Chamber and committees

On that point, for clarity, a great number of police officers who are physically or otherwise disabled are deployable assets and are able to do great work in the community daily.

Let us remember that there was also a significant cost saving.

That is very interesting, thank you.

After the meeting, could you provide information on the scale of the growing challenge of a small minority of under-18s and their, often violent, behaviour in communities, including towards police officers? We discussed that issue in the Parliament last week in relation to the use of off-road vehicles, for example.

On that point, Dr Nurse, the evidence from the CCC was significant in provoking the Scottish Government to make the changes that the bill proposes. Did your answer to my colleague mean that you are content with how the bill has been drafted and with its proposals? I take your points about the importance of budget scrutiny thereafter and the data that must be provided and considered.

Is there time?

There has been a lot of crossover discussion on the first budget and the plan, so, for clarity and completeness, Dr Nurse, it might be helpful if you could follow up in writing on section 3(2) and say what your views are on that section. I do not think that the recent discussion was clear about the agreed position. I might be alone in thinking that, but I might well not be.

That is a fair point. I should also have referred to the fact that the market is developing and that there are more producers. Accessibility for consumers is growing, and the cost to consumers is reducing. I am conscious that what is available to people will move quite quickly in the next decade, and that we need agility.

Convener, can I—

We want to hear your view. The convener asked specifically about section 3(2). I am looking for a clear position on that and how it relates to the timing, the sequence of events, or both. With all due respect to all involved, I just do not think that that was made clear when the discussion took place.