Chamber and committees

I gently ask witnesses to keep their answers as succinct as possible. That will allow us to ask as many questions as we can.

I call Rona Mackay.

We have run slightly over time. However, Fulton MacGregor wants to come in very briefly, and I must ask for succinct responses.

I have a final question on capital budgets. I am interested in more commentary from you about the adequacy of those. According to the Scottish Parliament information centre, some of the figures that we have suggest that the resource spending review would mean a cut to capital spending of 3.1 per cent across the portfolio. Are there areas within that overall requirement that you, as cabinet secretary, consider to be ones in which it would be easier to effect cuts than in others?

You have given some stark evidence there. I will hand over to committee members who have questions.

Our next item of business is to review the evidence that has been submitted to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill and to decide whether we wish to take further evidence. For example, one of our options is to schedule a one-off evidence session on the criminal justice-related provisions of the bill. I refer members to paper 4.

Do members have any comments on the proposal to run an evidence session? Do you agree that that would be appropriate?

I will come in now with questions about efficiencies. What are your views on whether the Scottish Prison Service has scope to put efficiency savings and measures in place? Those could be through, for example, investment in alternatives to custody, which we have already discussed, or spend-to-save projects.

You indicated that you are very sighted on current research on prisons in Scotland, so could you give us your views on whether efficiency savings might not be only about saving money, but could be an opportunity to enhance Scotland’s prison estate and bring in some contemporary practice?

Maybe we should wait until later, if it is on a separate issue.

Our next item of business is to discuss recent correspondence that the committee has received. I refer members to paper 5, in which the clerks have suggested some ideas on how we might take forward the various issues that are highlighted. If members have specific comments on or suggestions in regard to either pieces of correspondence, please come in.

I will take each letter in turn, starting with the one from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans on facilitating peaceful assemblies in Scotland and the work that the short-life working group has done on that. Do members want to make any points, or is the committee happy to note the letter’s content?

The second letter that we received is from the Solicitor General on the Rangers Football Club case. Members will see the recommendation that has been made in our papers, but I will open up the discussion to allow you to comment.