To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for each sheriff court area in Scotland, the number of cases reported by the police to the procurator fiscal over the most recent 12-month period indicating the number of cases (a) where no action was taken, (b) where prosecution took place and (c) where a conviction was achieved. [9003]

My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has provided the following table listing the number of cases reported, the number of cases marked "no proceedings", the number of cases marked for an alternative to prosecution and the number of cases proceeding to prosecution in respect of each procurator fiscal office for the 12-month period to 31 May 1997.Statistics about reports received by procurators fiscal are collected by reference to individual procurator fiscal office and not by reference to sheriff court area. The statistics on the cases reported to the procurator fiscal do not distinguish between those reported by the police and those reported by the many other agencies that report offences for consideration of proceedings. The procurator fiscal service does not collect statistics on the number of convictions achieved.