Chamber and committees

Our next item of business is to take evidence as part of our scrutiny of the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill, specifically on the provisions that relate to criminal justice social work and community justice. I refer members to papers 4 and 5.

We have apologies from Claire Wilson, who is, unfortunately, unable to join us. I welcome Lynsey Smith, chair of the justice standing committee, Social Work Scotland, and joining us online we have Anil Gupta, chief officer, communities, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities; and Kate Ramsden, national executive member, Unison Scotland.

We would like to ask the witnesses a number of questions. Given that two members are joining online, I ask members to indicate who they would like to direct their questions to, and I ask the witnesses who are joining us online to indicate accordingly in the chat function if they would like to come in.

We move straight to questions, and I will start with a general opening question. I will come to Lynsey Smith first and then bring in Kate Ramsden and Anil Gupta. What are your general views on the possibility of criminal justice social work being included in the planned national care service? How might that affect criminal justice social work and the services that are currently provided, and how do you see those changing?

I will try to stay on the theme of prisons, and I will bring in Pauline McNeill. We can then move on to another area of questioning.

I beg your pardon. Are there any other questions on prisons before we move on?

I think that Russell Findlay has some further police questions.

I am watching the clock. We have 15 or 20 minutes left, and I know that members would like to come in on other issues—one of which is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Jamie Greene, would you like to open the questioning on that?

In that case, I call Russell Findlay.

Kate, did you want to come in briefly?

Thanks very much, Fulton. We would welcome the opportunity to hear more about what was discussed.

I must bring the evidence session to a close, because we are running over time. I thank all our witnesses for joining us today. We will summarise the views that have been shared this morning and send them in a letter to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, which is the lead committee for the bill.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 7 December, when we will hear from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans on the UK Government’s Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill.

As previously agreed, we will now move into private session.

Before I bring things to a close, I will go back to the emergency budget review, and I have a quick question in relation to the UK-wide emergency services mobile communication programme. Obviously, the most recent update from the review was that the Scottish Government will cut £14.2 million from a

“projected saving on the Scottish Government contribution towards”

the programme. Can you expand a little on what is being reduced and what impact that might have on Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue? Will the roll-out of the new radio systems for police officers be affected?

Can we take it from that that, although there are a lot of questions, ultimately, the roll-out would not be affected?