Chamber and committees

Thank you, Anil.

You all mentioned that there is a big piece of work to be done on co-design and understanding what the proposal will look like. The proposed plan is for there to be a consultation on criminal justice social work. What would you like that consultation process to focus on? What would you like to come out of it around priorities for how criminal justice social work continues to deliver the best possible service?

I call Russell Findlay.

Russell Findlay will return to the issue of prisons in his questions, and we will pick up questions on policing after that.

If there are no more questions on prisons, we will move on to policing. I bring Pauline McNeill back in.

I think that the cabinet secretary has answered your question, Mr Findlay. In the spirit of moving things on, I bring in Jamie Greene.

Rona Mackay has some questions about gender-based abuse.

Pauline McNeill, I think that you wanted to come in on that.

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?