Meeting of the Parliament 12 June 2014
I always find it soul destroying when we dig back into the past to look at what we were doing yesterday. I thought that we were discussing what we are doing today and what we will do in the future.
I say to the chamber that I do not support the principle of using money that is recovered from criminal sources to pay for police officer and prosecution time. Those services should be paid for from the public budget so that we can be sure that they will maintain a focus on the delivery of justice and delivering in the interests of communities and that they will not focus on trying to maximise receipts to their own benefit. That would be a very human outcome, and anybody who suggests otherwise ignores the reality of the way in which these things work in difficult economic times.
Whatever principles were decided on 10 February at the task force meeting, I ask the cabinet secretary to urgently reconsider the plans to send to those authorities money that should go back to communities. I also ask him to release information in a more effective way in future so that we can know what is being done in our name.
I move amendment S4M-10278.1, to leave out from “, and believes” to end and insert:
“; notes that the CashBack for Communities programme replaced a similar initiative launched by the Scottish Executive in 2006; believes that funds obtained from the proceeds of crime should continue to be focused on projects in communities across Scotland, particularly those affected by deprivation, crime and antisocial behaviour, and, in so doing, continue to tackle breaking the cycle of youth offending in communities, and deplores funds obtained from the proceeds of crime being used to mitigate Scottish Government cuts, including its reported planned use to top up Police Scotland and the Crown Office’s budgets.”
14:56Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.