Clause 40 - Account information
Crime (International Co-operation) Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Mr David Heath (Somerton and Frome, Liberal Democrat)
I have a simple question. I understand how the Scottish parts of the Bill relate to the English. This part relates to banking transactions in England and Scotland, but there are not separate incorporation banks working in both jurisdictions. Does anything in the Bill restrict the requests of the procurators fiscal to only those transactions that take place in Scotland, as opposed to a financial institution working in Scotland that also works elsewhere and transactions that may take place elsewhere? I am not sure that that is the case.
I hope that I am making myself clear to the Minister. As I understand it, there is no territorial restriction on the English, Welsh or Irish parts of the Bill, save for the italic title above clause 37. I am not clear whether there is a restriction on the position of the procurators fiscal and Lord Advocate in respect of Scotland or the Secretary of State and prosecuting authorities in respect of England and Wales.