The Lord Advocate:

I am aware that recent statistics show that the number of diversion from prosecution cases that were commenced rose by 28 per cent—from 2,600 to 3,400—between 2022-23 and 2023-24. It is important to note that that is the highest number in the past 10 years. As we know, diversion from prosecution is a process by which prosecutors can refer a case to a local authority or another identified agency as a means of addressing the underlying causes of offending.

We receive information that is relevant to such decisions. Prosecutors take the decisions with care, and they are informed of a particular individual’s vulnerabilities from a variety of sources, including the police. Given the situation that we are in, and the review of diversion that I am undertaking, we are considering whether the quality of the information that we receive from the police and, for example, from mental health services can be improved to inform how we deal with diversion.