Chamber and committees

I want to build on some of the points that have been raised by my colleague. You spoke about the challenges of annuality and said that you would look to move to a local authority fiscal framework, so to speak. I have a lot of empathy with that. Is the challenge with using section 4(2)(b) of the 2012 act the fact that the Scottish Government has fewer capital borrowing powers than local authorities and that the Scottish Government cannot hold reserves, unlike local authorities? Is that challenge part of the bigger issue that we discussed in Parliament yesterday with regard to the fact that the Scottish Government does not have enough flexibility and capability to engage in capital borrowing?

Good morning. I want to go back to capital matters for a moment, and I also have a question on revenue.

With regard to capital, I note the statements in paragraph 12 of Police Scotland’s submission about

“securing multi-year funding commitments from Scottish Government, the exercise of statutory borrowing powers and the establishment of a facility to enable the carry forward of financial reserves.”

Could you say a bit more about how the dialogue with the Government has gone? The Scottish Government faces challenges, given its constricted ability to borrow and to provide multiyear funding, because of the nature of the fiscal framework. Coupled with that, clarity on most aspects of the Scottish Government’s budget is provided only annually, because of the way in which the UK Government budget process works. What would be a welcome update from the chancellor in today’s UK Government budget, given the wider considerations on planning the capital investment that is clearly essential for the delivery of policing?

I do not underestimate the logistical challenge of timetabling, scheduling and organising trials and ensuring that it is a thorough and appropriate process, but it seems that a lot of time could be saved if we utilised technology more.

I presume that that includes the Crown Office.

Staying in the same area, I wonder whether the criminal justice board has discussed the possibility of utilising video technology when taking expert witness statements or statements from police officers either live or in recorded form. I know that, in the previous parliamentary session, the committee, in its previous incarnation, discussed the matter with witnesses. Just as body-worn video cameras can capture evidence that can be utilised efficiently, surely—and particularly after the pandemic—more can be done across the system to reduce the amount of time that different stakeholders are wasting by, in effect, hanging around.

That is really helpful on identifying the third sector and youth work services. I think of Circle Scotland, which is headquartered in Pilton in my constituency and serves all of the central belt, so I know about some of the challenges that organisations face in continuing to finance their important work. From what you have just said and what has been said earlier in the committee, is that an identifiable ask? If the third sector and youth work services could be identified for more spending, it would make a real impact.

We spoke earlier about the benefits that the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 has realised. I was on the Education, Children and Young People Committee when that bill went through stages 1 and 2. One of the strong pieces of evidence that we heard at stage 1 was from your colleagues at Social Work Scotland, who talked about the challenge of resourcing implementation of that legislation. Is there anything that you want to say today about where we are with that?

Absolutely. Do any of the other witnesses want to say anything on those points?

I will pick up on themes that others have raised. First, there are preventative spend considerations when it comes to prisons—both the capital costs of building them and the operational costs of having people in them. Will you say a bit more about the preventative spend and social prescribing through which community justice can provide savings in police time, national health service resource and local authority spend? A higher level of community justice can provide a wide benefit, can it not?

Some important points have been made there, and I wonder whether it would be helpful for colleagues around the table to have clarity with an undertaking to engage with members from across the parties and with the stakeholders, as you listed earlier. It would be helpful to have reassurance that there will be further engagement on these matters as appropriate ahead of stage 3.