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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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1999–2026

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Showing 41 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I understand that amendment 62 may potentially seem to be out of place in the bill, but we have been told by the Scottish Government, the SPA and Police Scotland that Scotland’s police officers are finally about to start being required to wear body-worn cameras as standard. It...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

I have two observations about what has been said so far and two quick points to make. Katy Clark is bang on in respect of the fire service. The acting chief fire officer told us that he needed something like £0.5 billion just to bring infrastructure up to standard as a result...

Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con) Con Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

First, the response from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs talks about cuts to the Scottish Government’s capital budget, but it is worth putting on record that it is the highest block grant on record, and any cuts relate, I believe, to extraordinary spending d...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2023-24

With regard to the £2,000 per head, those are Scottish Government figures—they are not open for debate or discussion unless you disagree with them. I go back to body-worn cameras. The Scottish Government has set aside £20 million for constitutional matters next year. Now that...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Chief Constable Jo Farrell: Vision and Priorities for Police Scotland

You have already talked about body-worn cameras. As we know, Police Scotland officers are the only ones in the UK not to have those as standard, and there is a bit of a long chronology to this subject that I will recap very quickly. In 2020, the former Lord Advocate called fo...

Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I, too, thank the committee clerks for the incredible work that they do on our behalf. Scotland’s police officers are true heroes. They serve the public with great care, professionalism and integrity. Their shift patterns are tough on work-life balance and the hours are long,...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I share the cabinet secretary’s view about the importance of body-worn cameras. It is worth repeating that Police Scotland, which is the second-largest force in the UK, is the only police force in the UK not to have them. Every one of the 40-plus other police forces has not on...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Budget Scrutiny 2023-24

I want to pick up on Rona Mackay’s comments about body-worn cameras. I happened to be at a retail security industry conference recently; I spoke to an individual who supplies body cameras to police forces elsewhere, and he expressed some surprise and frustration about his deal...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Frankly, a lot of what we have heard and what you have said so far is terrifying, and I really appreciate your candour. It is necessary, but it cannot be easy to be so forthright with some of this stuff. I have two separate questions, the first of which relates to body camera...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Indeed. Everyone in Scotland benefits to the tune of £2,000 per head in additional public spending compared with others in the UK, which I am sure that the cabinet secretary is very grateful for. That presumably helps to pay our police officers more than they get paid elsewhe...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2023-24

My question was about body-worn cameras.

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2023-24

Cabinet secretary, your Government has written what is effectively a blank cheque to cover the cost of the Rangers malicious prosecution scandal. We have been told that the amount has now reached £51 million, which, incidentally, is double the amount that it would cost to give...

Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Trauma-informed Justice for Victims and Witnesses

The Scottish Government loves to talk the talk when it comes to putting victims and witnesses at the heart of the justice system. It tells us that public protection is paramount, yet police officer numbers are at their lowest for 15 years. The Government insists that our offic...

Russell Findlay Con Chamber

General Question Time · HMP Kilmarnock (Public Ownership)

When I visited the prison last week, I asked the staff whether they backed the transfer. None did. I asked whether they knew why it was happening. None of them did. I asked whether they knew how it would happen. None of them did. Humza Yousaf is transferring HMP Kilmarnock fo...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2024-25

I understand. Can I interject? I am sorry to interrupt but we have very little time. The staff indeed have concerns. For example, they will lose their body-worn cameras and they will go from an electronic human resources system for holidays and so on to the paper-based system ...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2024-25

We can debate police officer numbers all day long and interpret statistics in our own way, but one thing that we can agree on is that, uniquely in the United Kingdom, Police Scotland officers do not have the protection of body-worn cameras. Provision of those was a commitment ...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Chief Constable Jo Farrell: Vision and Priorities for Police Scotland

Thank you. Can I ask about body-worn cameras, convener?

Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Police Scotland (Budget 2024-25)

Every police officer in the UK has body-worn cameras, apart from in Scotland. They protect police officers and the public, support victims and witnesses and save time and money. Humza Yousaf has repeatedly promised them, but, due entirely to Scottish National Party budget choi...

Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

I was going to write a speech, but then I found a memo that I wrote following a visit to Kilmarnock last October with my colleagues Brian Whittle and Sharon Dowey. Let me read an abridged version of the memo. It begins: “Memo: SNP transfer of HMP Kilmarnock from private to...

Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · “The Vision for Justice in Scotland” Delivery Plan

Every single police officer across the United Kingdom, except in Scotland, has the protection of a body-worn camera as standard. That remains a shameful failing of the Scottish National Party Government. “The Vision for Justice in Scotland” delivery plan sets out a timeline fo...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Policing and Mental Health

I will not ask about body-worn cameras, but I will just note that, in 2012, Grampian Police was the first force to pilot these cameras, so it is nice to see that, after all these years, they will be returning there, operationally. David Threadgold, you referred to the Lifelin...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Policing and Mental Health

Police Scotland remains the only police force in the UK without body-worn cameras, and we have heard that their introduction has been delayed yet again. Does the SPA take any responsibility for that failure?

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Policing and Mental Health

To come back to that point, it is not just a delay from September to March—it has been a delay of more than 10 years. We have the only police force in the United Kingdom without body-worn cameras. At some point, somebody from the police put a figure of £25 million on the cost...

Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Police Scotland (Officer Numbers)

Up to 500 police officers are called to court every single day, but many of them end up not giving evidence. Criminal trials conclude much more quickly when there is footage from body-worn cameras, but most of Scotland’s officers still do not have that basic kit. Does the cabi...

Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Retail Crime and Antisocial Behaviour

I congratulate my colleague Sharon Dowey on securing this important debate. This morning, Conservative members sat down with senior representatives of Scottish retailers and companies that are at the heart of our communities—companies on which we all rely and which drive our ...

Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Covid-19 Day of Reflection

On behalf of my party, I pay my deep respects to the many thousands of people in Scotland, and the many millions of people elsewhere, who lost their lives to Covid. At moments such as these, we reflect on how our world changed so rapidly and dramatically in March 2020. At firs...

Russell Findlay Con Chamber

Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Surely there can be nothing worse than losing a loved one to murder, but there are families whose suffering is worse and, in fact, is never ending. They are the ones who have lost a loved one to murder and cannot leave them to rest because the killer refuses to disclose the wh...

Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Gender-based Violence

I am pleased to say that my party supports the Scottish Government’s motion on this year’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. We have heard a broad range of powerful and compelling contributions from across the chamber. Sharon Dowey highlighted the case of a f...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Dr Lennon, you said that you support a Northern Irish-style police ombudsman to deal with every single complaint, no matter how minor or how serious it might be. SIPR is described in our papers as a collaborative body that comprises Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authori...

Russell Findlay Con Chamber

Illegal Immigration

That is the Willie Rennie and Daniel Johnson school of body language. Will Daniel Johnson give an example of what body language he thinks is indicative of his theory?

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Covid (Justice Sector)

That is very interesting. I am conscious of the time—I would like to ask questions of everybody, but I cannot do that. My final question is to Mr Dalling of the Law Society of Scotland. The thorny issue of legal services regulation has been with us for many years, and Covid ap...

Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Mental Health and Wellbeing (Primary Care)

As has already been said by the minister and others, there is broad cross-party agreement on this topic. No one can doubt the importance of improving capability and capacity for mental health treatment. As we emerge from the darkness of the pandemic, those needs have never bee...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Pre-budget Scrutiny 2023-24

I would like to quickly recap. Is it correct that we will not see body cameras any time soon, and, on mental health, there is no extra money but there are some organisational issues that can be improved?

Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con) Con Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Post-mortem Reports (Maximum Waiting Time)

An HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland report is highly critical of pathology services in Scotland, while the chair of the deaths in prison custody action group says that only the Crown Office thinks that the fatal accident inquiry system is effective. Many families hav...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Earlier, we heard from the academics that there is a significant lack of research in Scotland on a lot of these matters. Professor Cheryl Thomas’s view is that the juryless rape trials would therefore be, at best, premature. Those who support the measures, including Lady Dorri...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Bill Johnstone and other witnesses have said that, at the outset, every complaint should be looked at by some independent entity. There are huge cost implications to that. We have already heard concerns about the cost of the bill perhaps being much greater than the financial m...

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Okay. It is not really the official view of the umbrella body that you represent.

Russell Findlay Con Committee

Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Those sorts of issues are, quite suddenly, taking up a huge amount of the PIRC’s time. Uniquely, Police Scotland does not have body cameras as standard issue, although that is going to be announced very soon by the Scottish Government. Do you believe—or hope—that that will res...

Russell Findlay Con Chamber

First Minister’s Question Time · Plea Deals

I hear what the First Minister says about the Scottish Sentencing Council, but he could perhaps heed our calls to include a greater voice for victims on it. In my final question of the year to the First Minister, I want to raise the tragic case of baby J, whose identity canno...

Russell Findlay Con Chamber

Single-sex Spaces (Public Sector)

I will come back to the member if there is time towards the end. Children who are experiencing the normal challenges of growing up are being told by adults that they were born in the wrong body. The profound and often irreversible harm that that has caused, and continues to c...

Russell Findlay Con Chamber

First Minister’s Question Time · Mossmorran

The EPL must go, and both Governments must change direction. If they do not, the industry body, Offshore Energies UK, warns that 1,000 jobs will be lost every month until 2030. This is a national emergency. The Fraser of Allander Institute today released a new report that war...

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Committee

Criminal Justice Committee 02 October 2024

02 Oct 2024 · S6 · Criminal Justice Committee

Item of business

Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Findlay, Russell Con West Scotland Watch on SPTV

I understand that amendment 62 may potentially seem to be out of place in the bill, but we have been told by the Scottish Government, the SPA and Police Scotland that Scotland’s police officers are finally about to start being required to wear body-worn cameras as standard. It has been a slow process, but the pilot scheme has begun. The last that we heard from the chief constable was that, although the roll-out had been delayed, it was—apparently—still going to happen. The amendment’s purpose relates to the understanding that, when body-worn cameras do become commonly used, they will in all likelihood have a significant impact on the matters that the bill deals with—namely, police misconduct and regulation. Amendment 62 would request that “Ministers ... prepare and publish a report on the” value of “body-worn cameras in ... enforcing standards of” constables’ behaviour. For all that body-worn cameras will in the main—I imagine—be used in the pursuit of dealing with criminality by the public and as evidence in that regard, they may, in other cases, potentially be used to deal with police misbehaviour or other matters that relate to the bill. Amendment 62 would ask the Government to publish a report within one year of the bill receiving royal assent or of the conclusion of Police Scotland’s body-worn cameras pilot—whichever of those dates was the earliest. It has been said that body-worn cameras “will transform policing in Scotland”. My amendment seeks to future proof matters slightly in anticipation of body-worn cameras coming into use by legislating at least for assessing, in some way, how significant they may or may not be in respect of police misconduct cases. I move amendment 62.

In the same item of business

The Convener (Audrey Nicoll) SNP

Good morning, and welcome to the 30th meeting in 2024 of the Criminal Justice Committee. We have no apologies. Our main item of business is consideration of...

The Convener SNP

The first group of amendments is on the code of ethics. Amendment 1, in the name of the cabinet secretary, is grouped with amendments 48, 2, 49, 3, 4 and 50.

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs (Angela Constance) SNP

Good morning. I will first speak to amendments 1 and 2, which will add further sources that the chief constable must refer to when preparing the code. That f...

Katy Clark (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I will support the Government’s and Sharon Dowey’s amendments, if they are pressed to a vote. I do not intend to press my amendments 48 and 49 to a vote toda...

Sharon Dowey (South Scotland) (Con) Con

We intend to support the amendments in the group if they are pressed to a vote. Amendment 4 seeks to add to the list of people who should be consulted on th...

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

I seek clarification on the cabinet secretary’s position on Katy Clark’s amendments. The Government’s amendment 1 seeks to adopt, for example, the European c...

Sharon Dowey Con

No—the position is as the cabinet secretary said. It is not about consulting every person who has had a complaint in the police system but about taking a gro...

Pauline McNeill Lab

Right. I know that that will be for discussion between you and the cabinet secretary but, when the revised amendment is being framed, I would like it to be c...

The Convener SNP

I will bring in the cabinet secretary, and Sharon Dowey can come back in if she wants to add anything.

Angela Constance SNP

I reiterate that I am more than happy to work with Katy Clark and Sharon Dowey in advance of stage 3. On the concerns about the phrase “lesser obligation”, ...

The Convener SNP

As no other member wants to come in, do you want to add anything else in winding up?

Angela Constance SNP

No, thank you. I think that I have done my winding up. Amendment 1 agreed to. Amendment 48 not moved. Amendment 2 moved—Angela Constance—and agreed to. ...

The Convener SNP

We move to group 2, on duty on candour. Amendment 5, in the name of the cabinet secretary, is grouped with amendments 6 to 11.

Angela Constance SNP

Amendments 5, 8 and 11 relate to the individual duty of candour inserted into the standards of professional behaviour and the organisational duty added to th...

Sharon Dowey Con

Amendment 6 adds to the provisions that would introduce a duty of candour to the Police Service of Scotland (Senior Officers) (Conduct) Regulations 2013. The...

Katy Clark Lab

I support the Scottish Government’s intention to attempt to strengthen and codify the duty of candour. The duty of candour for public officials is a live iss...

The Convener SNP

There was quite a lot in there. I will bring in Pauline McNeill, before the cabinet secretary responds. 09:30

Pauline McNeill Lab

Thank you. I am in the same position as Katy Clark, in that I think that the amendments in this group are really important, regardless of how they have been...

The Convener SNP

If no other members wish to come in, I will bring in the cabinet secretary to wind up.

Angela Constance SNP

On the types of offences related to misusing public office, there is a live discussion across the UK right now, for various reasons that cut across the Hills...

Pauline McNeill Lab

There were quite a few points that you did not cover there. The one that I am keen to understand relates to the language around “reasonable assertion”.

Angela Constance SNP

There are complicated questions in relation to application and scope, so I will probably require a bit of consultation with legal officials and will come bac...

Pauline McNeill Lab

To be fair, I did not expect you to answer that. It is just that we are going to vote on the matter shortly, so I want to be sure about what “reasonable asse...

Angela Constance SNP

I do not have anything to add to or subtract from what I have said. Amendment 5 agreed to. Amendment 6 not moved. Amendments 7 and 8 moved—Angela Constanc...

The Convener SNP

The next group is on the vetting of constables and police staff. Amendment 43, in the name of the cabinet secretary, is grouped with amendments 44 to 47.

Angela Constance SNP

The amendments in group 3 respond directly to the recommendation that was made by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland to ensure that there...

Russell Findlay (West Scotland) (Con) Con

I am extremely concerned about these amendments. The bill was published on 6 June, and here we are, 12 weeks later, considering a load of amendments from the...

Pauline McNeill Lab

Like Russell Findlay, I have heard similar concerns. Cabinet secretary, you opened by saying that the committee had asked for these changes, but that is not...

Katy Clark Lab

I am very sympathetic to what the Scottish Government is trying to do. It is clear that we need to strengthen the vetting processes that existed historically...

Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) SNP

It is clear that vetting procedures need to be strengthened, and that is what the amendments are trying to do. Going back to Russell Findlay’s comments, I a...