Chamber and committees

I will pull things together from both pieces of correspondence. Mr Evans’s update tells us that the SPA’s people committee is leading its oversight of police numbers. The SPA received an update in June, and at that time it was satisfied with where work was taking Police Scotland in responding to the numbers of people who are leaving. The SPA asked for further information on the leavers’ reasons for leaving, and that is set out to an extent in the correspondence.

On policing performance, Mr Evans’s update informs us that the appropriate SPA committee—the policing performance committee—is monitoring that issue. I took a little bit of reassurance from that.

Then there is the important area of wellbeing, which the committee has looked at recently. Members will know that we have a session coming up in which we will consider policing and mental health, including both the response to poor mental health in communities, which we have spoken about, and the impact of the demands of policing on police officer and staff mental health. In that session, I would certainly want us to probe the issues that we have spoken about today.

On the financial issues that we have raised and the coming budget constraints, we will obviously consider those closely during our forthcoming budget scrutiny process, which will be in late October.

There is a lot for us to think about and discuss. I anticipate that both Mr Evans and Mr Page will be invited to give evidence at our evidence sessions on the budget. If members agree, we will take forward in those two forums the issues that we have discussed today.

A very good morning to everyone. I welcome members and staff back from summer recess and to the 23rd meeting in 2022 of the Criminal Justice Committee. We have received apologies from Pauline McNeill.

Agenda item 1 is a decision on taking business in private. Do we agree to take items 4 and 5 in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Thanks very much.

Like everybody else, I welcome the announcement. I think that it moves Scotland’s judicial system in the right direction, which is a very good thing. Obviously, the next steps will be around the bill. Jamie Greene is right to say that the issue of removing not proven will be a lot of work and will surely require a review of jury majorities and possibly corroboration, too. We will wait and see what comes forward in the bill and monitor that content. Thank you very much for those points, Jamie.

Our third letter is from the Minister for Drugs Policy on the new national drugs mission oversight group. Do members have any comments on that correspondence?

The only thing that I would mention is that we are reviewing this and other issues to do with prisons in our action plan. We can expect discussion of access to activities for remand prisoners to be covered in the passage of the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Bill, but we can certainly monitor the issues of fresh air and purposeful activity as part of our wider work. I think that it is appropriate that we do that.

The next piece of correspondence is also from the Scottish Prison Service and it concerns the issuing of medical slips to prisoners on release. Do members have any comments?

I agree entirely. We should follow up the letter. It is more an operational delivery issue, so I am minded to suggest that we write to the chief medical officer and ask for information about what changes and improvements can be made. The issue has been raised with the committee on more than one occasion. I think that it was raised during our visit to the Wise Group and the new women’s custody unit in Glasgow.

It is a question of who we write to—I propose that we start with the chief medical officer and ask for some appropriate information.

That is a really good idea. Stephen Imrie is reminding me that we have a plan in progress to hold a round-table session on mental health. Perhaps we could incorporate it into that discussion. However, it is valid to suggest having face-to-face discussion.

That is a good suggestion.

Do members agree that, with the help of the clerks, we will look at an opportunity to incorporate a discussion on this particular issue into our forthcoming evidence session? I know that that will be more about policing and mental health, but I think the issue is very relevant and related, and I would certainly be happy to incorporate it into that discussion.

Stephen, did you want to add anything?

Do you want to come in on that, Stephen?

The next letter is from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on funding provision for secure care. Do members have any comments?

Thank you for that. You are right that there does not seem to be any indication that naloxone is being used—or being carried—at the moment. I am more than happy to write to the SFRS, to raise the points that you have made and to get a more detailed update on progress around that. Are members happy with that?

Members indicated agreement.