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Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

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2,354,908
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1999–2026
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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
22 Mar 2016
Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill
Thank you, Presiding Officer, for your kind words. I am disappointed that the Scottish Government rejected my amendments to the bill, and I will continue to push my case. As it stands, the section of the bill that deals with the illegal sharing of intimate images includes onl...
Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber
22 Mar 2016
Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
I thank John Finnie for his support for my amendments. I know that the sending of abusive messages is a criminal offence, but the same does not always apply to the sharing of intimate material. My amendments would ensure that the sharing of all types of intimate material with...
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
22 Mar 2016
Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
Currently, the bill covers only the sharing of photographic images and film. Amendments 3 to 14, in my name, which are supported by Scottish Women’s Aid and others, seek to broaden the definition to include photographic images or film of an intimate situation; sound recordings...
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
09 Mar 2016
Rural Payments
I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate on rural affairs. I will use my time to discuss the CAP payments situation and the plight of dairy farmers. The current situation with CAP payments combined with the spiralling costs of the IT system is nothing short of scandal...
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
01 Mar 2016
Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
The aim of these amendments is to expand the disclosure section in the bill. The bill only covers the disclosure of photographs and film. The amendments, which are supported by Scottish Women’s Aid, seek to broaden that to include a photograph or film of an intimate situation,...
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
01 Mar 2016
Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
I note what the cabinet secretary says, but I will press amendment 70.
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
01 Mar 2016
Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
I understand that amendment 70 might introduce unintended consequences, but you have to show criminal intent to break the law and be charged with a crime. As the amendment has been written, it will still be in line with the aims of the bill and it should be included. The cabi...
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
01 Mar 2016
Police Scotland
The preference is for briefings.
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
01 Mar 2016
Police Scotland
There is a preference for the one-to-one briefings.
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
01 Mar 2016
Police Scotland
Would you say that there has been a reduction in the number of emails that are sent to officers since the survey was done?
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee
01 Mar 2016
Police Scotland
My question is on the general issue of communication within the police service. The report on the staff survey came out in September last year. In the survey, issues were raised about internal engagement, including the heavy reliance on cascading information by email and thro...
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
11 Feb 2016
Community Justice (Scotland) Bill
I am particularly pleased to be taking part in the stage 3 debate on the bill because this is the first bill that I have seen through from start to finish since joining the Parliament in 2011. As such, it gave me a great sense of achievement to have my amendments supported tod...
Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber
11 Feb 2016
Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
The third sector plays an invaluable role in delivering vital services in relation to community justice, not only for victims and their families but for those who are convicted of an offence and their families, so I very much welcome the comment that the minister made about th...
Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber
11 Feb 2016
Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
Amendment 25A supports the minister’s amendments. Amendment 17 agreed to. Section 15—National performance framework in relation to community justice Amendments 18 to 20 moved—Paul Wheelhouse—and agreed to. After section 18
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
11 Feb 2016
Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
I will give some background to amendment 29. In section 1, the reference to “victims of offences and their families” is not the same as a reference to third sector organisations that support victims and their families. It cannot be assumed that a single reference to victims ...
Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber
03 Feb 2016
Portfolio Question Time · Employment Skills and Training (Ayrshire)
The minister will be aware that, in recent months, there have been announcements of job losses that roll into the hundreds across Ayrshire. Around 60 job losses have been announced at Clydeport, 77 at Red Cross house and 212 including agency workers at Mahle in Kilmarnock. Jus...
7. Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
03 Feb 2016
Portfolio Question Time · Employment Skills and Training (Ayrshire)
To ask the Scottish Government what skills and other training it provides to people in Ayrshire who have been made redundant. (S4O-05520)
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
02 Feb 2016
European Union Priorities
I wonder whether Roddy Campbell can answer a question about the directives on the presumption of innocence and on 16 and 17-year-olds, which, again, are addressed on page 4 of the paper. Where are we with those?
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
02 Feb 2016
European Union Priorities
It is on page 4 of paper 3. In his letter, the Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs says: “Although Scotland cannot access funds from the Justice Programme as the UK has opted out, we are currently laying the ground for potential applications to the Connecting Euro...
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
02 Feb 2016
European Union Priorities
My question is about videoconferencing. Can you give us an update on that?
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
02 Feb 2016
Agricultural Crime
How does the information get out to those who live in the countryside such as farmers and others in remote areas? Is there an educational issue?
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
02 Feb 2016
Agricultural Crime
I also note from last year’s evidence that some farmers were unsure whether to call 101 or 999 if something was happening in their area. Has that issue been overcome?
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
02 Feb 2016
Agricultural Crime
Are you saying that the information is not filtering down to all farmers?
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
02 Feb 2016
Agricultural Crime
But I would have thought that that information would be available in the forum.
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
02 Feb 2016
Agricultural Crime
I was not a member of the committee when it took evidence on this matter last year, but I note that mention was made of the farm watch and rural watch schemes that were set up to alert farmers about criminals operating in their area. How well used are those schemes?
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee
02 Feb 2016
Agricultural Crime
Good morning. In response to my colleague’s question, you mentioned compensation. Are farmers able to claim insurance for the loss of livestock?
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
28 Jan 2016
Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
The Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill is vital legislation that has been introduced to improve how the justice system responds to abusive behaviour, including domestic abuse and sexual harm, following the publication of the “Equally Safe” report. The bill has ...
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
28 Jan 2016
Succession (Scotland) Bill
I thank Stewart Stevenson for his speech, which as usual was educational. As the minister said, the Succession (Scotland) Bill is mainly technical. As we have heard, it is part of the wider-ranging reforms that are to be made during the next parliamentary session. In effect, ...
Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber
27 Jan 2016
Portfolio Question Time · Local Authority Education Services
Councils across Scotland are increasingly cash strapped, and further cuts are coming. What assurances can the Scottish Government give me and constituents that no child’s education will suffer due to council cutbacks, and has the Scottish Government been in contact with North ...
Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber
27 Jan 2016
Portfolio Question Time · Local Authority Education Services
Scottish National Party-held North Ayrshire Council is proposing to cut £500,000 from its education services, and it will be the schools’ front-line staff who will bear the brunt of the axe. A survey that was carried out by the GMB in December found out that 100 per cent of it...
4. Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
27 Jan 2016
Portfolio Question Time · Local Authority Education Services
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local authority education services. (S4O-05477)
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee
26 Jan 2016
Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Amendment 31A seeks to amend amendment 31 by adding a reference to “victims of offences and their families” to ensure that victims and their families are given a higher profile in the bill by explicitly recognising them. As it stands, amendment 31’s proposed new paragraph (1...
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
26 Jan 2016
Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
I will not push my motion at this time.
Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber
26 Jan 2016
Trade Union Bill
—to amend our standing orders to allow us to debate that legislative consent motion.
Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber
26 Jan 2016
Trade Union Bill
—so that members are not only setting out their opposition to the bill, but making sure that it is not imposed on Scottish public services. I hope that we can all work together across this chamber—
Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber
26 Jan 2016
Trade Union Bill
I am just closing, Presiding Officer. I am delighted that, in my area, North Ayrshire Council last month became the first Scottish National Party-led local authority to make such a commitment after a successful campaign by Labour councillors. We need to see that approach rolle...
Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber
26 Jan 2016
Trade Union Bill
That is not what we are here to discuss and it is not an issue. Removing the ban on the use of agency workers to break strike action—that ban was introduced by a Tory Government, no less, in 1973—is a dangerous precedent that would undermine the rights of all workers. I fear ...
Margaret McDougall Lab Chamber
26 Jan 2016
Trade Union Bill
I have just started. Perhaps I will take an intervention later. Let us be clear: this anti-trade union bill is bad for business and bad for workers. The only people who will benefit are bad bosses, while the rest of us suffer. The bill undermines the fundamental right of work...
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
26 Jan 2016
Trade Union Bill
I express my disappointment that, on the day that the Welsh Assembly is debating a legislative consent motion that will restrict the imposition of the anti-trade union bill on Welsh public services, we in the Scottish Parliament are unable to do similarly as a result of the Pr...
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
19 Jan 2016
Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
No.
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
19 Jan 2016
Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
I can stop and start again later.
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
19 Jan 2016
Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
I am sorry.
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee
19 Jan 2016
Community Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2
Amendment 95 seeks to include the meaning of “community justice” by identifying the risk management and public protection elements of community justice that are lacking in the current definition. My amendment seeks to ensure that managing and supporting offenders in relation t...
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
19 Jan 2016
Apologies (Scotland) Bill
I, too, congratulate Margaret Mitchell on bringing this bill to Parliament. When I spoke in the stage 1 debate on the bill, I highlighted a number of concerns that I had with the bill. However, during the stage 2 discussions, the bill was amended. Those amendments dealt direc...
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
12 Jan 2016
Police Scotland (Interception of Communications)
What is happening with the murder investigation now?
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
12 Jan 2016
Police Scotland (Interception of Communications)
Was it in the view of senior officers in Police Scotland for a considerable time, so it was just a case of relaying it down the ranks?
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
12 Jan 2016
Police Scotland (Interception of Communications)
One of the main changes made in the legislation is that when you intercept journalistic information, you should get judicial authorisation. From my point of view as a layperson, when I read that part of the legislation it seemed quite clear. I find it hard to understand why an...
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
12 Jan 2016
Police Scotland (Interception of Communications)
You said that this does not happen every day and then you said that officers deal with these issues every day. What was so different about this particular authorisation?
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
12 Jan 2016
Police Scotland (Interception of Communications)
Did the officers express concerns at the time that they had been tasked with carrying out these authorisations—that they had been put under pressure?
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Committee
12 Jan 2016
Police Scotland (Interception of Communications)
Good morning. Since you became aware of the breach, have you spoken to any of the officers involved in the authorisation process?
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber
06 Jan 2016
Portfolio Question Time · Common Agricultural Policy Basic Payment
Farmers are suffering from adverse weather conditions and their crop yields will be affected. In answers to previous questions, the cabinet secretary said that he will see what he can do. Will he expand on what the options are, and say whether they include acceleration of CAP ...
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
05 Jan 2016
Petitions
I agree with Alison McInnes—we should keep both petitions open.
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
05 Jan 2016
Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Are there any plans to look at the issue in the future or to raise it through the EU?
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
05 Jan 2016
Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
There must be education about taking responsibility, as well. We must instil that in our young people. Sometimes, these images end up on social media—Facebook and so on. It is the responsibility of those sites to take down photographs that are inappropriate. However, there is...
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
05 Jan 2016
Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Yes. If we want to widen the measures to include text messages, we should take that into account. There is also the issue of sexting—the sending of sexually explicit images or videos—which lots of young people are involved in. There is concern that, if that were included, you...
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
05 Jan 2016
Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Technology now allows certain things to be done. For example, a text could be sent, and then a screenshot could be taken of that text, so that it becomes an image. How do we define that, and should it be included in the definition in the bill?
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
05 Jan 2016
Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
I welcome the fact that you are going to look at the matter again. Victim Support Scotland and Women’s Aid Scotland have argued that it should not matter what media are used, as the issue is the non-consensual sharing or the threat to share sensitive or intimate material that ...
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
05 Jan 2016
Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
We heard from witnesses who gave evidence that the bill’s provisions on the non-consensual sharing or distribution of private, intimate images should be widened and that different kinds of communication should be included, such as text messages and letters. What are your views...
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
05 Jan 2016
Draft Budget Scrutiny 2016-17
Thank you.
Margaret McDougall Lab Committee
05 Jan 2016
Draft Budget Scrutiny 2016-17
You think that the resources are adequate to carry out that training.
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Committee

Justice Committee 05 January 2016

05 Jan 2016 · S4 · Justice Committee
Item of business
Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1
Matheson, Michael SNP Falkirk West Watch on SPTV
Expert evidence will be taken on issues in many cases. If such evidence is taken, the judge will consider giving some direction to the jury. However, there may not always be expert evidence, and it is important that we ensure that, in cases where a specific type of evidence is led and issues are raised, provisions are in place to ensure that the judge gives direction to the jury. It may be that some judges already give direction to juries on some aspects, although other judges may choose not to do so. My view is that we should put the matter on a statutory footing so that we are clear about when direction should be provided, while giving judges the flexibility to put that to the jury in the way that they consider to be most appropriate.

In the same item of business

The Deputy Convener Lab
Item 5 is the final evidence session on the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Bill, for which the cabinet secretary is staying with us. I welcome ...
Margaret Mitchell Con
As the convener has indicated, witnesses have expressed concern about the introduction of statutory jury directions in sexual offence cases, particularly wit...
Michael Matheson SNP
No, I do not, although I understand the comments and the evidence that the committee has received on those matters. I believe that the provisions in the bill...
Margaret Mitchell Con
You mention expert evidence being led. That seems to be a perfect way round the issue, as someone would explain certain points. It is not always the case tha...
Michael Matheson SNP
Expert evidence will be taken on issues in many cases. If such evidence is taken, the judge will consider giving some direction to the jury. However, there m...
Margaret Mitchell Con
We have had a clear steer from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and from Lord Carloway that the cost of providing expert evidence would be proh...
Michael Matheson SNP
The bill would not do anything that would affect the ability to take expert evidence in a case. If the Crown chose to introduce expert evidence on a particul...
Margaret Mitchell Con
You have no concerns that cost would come into it.
Michael Matheson SNP
In what way?
Margaret Mitchell Con
I am talking about the cost of providing an expert witness. Expert evidence seems to be a way of getting around this. Although there has been a delay in repo...
Michael Matheson SNP
The bill does not change anything around the decision to bring in an expert witness on a particular issue in a case. If it is being suggested that we are int...
Margaret Mitchell Con
You are confident that, if the provision is introduced, there will not be calls for similar provisions to address other perceived misconceptions.
Michael Matheson SNP
In the past, the Parliament has taken a view on areas of the law in which specific measures require to be taken. Trials for sexual offences—particularly rape...
Margaret Mitchell Con
Lord Carloway covered that point. Although he acknowledged that jury directions exist in other jurisdictions, he said that they are far from ideal. Perhaps y...
Michael Matheson SNP
I will look at all the evidence and consider all the views that have been given on the issue. However, we have made our position clear on jury direction. I h...
John Finnie Ind
If the issues of delay in telling people and the absence of signs of physical resistance are widely acknowledged, as they seem to be, why do the Faculty of A...
Michael Matheson SNP
It is not for me to answer on behalf of the Faculty of Advocates or—
John Finnie Ind
Would you like to speculate?
Michael Matheson SNP
It would not be fair for me to speculate on what their views are or why that is. It would be better for the Faculty of Advocates and the Law Society to expla...
John Finnie Ind
If you have seen Lord Carloway’s evidence, you will know that he was very open with me and my colleague Alison McInnes about a particular case that we both h...
Michael Matheson SNP
The issue is one for Parliament to consider. If we as a Parliament consider that there is merit in and justification for putting jury directions on a statuto...
John Finnie Ind
My colleague Margaret Mitchell talked about the position of the Crown leading an expert witness. Is that not more inherently fair to the accused, because it ...
Michael Matheson SNP
As I said, the bill has no provision that would prevent the leading of expert evidence as well. The bill does not alter the position on that. It might be tha...
John Finnie Ind
The Law Society talks about unfairness if the provision relates exclusively to sexual offence cases. I will not linger on the point, but the Law Society give...
Michael Matheson SNP
That is why we have tried to give a balance to the provision in limiting the circumstances in which it would apply. As you will be aware, the bill sets out w...
John Finnie Ind
Finally, has any assessment been made of whether there will be an increase in the number of appeals against conviction as a result of the introduction of the...
Michael Matheson SNP
It is very difficult to assess how many appeals there might be as a result of legislative change, because appeals can occur for a variety of reasons. We cann...
John Finnie Ind
But it is not unrealistic to say that that is a factor that you could anticipate. Jury direction is an additional factor that could be the subject of an appeal.
Michael Matheson SNP
Of course. The defence might seek to appeal as a result of the judge’s direction. However, it is very difficult to quantify how many such appeals might be made.
John Finnie Ind
Okay. Thank you.