Hansard

Although the microphones are not working, I see that the clock is.

I will say something about the drugs courts model later. The key to drugs courts is that they aim to address the underlying problem of drug misuse, when criminality first becomes its consequence. Drugs courts try to prevent people from becoming involved in the life of crime that follows that cycle of offending.

In general, drugs courts bring together enforcement and treatment, which is why the Executive is taking action in a number of ways to link offenders more effectively with treatment and rehabilitation. We have provided extra resources—almost £100 million—in the spending review to fund the broadest range of services that has ever been seen in Scotland. Within that, an extra £9.5 million is available over three years to make a comprehensive framework of alternatives to custody available to Scottish courts.

Roseanna Cunningham spoke of the drug treatment and testing orders that are being piloted in Glasgow and Fife. Such orders are designed to tackle the problems of offenders who are involved in more serious drug misuse and who have many repeated offences. The orders are important—they incorporate some of the central features of drugs courts, such as access to treatment, routine testing and review in court.

I am pleased that we are extending the pilots to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, in order to build further on our experience of what works.

We must be able to intervene at each stage in the criminal justice process. We have announced the national roll-out of diversion from prosecution schemes, which target those who are at the other end of the spectrum for drug treatment and testing orders. The schemes are an alternative to prosecution for individuals whose offending career is just starting. DTTOs give people the chance to address their drug use before they launch into a full-blown career of offending.

We also have plans to target medium-tariff and higher-tariff offenders by developing a new model of enhanced probation, which will build in drug testing and treatment as a condition of sentence and will include regular reviews by the courts.

Roseanna Cunningham made the point that the growth in drug-related crime is not peculiar to Scotland. That is true—the problems are international and it is not surprising that countries are keen to learn from experiences beyond their boundaries. A great deal of attention has centred on the north American experience of drugs courts. In that system, drugs courts are designed specifically to supervise drug dependent offenders who have agreed to accept treatment. Thus, that system's objectives are similar to those that we have set in our policy.

It would be too easy to believe that the American system could be picked up and transferred wholesale to Scotland—our legal system, traditions and culture must be respected. However, we are keen to learn from the United States and I believe that we can move forward to introduce a Scottish drugs court model. We have been working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the issue and have commissioned research into the international experience. We will broaden our discussions on how to introduce and test that drugs court model. The judiciary and the prosecution have key roles to play and we must consult our judiciary, the Lord Advocate and the Crown Office on the roles that the judiciary and prosecution can undertake.

Drugs courts will be successful only if they form part of an overall framework. We must plan their introduction carefully and it is essential that we put in place the infrastructure to support treatment and rehabilitation services first. However, now that the spending review has provided the resources, we are well placed to develop those services. The drug action teams' role in local responses to drug problems has been strengthened during the past 18 months.

Taken together, the plans that I have outlined will provide a wide range of disposals that will be able to deal with the broad spectrum of drug-related crime. They will give Scottish courts all the options—arguably, more options than are available to the US drugs courts. Combined with the new resources that are available, our plans allow us to move forward on the idea of specialised Scottish drugs courts. That approach will be rooted in Scottish institutions and will complement existing practices. It must have the confidence of the courts and the general public alike.

For the first time, we have an opportunity to deliver a system that specialises in dealing with the problem of drug offenders, that blends enforcement and treatment and—above all—that has the possibility of being effective. I am sure that that approach will be welcomed throughout the chamber.

I move amendment S1M-1303.2, to leave out from "acknowledges" to end and insert:

"and acknowledges the work that the Scottish Executive is doing in tackling this problem."