Chamber and committees

Yes.

Yes.

In that case, we will move on. I thank members for their comments on the section on Covid recovery.

I am aware that we might have covered some points that will arise as we move further into the document, but I suggest that we move on to page 7 of paper 2 and the section on prisons and prison reform. I know that some comments have already been made on women and children in prisons, but I think that Fulton MacGregor wants to come in here.

We will come to that in a moment. Did you want to come in at this point, Rona?

I have been contacted by constituents who have been informed that they may have to wait until 2026—as has already been said—before getting connected to fibre broadband.

Community fibre broadband and the voucher scheme, which has been alluded to, are currently not viable options for them. How is the Scottish Government engaging with Openreach and other stakeholders? What further opportunities are being considered to support rural communities to connect to fibre broadband?

How will the updated serious organised crime strategy enable Scotland to combat serious organised crime?

I will bring in Rona Mackay, and then we will move on to questions on restriction of use and supply.

I want to pick up on the point about licences. You have helpfully explained that it would be the Scottish Government’s role to administrate the licensing scheme. However, in some of your earlier responses on licensing, you mentioned that Police Scotland would potentially have a role. Did I pick that up incorrectly?

We are coming into the final 20 or 25 minutes of the session, and members have a few areas that they want to ask questions about. It would be helpful, therefore, if we could have succinct questions and answers.

I cannot resist the temptation to comment on this point. Legislative provisions are available to Police Scotland on the carrying of offensive weapons, whereby, if someone has a lawful reason for carrying a particular object or is doing so within the curtilage of a premises for a lawful reason, that is fine. I agree with Russell Findlay’s comment that police officers probably err on the side of caution. If they are aware that there is a provision in a piece of legislation whereby, say, a pyrotechnic can be carried lawfully, I anticipate that they would invoke that legislation proportionately. I am therefore keen for the provision to be reconsidered and explored a bit further.

Do you want to comment, Mr Bell?