Chamber
Plenary, 09 Oct 2008
09 Oct 2008 · S3 · Plenary
Item of business
<br />Secure Accommodation
I welcome Richard Baker's general approach to the issue. I will try to answer as best I can each of his questions in turn.
First, it seems to us entirely reasonable that there should be a debate in the Parliament in due course. My view is that we should wait until we and COSLA have digested and considered the SOFI report, which we expect to have received by spring 2009. Thereafter, members should most certainly have an opportunity to debate the report's findings, once they have had a chance to consider the issues. I confirm that there should be a debate—subject to the usual channels being able to organise that—which I suggest should happen next spring.
Secondly, the short-life working group to which I referred—SOFI—has been tasked with considering how best to meet the nation's needs for secure accommodation over the short to medium term. I want to share with the Parliament SOFI's membership, which shows—this might influence members' thinking—that we have the right people, with a broad range of expertise, to address the problem. Romy Langland is SOFI's independent chair. The group's membership includes representatives from: social work; the care commission; the Scottish Government; COSLA; various of the secure establishments; academia; Includem; ISMS; and the Scottish Prison Service. A broad range of people are included on the group. It would be wrong for me to pre-empt SOFI's decisions, but with an average cost of £4,500 per person per week, we all acknowledge that the costs of the estate are extremely high.
I pay tribute to the previous Administration's work to increase the number of secure places, which we supported. However, our expectations that demand for places would rise inexorably, perhaps to as high as 200, have not been realised. Perhaps that is good news. No one wants to see a child in one of these institutions if there is a better and safer way. During my visit to Kibble last week, I saw some very troubled youngsters. If there are better ways of helping them, it is our duty as a society to find them.
On 21 February, the cabinet secretary announced plans to abolish unruly certificates, which allow children aged 14 or 15 who appear before a criminal court on a charge to be remanded in prison custody. Prison is no place for children. There are no children in prison in Scotland as I speak; that is as it should be. I believe that the governor of Polmont takes a similar view, and, as far as I am aware, it is a unanimously held view in the chamber. Next year, we will legislate to abolish unruly certificates.
Plainly, we want best practice to be used throughout Scotland. Those who work in secure units are often exposed to the risk of attack or assault in a way that is unparalleled in most other lines of work. We should acknowledge the professionalism of those people in using their character and skills in managing the most challenging and difficult of youngsters, and in doing so successfully so that the youngsters emerge on the other side.
First, it seems to us entirely reasonable that there should be a debate in the Parliament in due course. My view is that we should wait until we and COSLA have digested and considered the SOFI report, which we expect to have received by spring 2009. Thereafter, members should most certainly have an opportunity to debate the report's findings, once they have had a chance to consider the issues. I confirm that there should be a debate—subject to the usual channels being able to organise that—which I suggest should happen next spring.
Secondly, the short-life working group to which I referred—SOFI—has been tasked with considering how best to meet the nation's needs for secure accommodation over the short to medium term. I want to share with the Parliament SOFI's membership, which shows—this might influence members' thinking—that we have the right people, with a broad range of expertise, to address the problem. Romy Langland is SOFI's independent chair. The group's membership includes representatives from: social work; the care commission; the Scottish Government; COSLA; various of the secure establishments; academia; Includem; ISMS; and the Scottish Prison Service. A broad range of people are included on the group. It would be wrong for me to pre-empt SOFI's decisions, but with an average cost of £4,500 per person per week, we all acknowledge that the costs of the estate are extremely high.
I pay tribute to the previous Administration's work to increase the number of secure places, which we supported. However, our expectations that demand for places would rise inexorably, perhaps to as high as 200, have not been realised. Perhaps that is good news. No one wants to see a child in one of these institutions if there is a better and safer way. During my visit to Kibble last week, I saw some very troubled youngsters. If there are better ways of helping them, it is our duty as a society to find them.
On 21 February, the cabinet secretary announced plans to abolish unruly certificates, which allow children aged 14 or 15 who appear before a criminal court on a charge to be remanded in prison custody. Prison is no place for children. There are no children in prison in Scotland as I speak; that is as it should be. I believe that the governor of Polmont takes a similar view, and, as far as I am aware, it is a unanimously held view in the chamber. Next year, we will legislate to abolish unruly certificates.
Plainly, we want best practice to be used throughout Scotland. Those who work in secure units are often exposed to the risk of attack or assault in a way that is unparalleled in most other lines of work. We should acknowledge the professionalism of those people in using their character and skills in managing the most challenging and difficult of youngsters, and in doing so successfully so that the youngsters emerge on the other side.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Alasdair Morgan):
SNP
The next item of business is a statement by Fergus Ewing on strengthening Scotland's secure accommodation. The minister will take questions at the end of his...
The Minister for Community Safety (Fergus Ewing):
SNP
I very much welcome the opportunity to tell members about the work that we are doing to improve the effectiveness of secure accommodation in Scotland. I will...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
The minister will take questions on the issues raised in his statement. I intend to allow around 30 minutes for questions.
Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab):
Lab
I thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement.We agree that it is vital that the secure accommodation estate is fit for purpose and that the rig...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
I welcome Richard Baker's general approach to the issue. I will try to answer as best I can each of his questions in turn.First, it seems to us entirely reas...
Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con):
Con
I thank the minister for early sight of his statement, which I find to be measured and realistic, in contrast to some of the statements that he made earlier ...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
The secure units are considerably aware of the need to treat separately youngsters who are in secure units for different reasons. When I visited the new, ult...
Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD):
LD
I, too, welcome much of what the minister said in his statement—with the possible exception of the addition to the language of two new acronyms, which we cou...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
We intend to introduce the criminal justice bill next year, through which we will abolish unruly certificates.I fully agree that Kibble provides many facilit...
Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee West) (SNP):
SNP
When I visited the Elms in Dundee, I was incredibly impressed by the commitment and dedication of the staff. Secure units such as the Elms have an important ...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
I join Joe FitzPatrick in acknowledging the work that is carried out by the Elms in Dundee. I believe that it caters for boys and girls and that it is manage...
Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab):
Lab
I concur with the minister's consensual vision of how we can take secure accommodation forward. However, I would like him to assure us that the resources tha...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
I can provide an assurance that we want to continue to see the funding of those places. Part of the funding is from the Scottish Government and part is from ...
John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I welcome the minister's statement, particularly his reference to the incident at St Mary's at the beginning of the year. What discussions are taking place a...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
I should say that St Mary's operated for 32 years without incident and received extremely positive reports. The staff there have done an excellent job. Probl...
David Whitton (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome the minister's statement, particularly as Mr Ewing's boss, Mr MacAskill, wrote to me on 17 September to say that he did not think that a statement ...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
I am pleased to have made my statement. It was right to make one today, and members have welcomed it.Mr Whitton and I met St Mary's managers, and had a thoro...
Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con):
Con
We are all relieved that the actions that the St Mary's board of management has taken have resolved the crisis of earlier this year. However, I want to press...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
Plainly, the incident at St Mary's was unique. The member appears to suggest that other incidents of young people absconding from secure units have occurred ...
Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD):
LD
The minister is concerned about overcapacity. Can he give the Parliament a flavour of that? What was the level of underoccupancy at the last count, and is it...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
I stress that youngsters are sent to secure units only as a very last resort. No youngster is sent there unless other options have been considered and tried....
Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I am sure that every member welcomes the minister's commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Will he seek to write the convent...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
We certainly respect and acknowledge the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and we wish to ensure that the practical imports of its provisions are ful...
Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome the minister's acknowledgement that, because of overcapacity in the system, there are serious issues in relation to the future of secure accommodat...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
I can share details of SOFI's membership with members. I thought that it was publicly available anyway, but I will ensure that the Scottish Parliament inform...
Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I lived directly opposite the St Mary's unit in Bishopbriggs for a number of years, and I had the experience of dealing with some of the young people from th...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
Does the member have a question?
Gil Paterson:
SNP
I have a question.Will the minister examine the use of intensive support and monitoring services? That would benefit some young people, such as those whom I ...
Fergus Ewing:
SNP
Intensive support and monitoring services were introduced in 2004, as an alternative to secure accommodation for young people aged between 12 and 17 who are ...