Chamber and committees

Thank you for those helpful answers. Has any research been done on the reasons of the judiciary or sheriffs for giving women custodial sentences? Do they feel that there is not enough care in the community for them? It would be good to know what percentage of women are in prison because it is thought to be a safe environment, which would seem pretty contradictory. Do you know whether research has been done in the past or whether any will be done?

I have a question for Teresa Medhurst and Allister Purdie about temporary and permanent arrangements for Covid challenges. In a previous evidence session, Ms Medhurst, you said that family video contact would be continued when we finally get through the pandemic, which is very welcome. Will you expand on that? Are any other measures being taken? The organisation Families Outside is very keen to make the best possible use of technology—for example, so that a parent could go to a parents’ evening.

I will tag on my second question, so that you can roll your answers into one. I welcome women’s custody units. We know about the importance of attachment between mothers and babies. Are any mother and baby units planned within the women’s custody units?

The potential is there, but will it happen? I am thinking about overnight stays, for example, which would greatly enhance the mental health of the women and help with many of their problems. Is that actually going to happen?

I would like Kate Wallace to comment on how the backlog has affected victims of domestic abuse. Some constituents who have contacted me have been extremely stressed about the situation. Domestic abuse is unique in being a crime that victims must live with every day. What are your thoughts on that? Do you have any preferred route for addressing that?

Thank you. That is very helpful. In the previous parliamentary session, we passed groundbreaking legislation for domestic abuse protection orders. Those are not yet in force, as far as I understand, but that legislation will be of comfort to some.

I have a question for Teresa Medhurst that relates to a question that my colleague Collette Stevenson asked about contact with families in prison. Are there plans to keep the current methods that are being used during Covid? The organisation Families Outside has suggested that virtual contact could be made, for instance, at parent-teacher nights and at other events where parents should be involved with their children. Is there any scope for that? Are you planning to widen the scope of virtual contact for families?

Thank you. That is really encouraging to hear.

I have a final, quick question for Tom Fox about the new women’s estate that is being built. Has Covid affected or delayed its construction or implementation?

Thank you. That is helpful.

Thank you, minister. It is encouraging to hear that. I knew about that and I am optimistic that it will make a difference.

On young offenders, can the cabinet secretary comment on the timescale and implementation plan for the commitment that no-one under the age of 18 should be going to Polmont young offenders institution and that they should be moved to secure care settings, which take a trauma-informed approach and are far more holistic? Last week, I had a meeting in my constituency with the director of a care home. He spoke of his despair that sheriffs were sending children and young people to prison. He said that his home and other secure care homes throughout Scotland have capacity for those young people, where they could be dealt with in a trauma-informed way, and that they should not be sent to prison. That has been a subject of interest for some time, so do you have any idea about the timescale for making that a reality?

I will just flag up that the director of that care home also had great concern about the funding of secure care homes and the process for that. He said that that is hindering a lot of the good work that could be done. I hope that that will be explored more widely as well.

Right—apologies. Thank you.