Chamber and committees

So we just need to wait and see.

Eric McQueen, can you say anything about capital funding predictions?

It is a supplementary to Russell’s line of questioning, and it is probably for Mr Page.

You talked about probationer recruitment numbers. What are the current recruitment numbers in the police, and how is that balanced against the number of police that you are predicted to lose?

I have a few more questions, but I will leave it there.

Well, I just wanted to ask Stephen McGowan about the part of the Crown Office submission that talks about

“the Appeal Court ... considering the scope of the law of evidence in sexual offences”,

and how that could lead to a significant increase. Are you saying that more staff will be needed for that?

Stephen, is that the same for you in relation to trainees and new skills?

The federation was critical of the support that is being offered. Do you see the quality of that support changing? I wonder how robust the assessments are in early intervention, because it is clear that someone who is suffering from stress and anxiety is different from somebody who is at the point of suicide. Are you absolutely confident that the assessments are robust and that what you are doing to help people is robust enough?

David Threadgold mentioned the problem of stigma and not talking and opening up. Do Katy Miller and Gary Ritchie concur with that? What practical steps are you taking to change the culture around that?

I think that what you are saying might go back to David Threadgold’s point about the fact that the training has to be there, otherwise the approach will not be effective.

David Threadgold said a moment ago that the SPF operates a different data system from Police Scotland. Has that always been the case, and why is that?