Chamber and committees

Good morning, commissioner. From your opening statement, it sounds like you have made great progress. I am really pleased about the children and vulnerable people initiatives that you have worked on with Police Scotland. That is a really positive move.

I want to ask you about Police Scotland’s plans to bring in facial recognition and how that would impact on your role. It has been talked about for some time, and concerns have been raised about accuracy. Will you talk me through that?

That is really helpful.

I am flagging the possibility that that might require extra budget. It is a case of shifting sands; it is all in the mix.

That is helpful. The Lord Advocate’s references to the court of appeal on corroboration in relation to sexual offences could result in a greater number of cases being prosecuted. Is the Scottish Government thinking about the budgetary implications of that? Will that be factored into the budget proposals?

Good morning, cabinet secretary. Last week, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service said that it is at the point of beginning to pilot a virtual domestic abuse court, but that it needs an agreement on funding. Will you provide a wee update on that? Obviously, women’s organisations and others welcome virtual courts.

I have no declarations to make, thank you.

Good afternoon. I will go back a wee bit to the issue of prison population and capacity. I am curious to know whether you think that a whole-system approach will be needed. I am thinking specifically about alternatives to custody. Do you think that they are a solution, and is there enough provision for alternatives at the moment?

Would it be right to say that that work began in 2020 and that it might take a few years to conclude?

That is really encouraging. You will know that women’s organisations, including Scottish Women’s Aid, are very much in favour of that, so that is a step in the right direction.

Earlier, you mentioned the difficulties with throughcare, given the size of the population. In its written submission to us, HMIPS said that greater provision will be made available

“via Community Justice and the Third Sector”.

How confident are you that that could be part of the solution to the problems that you are experiencing with throughcare?