Hansard

I, too, welcome the opportunity to take part in this debate and to highlight how the cashback for communities scheme is improving the lives of thousands of young people across Scotland.

The motion rightly notes that many successful applicants, but by no means all, support young people who are at risk of becoming involved in crime, and target areas where offending behaviour is most common. These diversionary projects enable those who are growing up amid difficult circumstances, disadvantage or deprivation to achieve their potential. Some projects realise that potential through education, new vocational skills or opportunities to enter the workplace, while other activities offer peer support and a chance to build positive relationships and to develop interests in an informal and safe environment. All seek to instil self-confidence and improve social cohesion, and to give those who feel detached from their communities a sense of purpose and belonging.

YouthLink Scotland reports that £1 that is invested in youth work delivers a social return worth £13. It is the most effective way to reinvest the money that is seized from offenders across Scotland.

In my region—North East Scotland—£5.5 million from cashback has helped to establish 200,000 activities and opportunities since 2008. That has enabled the just play partnership in Angus to engage young children and parents from 89 families that have criminal histories. Through facilitating shared play experiences and purposeful activities during the early years, just play builds familial bonds and ensures that children get the best possible start in life.

Elsewhere, cashback is helping Street Soccer Scotland to reach people who are contending with mental health problems and addiction in Dundee. It is funding third-generation pitches in Aberdeen and is supporting basketball teams, including the Portlethen Panthers.

The voices of the young people themselves tell the story in the cashback for communities booklet. They include that of Mohammad Ibrahim, who says:

“I’m not sure where I would be if I hadn’t discovered Twilight Basketball ... it has definitely had a real positive influence on my life.”

Paul Gillespie says:

“The project provided me with structure and a reason to get up in the morning. I developed new social skills and built on my confidence and through the Programme I found a new sense of self-worth.”

That is very valuable work.

Key to the success of each initiative is the remarkable commitment of volunteers, coaches and youth workers—people across sport, art, business and the third sector who are dedicated to increasing opportunities for others. The efforts of the Crown, the police and other agencies that are involved in detecting crime, catching criminals and seizing assets must also be commended.

The independent national evaluation of cashback for communities describes how the impact assessment, monitoring and reporting processes can be improved. There is also scope to make the application process more transparent and accessible. Outwith the application windows, there is little information for interested organisations; they are simply told that all the money is currently allocated, while the cashback website still states that applications will be accepted until December 2013. I know that that hit-and-miss approach has caused some frustration.

The evaluation report states:

“annual average Proceeds of Crime Act (PoCA) payments have been relatively consistent at around £5 million.”

I know that we can get some high-profile windfalls, which can mean that the figure is much higher. However, if we can reasonably estimate what to expect, the Scottish Government could provide potential applicants with clarity on application and payout timetables, which are currently shrouded in mists and secrecy. That could also allow for applications to be made all year round, even if the funding decisions continue to be taken intermittently. Perhaps interested parties could even subscribe to an email alert system, rather than having regularly to check an out-of-date website for details of future funding opportunities.

Communities should be involved in identifying the needs of their children and neighbourhoods, because they are best placed to tell us where we can make a difference.

One of Kenny MacAskill’s first acts as Cabinet Secretary for Justice was to commit to using the proceeds of crime to give our young people more choices and chances. That is to be commended. The motion and amendments suggest that there is continued cross-party agreement on the need to focus reinvestment on preventing and reducing youth offending.

The cabinet secretary has not properly addressed the fact that some of the proceeds of crime will apparently be siphoned off to top up Police Scotland’s budget. The national force seems set for a £10 million windfall over the next two years, following sustained lobbying by the chief constable. Despite Assistant Chief Constable Nicolson insisting that he needs the money to maintain community projects, Police Scotland told the SPA on 30 April that its intention is to use the money to fund its contributions to the UK-wide National Crime Agency and to support management and maintenance of closed-circuit television systems. Those strike me as being routine financial commitments. They do not cohere with either the cabinet secretary’s pledge or the ethos of the cashback programme. What has changed since 2007, apart from the need to meet unfounded and unrealistic savings targets? Can the cabinet secretary tell me how many people will miss out on opportunities as a result? I listened to the cabinet secretary’s response to Graeme Pearson, and he seemed to insist that that will not be the case. I would be most grateful for absolute clarity from the cabinet secretary in his summing up. If the £10 million that is currently identified in the SPA budget were to go to day-to-day services rather than to cashback projects, I estimate that about 340,000 opportunities for young people would be lost.

The cabinet secretary has said that he intends to bolster the proceeds of crime legislation to make it faster and tougher, and to crack down on criminals who avoid paying. We firmly believe that those resources should continue to be used to get lives back on track and to give our young people the best possible start in life.