Chamber and committees

That is extremely helpful.

Dr Scott, you might want to add to that. I will ask you a question and you can deal with both issues, if you do not mind. The submission from Scottish Women’s Aid says that the bill does not currently demonstrate how it aligns with wider work to tackle gender-based violence. This question is similar to my previous one: how can the committee amend the bill to deal with that?

Good morning, panel. Stephen Bermingham, you started a campaign in September to recruit between 500 and 800 additional volunteers. How is that going? Will 500 to 800 be enough if there is an increase in case load?

Stephen Bermingham, given your oversight of the area, do you have any idea what the cost might be? I also note Jillian Gibson’s very interesting question whether it would be the right thing to do. Some might feel that paying a chair or volunteers would increase the ability to recruit, while others might feel that it would actually discourage recruitment. What is your take on that?

I am very grateful. Thank you.

I will stick with you on that, Fiona, if I may. The Scottish Government is considering a recent independent review of the victim notification scheme. Given what you have just said, what would you like to come out of the Government’s consideration of the victim notification scheme?

I understand. May I ask one more question?

I will come back to that in a second, if I may. Joanna Anderson, I note that the hearings system working group has made a proposal to pay the chair a salary and panel members a day rate. Am I right in saying that that has not been picked up in the revised financial memorandum? Given the projected 42 per cent increase in case load, are you concerned about that? Do you have any idea how much paying the panel might cost?

Just to be clear, will there be a negative consequence for councils if teacher numbers do not increase?

On that exact point, some would argue that the focus on teacher numbers is a very blunt instrument. To focus on the numbers, the committee heard last week that there are 300 fewer maths teachers and 300 fewer English teachers than there were in 2008. That masks the reality of what is happening on the ground. What are you doing to recognise that? Is there a more sophisticated way than the raw numbers to approach that?

I presume, though, that if, as you have said, it was designed for strategic change, that change, which was clearly felt to be necessary, cannot go ahead if the resource is not there.