Chamber and committees

Realistically, how easy or practical would it be to put that in place through the bill’s provisions?

I will pick up on a point that Russell Findlay alluded to earlier and which David Fraser also picked up around the practical challenges of the proposed wider role of criminal justice social work. What is your perspective on what the challenges might be for you and your staff?

We would definitely find those figures extremely useful, so thank you for that offer.

We would happily accept any data that you can provide. The issue has emerged and has been the focus of questions from committee members, so that would be very helpful.

That brings our session to a close. I thank the witnesses very much indeed for their attendance, and we look forward to receiving their follow-up submissions.

That completes our public agenda for this morning.

Thank you, Mark.

Jim Kerr, do you want to follow up on any points about the risk management and assessment procedures that are in place and any implications of the bill for those?

Thank you very much. Members will probably come back to you with more questions. Jamie Greene, would you like to come in?

Katy Clark and Fulton MacGregor want to come in on that, but I will first pick up on the issue of unexpected release from remand, which has been flagged up to me recently. In that situation, there is potentially little or no provision in place for the person when they walk out of the prison gate. That has implications for them, which we have highlighted this morning. With regard to the bill’s provisions, what needs to be put in place when release from remand is unexpected?

Sorry, I beg your pardon—I was distracted for a moment. I will bring in Fulton MacGregor and then Russell Findlay.

Finally, I will bring in Rona Mackay. I know that some other members want to ask more questions, but time is against us.