivery Plans 14 & 18 with cash savings of £0.685 million in financial year 2008-09, £0.802 million in 2009-10 and £1.002 million in 2010-11 expected.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Efficiency Delivery Plan 1 - Summary Justice Reform outlined cash savings of £1.92 million in 2008-09 and £3.7 million in 2009-10. These savings will derive from more offences being dealt outwith the courts and a redistribution of business from the sheriff solemn courts to the sheriff summary courts and from sheriff summary courts to district courts. These expected efficiencies were taken into account by ministers in setting the allocation to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service as part of the 2007 Spending Review settlement.

Changes to the volume of cases being prosecuted in the summary courts is expected to lead to a reduction in expenditure on legal aid estimated at £3.9 million annually by 2010-11. This is detailed at paragraph 14.1 of the DG Justice Efficiency Delivery Plan 7, which outlines the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s broader programme of efficiency improvements.

It is expected that the summary reforms will not have a significant impact on prison numbers (details can be found at paragraph 431 of the financial memorandum for the Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007).

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/55-criminalProceedings/b55s2-introd-en.pdf.

There will be some time releasing savings for the police in relation to dealing with fewer means enquiry warrants and requiring to give evidence in court in fewer cases. It is estimated these time releasing savings will amount to some £1 million a year by 2010-11 and will allow a reprioritisation of police officer duties into front line duties.

Each of the Efficiency Delivery Plans referred to is available in the Scottish Government’s revised Efficiency Delivery Plans 2008-2011 published on 30 May 2008. A copy of the document is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number: 45688), and also on the Scottish Government website.

DG Justice Efficiency Delivery Plans 7 and 14 are available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/03/EDPMarch2008/Q/EditMode/on/ForceUpdate/on/Page/8.

DG Justice Efficiency Delivery Plan 18 is available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/03/EDPMarch2008/Q/EditMode/on/ForceUpdate/on/Page/11.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Efficiency Delivery Plan 1 is available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/05/EDPMay2008/Q/EditMode/on/ForceUpdate/on/Page/3.

A combination of amendments to working practices and secondary legislation will be required to achieve anticipated savings in legal aid expenditure.

Savings to be achieved by Courts Directorate are dependent on the passing of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Bill. Some changes may also be required to the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 in order to improve the efficiency of legal aid expenditure although no amendments to that legislation have been agreed yet.

The redevelopment of the Partick Interchange is a matter for Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT). Scottish Government previously provided funding to SPT towards the project through the integrated transport and public transport funds. The Scottish Government have had no recent discussions with SPT on the redevelopment of the Partick Interchange.

The redevelopment of the Partick Interchange is a matter for Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT). Delays to the programme have been due to engineering difficulties that are currently being resolved. SPT expect the redevelopment to be completed by the end of the year.

No cap has been placed on the legal aid budget. The allocation for this expenditure takes account of anticipated demand but additional funds will be provided if that demand is exceeded.

Any review of the level of funding support for drama courses is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council to take forward in discussion with the institutions concerned, namely Queen Margaret University and the Royal Scottish Academy for Music and Drama. Therefore the Scottish Government warmly welcomes the announcement by the Scottish Funding Council on 22 May 2008 that it will undertake a review of the funding of drama provision across Scotland.

On 22 May 2008 the Principal of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama issued a statement welcoming the Scottish Funding Council’s review of drama provision and confirmed that the Academy is currently in a stable financial position.

A comprehensive programme of work has been put in place to ensure that the impact of the reforms to summary justice will be effectively monitored and evaluated. This work will encompass the new fiscal fine measures contained in the Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007.