Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 15 March 2012
15 Mar 2012 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Offenders (Rehabilitation)
Justice debates in the chamber are frequently rumbustious and confrontational, and it is fair to say that, sometimes, they generate more heat than light. However, this has been a remarkably consensual debate. I pay tribute to the Liberal Democrats for bringing the issue to the chamber and to Alison McInnes for setting the tenor of the debate, in which there has been cross-party consensus. Whether it is what Mary Fee said about the specific needs of children or what Dennis Robertson said about the underlying causes of a lack of self-worth among individuals, we recognise that there is an issue. I hope that the Liberals accept that our amendment was lodged not as a wrecking amendment, but in the spirit of seeking to work together.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-02337, in the name of Alison McInnes, on prisons.10:26
Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD)
LD
It is a pleasure to be able to move my motion. It is not often that we talk about reducing crime in the context of the services that are available for those ...
Chic Brodie (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
The member refers to social impact bonds. The RAND Europe report on planning and implementation of the social impact bond at Peterborough prison highlighted ...
Alison McInnes
LD
No, I do not accept that. There is good reason to proceed with further pilots to assess the model. The Finance Committee has considered the issue and Audit S...
The Cabinet Secretary for Justice (Kenny MacAskill)
SNP
I thank Alison McInnes and my other Liberal Democrat colleagues for highlighting reoffending. I welcome their shared commitment to tackling this difficult is...
Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
As has been said, an effective justice system must protect communities, support victims and seek to rehabilitate offenders. That means that those who have be...
David McLetchie (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I thank Alison McInnes for bringing the subject to the chamber and for highlighting an imaginative approach to rehabilitation that is being piloted by the Go...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
I, too, very much welcome the debate and the consensus across the chamber about reoffending. I will not reprise the figures and percentages, which have been ...
Mary Fee (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the Liberal Democrats for bringing the issue to the chamber so that we can have a serious debate on how we address reoffending in Scotland. Reducing ...
Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP)
SNP
I thank Alison McInnes for bringing this debate to the chamber, and I hope that she is less disappointed after hearing the cabinet secretary’s reassurances t...
Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Unfortunately, I must begin my contribution by agreeing with Christine Grahame and acknowledging all that she said about the 218 project in Glasgow. It is an...
Roderick Campbell (North East Fife) (SNP)
SNP
First of all, I thank Alison McInnes for lodging a motion on what is an important issue. When we think about offenders, we find it all too easy to think pure...
Alison McInnes
LD
Will the member give way?
Roderick Campbell
SNP
I have limited time, so I cannot. When the Justice Committee was taking evidence on the Scottish Government’s budget, we highlighted the fact that the obliga...
David McLetchie
Con
This has been an interesting and useful debate with some excellent contributions. I thank Lewis Macdonald for pointing out that the social impact bond model ...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
Alison McInnes reminded us of the poor outcomes: 62 per cent of prisoners reoffend, and the figure is even higher for young prisoners. Although there has bee...
Kenny MacAskill
SNP
Justice debates in the chamber are frequently rumbustious and confrontational, and it is fair to say that, sometimes, they generate more heat than light. How...
Alison McInnes
LD
I do, indeed, welcome the cabinet secretary’s positive comments this morning, but I will press him a little on timescale. In 2009-10, the Scottish Prison Ser...
Kenny MacAskill
SNP
As Roderick Campbell eloquently said, we must build on the evidence. The only scheme of which we are aware is in Peterborough and I am happy to look at it, a...
Jim Hume (South Scotland) (LD)
LD
I welcome the opportunity to sum up what has been an important debate that was led very ably by Alison McInnes on behalf of the Liberal Democrats. The debate...