Chamber and committees

I will ask a follow-up question before I bring in other members. Teresa Medhurst mentioned the positive impact of there being less movement of prisoners in and out, and the resource implications of that, which have clearly proven to be beneficial. Has that been seen broadly across the prison estate? What more needs to be done to benefit from the opportunity and to make things work as effectively as they can?

Thanks very much, Kate. Would you like to pick up on that question, Dr Scott?

For the final part of this evidence session, we will move on to the Scottish statutory instrument that will come forward this Friday. We understand that the Scottish Prison Service intends to seek a further six-month extension to powers for governors to respond to the coronavirus pandemic in prisons and young offenders institutions. We have not been covering that in our consideration of the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Bill, which has been the main subject of today’s evidence session. However, the committee would like to take the opportunity to ask about the proposed extension of the powers.

It is helpful that we have had sight of copies of correspondence from HM Inspectorate of Prisons, the Howard League and the Scottish Prison Service in relation to the forthcoming SSI. Let us spend 20 minutes or so asking questions about the SSI.

I will start with a general question for you, Ms Medhurst. I invite you to outline why you feel the extension of the powers is necessary. Does the extension reflect the latest public health advice that we are being given? I will initially direct that to you, Ms Medhurst.

Thank you very much—that is helpful. Do you want to come back in, Collette?

Are you happy with that, Collette? Do you have any final follow-up questions?

Good morning and welcome to the sixth meeting in 2022 of the Criminal Justice Committee. There are no apologies. Pauline McNeill and Fulton MacGregor will join us virtually via Microsoft Teams once we move into private session.

The first agenda item is to agree whether to take in private items 2, 3 and 4, which are consideration of our approach to two Scottish Government bills, and consideration of the evidence that we heard during previous evidence sessions on tackling violence against women and girls. Do we agree to take those agenda items in private?

Members indicated agreement.

That concludes the public part of the meeting. We move into private session for the other items on our agenda.

I will now bring in Russell Findlay, followed by Gillian Martin. Over to you, Russell.

I am afraid that I will have to jump in. I have been very reluctant to do that, but we could come back to you if there is time at the end, Miles. I am keen to keep to time so that everybody can come in. I want to bring in Elena Whitham, to be followed by Gillian Mackay.

I will hand on to Gillian Mackay, and then I will bring in Sue Webber. I ask that questions and answers are as succinct as you can make them.