Chamber and committees

Thank you very much. Would Stuart Murray like to add anything?

Okay. Thank you.

Again, I remind members to confine questions to part 4. I know that I am being precious, and I said that I was not going to be.

Sorry, may I interrupt? Stuart Munro wants to come in on that.

On that note, I thank you all for attending. We will have a short suspension to allow us to change witnesses.

To ask the Scottish Government what its latest engagement has been with the UK Government regarding the funding available to support households with the cost of living during the Christmas season. (S6O-02875)

Recent financial research undertaken by PwC indicates that Christmas spending in the UK will drop by 11 per cent this year compared with 2022 to an average of around £440 per consumer, with 18 per cent of people in Scotland anticipating spending less due to having less money, the damaging cost of living and having less confidence in their future finances. The measures in the recent autumn statement will not touch the sides of the issues for most households, who have seen their monthly costs go through the roof.

Does the cabinet secretary agree that, even with promotional events such as black Friday, Christmas will be out of reach for many households this year and that the UK Government must change course from wreaking economic havoc to delivering fiscal policy that will make a tangible difference to people living in Scotland?

Thank you. I now invite other members to ask their questions, starting with Fulton MacGregor.

Okay. Thanks very much.

I will go back to Sandy Brindley. In your submission, it is very clear that your experience of working with survivors is that they feel that the not proven verdict does not necessarily support them. They feel that it is unclear and confusing, and they feel let down by it. However, you also comment that some survivors derived some comfort from a verdict of not proven rather than not guilty. Is it therefore fair to say that that is not reflective of the majority of survivors’ views, as you understand them?

Thank you both for attending.

Our next meeting, on 13 December, will continue with evidence taking on the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill. We will hear from representatives of the legal profession and the Crown Office.