Chamber and committees

I am sure that you understand what the question is, cabinet secretary.

Within justice, potentially.

Thank you, cabinet secretary. As usual, I will open with a general question. You spoke about “exceptionally difficult choices” that will need to be made in the forthcoming year. Is there any scope for deviation from the totals that have been announced in the resource spending review and in the emergency budget? Have there been discussions about whether there is scope for some sort of deviation around the budget that has been allocated so far?

Do you want to bring Kate Ramsden in, too, Collette?

I think that you perhaps covered that in your previous answer, cabinet secretary, but I am happy for you to follow it up, if you wish.

I notice that you mentioned body-worn cameras in your reply. I will open questions up to members now and, if we have time, we can come back to that topic later.

Sticking with the theme of budgets, Katy Clark has a question.

Thank you very much indeed.

I will bring this evidence session to a close. I thank the cabinet secretary and his officials for attending this morning. As usual, if members have any follow-up questions, we will pick those up in writing. We will have a short suspension to allow for a change of officials.

Our next item of business is consideration of an affirmative Scottish statutory instrument. I refer members to paper 3.

I welcome back Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans. I also welcome his officials: Walter Drummond-Murray, head of civil courts, inquiries, private and international law and central authority at the Scottish Government; and Emma Thomson from the Scottish Government legal directorate.

I invite the cabinet secretary to make a short statement on the SSI.

I thank the cabinet secretary and his officials for attending. That concludes our consideration of the SSI. We will suspend the meeting briefly to allow for a change of witnesses.

Thank you. I open the questioning to members, starting with Fulton MacGregor.