Chamber and committees

Thank you.

I will open up the meeting to questions from members. I ask for brief questions and fairly succinct responses, as we are tight for time.

I suggest that we follow that up, as has been suggested. It is a valid question, but as time is against us, I suggest that we follow it up in writing.

I am sorry, but we do not have time for any more questions. We are under a strict timescale to end by 2.30 and we still have a formal process to go through. I thank members for their questions.

Our next agenda item is consideration of two negative Scottish statutory instruments that relate to the new transgender prisoner policy that we have just been discussing.

I refer members to papers 1 and 2. I remind all members who are present that only committee members can participate in this process. Motions to annul the instruments have been lodged in the name of Russell Findlay. I will invite the committee to dispose of the motions to annul.

I invite Russell Findlay to move motions S6M-11816 and S6M-11817 and to make any brief additional comments that he wishes to make.

I want to move things on, because I want other members to have an opportunity to ask questions.

Can I just ask whether you want to ask the cabinet secretary about that same issue, or is it a different question?

Right.

I call Fulton MacGregor.

We are really tight for time. I am sorry. Pauline McNeill will ask a final question.

Thank you, cabinet secretary.

We will move to questions, and I will begin with a question for Ms Medhurst. The new policy says that transfers from the male estate to the female one will not occur if a prisoner presents

“an unacceptable risk of harm to those in the women’s prison.”

Will you give a bit more detail on the risk assessment and risk management process in this space? Can you reassure us that the Scottish Prison Service will have access to all the relevant information that it needs from the courts, police, social work and other agencies to inform such a complex risk assessment and management process?

I know that it is a moving figure, but what is the current population of individuals who identify as transgender in the Scottish prison estate?