Chamber and committees

I thank everyone very much. We will have a short suspension.

Good morning, and welcome to the eighth meeting of the Criminal Justice Committee in 2024. We have received no apologies this morning. We are joined by Christine Grahame MSP and Bob Doris MSP. I welcome them to the meeting.

Our first item of business is consideration of whether to take in private item 5, which is consideration of our approach to stage 1 scrutiny of the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill. Do we agree to take that item in private?

Members indicated agreement.

I need to move on.

That completes our evidence taking on the SSI.

Our next item of business is consideration of a motion to annul the Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (Scotland) Order 2024, which has been lodged in the name of Christine Grahame. Now that the committee has had the opportunity to question the minister on the SSI, I invite members to dispose of the motion to annul.

I ask Christine Grahame to move motion S6M-12106, in her name, and to make any brief additional comments that she wishes to make.

I will come in at this point. I will probably reflect many of the comments that members have made.

I think that we would rather not be having to go through this process today. As other members have done, I commend Christine Grahame for her tenacity and her absolute commitment to animal welfare, and for the articulate and detailed way in which she has set out her position. Like other members, I think that the Scottish Government has been put in an extremely difficult situation. Given the level of engagement that the Scottish Government has undertaken, if there had been a different option, we would probably have been dealing with that today.

I thank Mr Wilson. Both he and the minister have set out in detail the issues that we are all facing and grappling with. Importantly, they have set out the issues around monitoring and continued engagement going forward, which are vital on this issue. Therefore, like other members, reluctantly, I will not support the motion to annul.

Bob, do you want to comment or are you content?

I invite the minister to respond to any of the points that have been made.

I invite Christine Grahame to make any further brief final remarks and indicate whether she intends to press or withdraw her motion.

The result of the division is: For 0, Against 8, Abstentions 0.

Motion disagreed to.

Thank you—that is a helpful point.

As there are no other points, are members content to recommend to the Parliament that consent be given to the relevant provisions in the bill?

Members indicated agreement.

That concludes the public part of today’s meeting. We will now move into private session.