asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that legal agents for the poor in Glasgow have decided not to represent people appearing on criminal charges except on proven need by sworn affidavit; and, since this will aggravate the already congested state of the courts, if he will now increase the resources available for this purpose pending the introduction of legislation on criminal legal aid similar to that in England.

The agents for the poor in Glasgow have informed me of their intentions in this matter. As regards the second part of the Question, I am in consultation with the Law Society for Scotland.

Cropping season				Highland Area		South-Western Area		Border Area
				No. of farms	Amount	No. of farms	Amount	No. of farms	Amount
					£		£		£
1961	…	…	…	1,490	166,000	465	23,000	490	54,000
1960	…	…	…	1,380	165,589	497	25,792	546	59,788
1959	…	…	…	1,492	175,894	474	18,823	646	64,940
1958	…	…	…	1,646	231,670	502	27,249	664	119,525
1957	…	…	…	1,752	225,939	557	38,098	700	116,931

The above figures relate to claims paid except for 1961 when they are an estimate based on offers made to date by agricultural executive committees.