Chamber and committees

This Government is committed to shifting the emphasis from ineffective short-term imprisonment to greater use of robust community sentences, with the aim of reducing reoffending. Our move towards more community sentencing, including the introduction of Community Payback Orders (CPOs), has helped bring Scotland’s reconviction rates to an 18-year low.

The presumption against short prison sentences is not a ban and sentencers retain the discretion to pass the most appropriate sentence based on the facts and circumstances of the case. Therefore it is not possible to give an exact assessment of the impact that the extended presumption will have on the numbers of CPOs, although the expectation is that numbers will increase.

Fiscal work orders are a direct measure available to procurators fiscal as opposed to a sentence passed by a court and so are not impacted by the presumption against short prison sentences.

Responsibility for the financial management of NHS Tayside’s business remains with the Accountable Officer. The discharge of these responsibilities is underpinned by existing systems of internal control within Scottish Government and by internal and external audit processes covering all NHS Boards.

Scottish Government has instigated an independent review of the allocation and transfer of eHealth funds to NHS Tayside and will take any appropriate action indicated by the findings of that review.

This Government has already made clear its commitment by increasing ring-fenced investment in community sentences from £4 million per annum in each of the last two years to £5.5 million in the 2018-19 budget. This is to help build capacity in advance of extending the presumption against short term sentences.

Funding for community justice services across Scotland remains at record levels. We have allocated around £100m funding to local authorities who work with a range of organisations and partners to help deliver community sentences, support the rehabilitation of people with convictions and reduce re-offending.

Scottish Government officials continue to work closely with NHS Tayside on the implementation of its Transformation Plan, focusing on returning the Board to financial sustainability.

The NHS Tayside Board will take a decision on the Director of Finance role later this month. In the meantime, NHS Tayside has taken a number of interim measures to provide cover for Director of Finance responsibilities:

1. The Director of Finance for NHS Grampian is providing professional advice and support to the Board in his capacity as Regional Finance Director for the North of Scotland Health Boards.

2. There has been a realignment of roles and responsibilities within the NHS Tayside Financial Team.

Further to the meeting of the Joint Programme Board on 20 February a detailed re-planning exercise is now underway to ensure robust delivery plans are in place for all of the key elements of the programme and to establish a new delivery date. Resourcing will also feature as part of the re-planning exercise. Transitional costs for the Authority and Police Scotland are being funded from the police reform budget and will not be an additional burden on the operational policing budget or rail operators.

The Scottish Government is committed to providing regular reports to Parliament on the status of the programme. The approach to scrutiny of those reports is a matter for the Parliament.

Under the auspices of the Joint Programme Board (JPB), Police Scotland and BTPA have established a joint project to deliver the operational aspects of the programme. On 20 February, the JPB was advised that further time is needed to deliver integration most effectively and safely for railway passengers, staff and officers. Their assessment is that the current scheduled integration date of 

‎ 1 April 2019 will not be achieved. Ministers have accepted this advice and a detailed re-planning exercise will now take place over the coming months to ensure robust delivery plans are in place for all of the key elements of the programme, including ICT, and to establish a new delivery date. Resourcing will also feature as part of the re-planning exercise.

The British Transport Police pension schemes are shared cost schemes where members pay 40% of the required contributions and employers pay 60%. The Scottish Police Authority as the sponsoring employer will therefore be legally responsible for any employer liability under these arrangements. Work is ongoing to develop the preferred option for transferring BTP staff and officers in line with Scottish Ministers’ aim of no detriment to their pension provisions with funding of the scheme being considered as part of this position.

The rate of employer contributions payable by the Scottish Police Authority for the transferred officers and staff at the point of transfer has still to be agreed. The employer contribution rate payable by the Scottish Police Authority will be determined following regular valuations of the Fund.

I made a commitment during a debate in Parliament on 30 January 2018 to increase the PIRC’s budget. The approved allocation in the 2018-19 budget is £1,068,000.