Meeting of the Parliament 10 September 2024
Thank you, Presiding Officer. It is very unusual for you to say that to me. All that I can say in return is, “Be careful what you wish for.”
I start by thanking all members for their contributions. I will do my best to answer the questions that have been raised, but, if I run out of time or cannot read my own handwriting, I will endeavour to write to members with the further detail that they seek.
I will make sure that I stick to the subject of the bill in my remarks, with one exception. I agree with members who have stressed the central importance of body-worn cameras, because I agree 100 per cent that they protect officers from malicious allegations and allow for quicker and more efficient resolution of complaints, which can only be in the interests of victims, too.
I also want to highlight that I provided—the Scottish Government provided—the SPA and Police Scotland with funding for 2024-25 at record levels, to provide them with the resource that they needed to roll out body-worn cameras to police officers. Notwithstanding the fact that there are operational aspects that are absolutely for Police Scotland to decide, I am assured that it is being held to account by the SPA and that progress has been made, particularly on the progression of the contract for body-worn cameras.
I will start by talking about the money and addressing issues and concerns around the financial memorandum, because I want to say to everybody in the chamber that there is, indeed, no blank cheque. I heard the frustrations that were expressed by the Criminal Justice Committee and the Finance and Public Administration Committee, and I shared some of my own frustrations during that process, too. The bill was introduced as far back as June 2023, and the best information that was available at the time was included in the original financial memorandum. The information and the financial assessment changed.
Police Scotland, for good reasons, changed its assessment of the costs on its organisation, but I assure Parliament that I want to test that robustly, because every public pound is precious. I reassure all members that the most up-to-date information is available to them. I note for the record that there will be a revised financial memorandum at stage 2, as per standing orders. I have acknowledged that prompter information should have been available to both committees. I highlight that the permanent secretary and the Minister for Parliamentary Business are, indeed, engaged on this. On whether costs will increase any further, I will be looking to all members for financially modest stage 2 and stage 3 amendments, because I do not want costs to increase any further.
I turn to the progress that has been made. Most members have spoken of the importance of culture change, and progress on that started not with the bill but with a very honest acknowledgement that significant change was needed. That started when Lady Elish Angiolini’s review was commissioned and it progressed when both the Scottish Government and the Crown Office responded to the recommendations in that review, in February 2021.
There were 111 recommendations, and I confirm—Parliament is already aware of this through earlier information—that 59 of the 72 non-legislative recommendations were completed prior to stage 1 proceedings on the bill. Nine recommendations are still progressing, two are nearly completed and two are being reviewed. The purpose of the bill is to take forward the remaining recommendations by Lady Elish that require to be put in statute through legislation. Lady Elish told the Criminal Justice Committee:
“Instant results are seldom possible and seldom sustained. Changing the culture is a long game but it is worth investing time, effort and resource now to lay solid foundations”.
That is what we, as a Government, and, I believe, the Parliament are invested in.
Pauline McNeill asked about my reference to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland. I was referring to the HMICS vetting report, which contained one recommendation on vetting for the Scottish Government. It was:
“The Scottish Government should place into legislation the requirement for all Police Scotland officers and staff to obtain and maintain a minimum standard of vetting clearance and the provision for the Chief Constable to dispense with the service of an officer or staff member who cannot maintain suitable vetting.”
I confirm that, today, the Cabinet sub-committee on legislation agreed to a vetting amendment at stage 2, and I will lodge it.