Chamber and committees

Rona Mackay has raised an important point. The SCTS has told us that, if there is a flat-cash settlement in the forthcoming budget, that will lead to a reduction in court and tribunal business equivalent to the removal of 10 solemn courts. It suggested that that could lead to a three-year wait for cases to get to court. What impact would a flat-cash settlement for the SCTS have on the cabinet secretary’s wider planning on work to sort out the challenges and backlogs that our court system currently faces?

I am grateful. That was an interesting answer, if I may say so.

I will stick with capacity. Gerry O’Donnell, you might wish to take this question about the recent early release programme. What was the budgetary impact of that emergency release of prisoners? Is there any strategic and holistic plan, as you understand it, at the Government level that suggests that that situation will not arise again?

I understand.

I have a brief question on Kilmarnock. I understand that, when HMP Kilmarnock was privately run, officers there had body-worn cameras and there were dedicated drug sniffer dogs. Was the SPS given a budget to continue to provide those, or have you had to change that provision because you do not have the budget to maintain it?

Thank you for the depth of the answer. Is that sufficiently factored into your budget request such that, if you were to get that amount, it would allow you to take those remedial steps, but if you were not to get it, that would provide challenges to addressing the problems that you have raised?

That is clear.

That is interesting.

I have a very quick supplementary, which has just come into my mind. Do you know, off the top of your head, what the capacity of Barlinnie and Inverness prisons is, and what the projected capacity of Glasgow and Highland prisons will be?

I understand. Thank you very much.

I am very grateful for that. Thank you.