Chamber and committees

Thank you, cabinet secretary—I would never eyeball you.

The question is, that motion S6M-13500, in the name of Angela Constance, on the approval of the draft Early Release of Prisoners and Prescribed Victim Supporters (Scotland) Regulations 2024, be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members: No.

We are just about up to time, but I have a couple of members who want to come back in. Are the witnesses okay to stay for another five minutes or so? Thank you. I will let Katy Clark and then Russell Findlay come back in.

That is very interesting.

I want to bring in other members. I will come back to you if there is time, because I know that that is an important issue.

Next, we have questions from Sharon Dowey and then Pauline McNeill.

That is very helpful.

Russell Findlay wants to come in with a very quick final question.

What are your reflections, Paula Arnold? What is your view on the current proposal on emergency release? Could you say a bit about longer-term approaches?

Wendy, do you want to come back in on that?

That is a really helpful introduction to set the scene a little. I know that members will come back to the longer-term systematic approach that we need to look at.

Kate Wallace, I put basically the same question to you. Do you think that the measures that are being proposed for the short term will be effective, and what are your initial comments on the longer-term approach?

Will you broaden out your answer on the impact? In her remarks, Wendy Sinclair-Gieben touched on that. What is the impact on prison officers and staff? We know that they have a really important role, through their relationships with prisoners. How is that impacted by the practicalities of the situation that they find themselves in at the moment? A lot of the time that they would have devoted to things such as supporting purposeful activity is now much more challenging. In addition, will you outline your main concerns on prison officer welfare?