To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the evaluation of the 18 pilot diversion from prosecution schemes carried out by the social work research centre and on the decision to extend the scheme. (S1O-2336)

Following publication of the evaluation report by the social work research centre at the University of Stirling, I announced our future policy on diversion on 22 September. The schemes will be rolled out nationally and will target the groups that the research showed can benefit most.

I thank the minister for those details. As he will know, Cornton Vale prison is within the Stirling constituency. I have always been keen to support women in the attempt to reduce reoffending. Can the minister give details of the reduction in reoffending due to the pilots and of his plans for the future once the scheme is rolled out?

One of the purposes of diversions from prosecution is to reduce reoffending. The hope is that the cycle of offending can be broken by tackling some of the underlying problems that lead to people offending in the first place. One of the important things to emerge from the research was the identification of the target groups that would benefit most. I assure Sylvia Jackson that that includes female accused, as well as young accused between the ages of 16 and 17.

Now that the minister has decided to extend the scheme, will he give a guarantee that domestic abuse offenders, sex offenders and child abusers will no longer be considered appropriate referrals for the diversion from prosecution?

The refocusing of the schemes will reduce the small number of cases of domestic violence that have, in the past, been considered for diversion. It is important to stress that the procurator fiscal will retain the discretion to consider any case involving accused within the target groups, which include those with mental health problems and those misusing drugs and alcohol. The number of cases of domestic violence that were considered for diversion was already small and will be reduced further. There will be a discretion, as is part of the procurator fiscal's general remit, in special cases.