Hansard

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Committee

18 Apr 2006

Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Amendment 224 approaches drug addiction and drug offences from an entirely different direction from that taken previously. It is fair to say that this committee, the Justice 1 Committee and people throughout Scotland's criminal justice system are struck by the utter pointlessn...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

25 Sep 2003

Criminal Justice System

I have only four minutes, which is a minute less than the time that other members have had.The Tories talk about honesty in sentencing policy. They must address the fact that, compared with other countries in Europe, Scotland sends one of the highest proportions of its populat...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

13 Apr 2005

Women Offenders

I will develop my point for a second.How are we to reverse the trend and get back the optimism of the 1970s? I am heartened that the starting point for the discussion on criminal justice acknowledges that any strategy will be doomed if it does not address the root causes. What...

Colin Fox: SSP Committee

20 Feb 2007

Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I hope that, in the same spirit in which the minister finished her remarks, she will listen to the committee's helpful comments. As she knows, throughout the bill process my mind has been focused on an anomaly to which we keep returning, which is that people who have been sent...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

22 Nov 2006

Farepak Response Fund

Like other members, I congratulate Elaine Murray on securing this important debate. It is a measure of the disgust that is felt throughout the Parliament that this is a relatively well-attended members' business debate, although I know that some members have had to leave. Give...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

16 Dec 2004

Reoffending

I welcome this debate—Interruption. The bottles are starting to fly.I begin by making the point that the number of people whom we send to prison is ultimately a political decision, rather than a judicial decision. In recent years, the prevalent political mood has been to send ...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

12 Nov 2003

Alternatives to Custody

As someone who is about to be transported to Australia, I am acutely aware that the concept of alternatives to imprisonment is relative in the debate. I welcome the previous Justice 1 Committee's extensive debate and report on this important issue. I also welcome my colleague ...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

13 Apr 2005

Women Offenders

Give me a second.This is my answer to Stewart Stevenson's earlier question; the overwhelming majority of the 300 women who are incarcerated in Cornton Vale, Greenock and elsewhere do not pose any threat to the public. We reiterate our desire that the majority of those women sh...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

15 Mar 2007

Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill

At First Minister's question time today, the First Minister said that the bill will end the Tories' provisions on the automatic early release of prisoners. Of course, it will do no such thing, because it will replace those provisions with Labour's provisions on the automatic e...

Colin Fox: SSP Committee

24 Oct 2006

Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

A very general question leaps out at me when I read the bill and explanatory notes. Will the commitment of the Scottish Executive Justice Department and this Parliament to reducing the overall numbers of people in prison be compromised by the measures in the bill that seek to ...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

30 Nov 2006

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE · Management of Offenders

As the minister knows, the Scottish Prison Service has estimated that the Executive's plans will add an extra 1,100 prisoners to the prison population, which has reached record levels. Are the public not being failed by an approach that means that more people are being sent to...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

29 Apr 2004

Reducing Reoffending

Lenin, a man who knew about spending time in prison, once advised that ours is not to laugh or cry, but to understand. However, we sometimes cannot help but cry. Scotland's record on sending people to jail and reducing reoffending is woeful. As the minister and others have sai...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

16 Dec 2004

Reoffending

I am delighted that we have already secured an admission and an apology from the Tories. I hope that that is not the last one in the debate.I hope that members will address the attitude that I have mentioned, examine where we are failing and accept that a change in direction i...

Colin Fox: SSP Committee

13 Feb 2007

Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I must confess that, despite the fact that our amendments are at variance with one another, we are all unanimous in saying that the current system is discredited. The question is how we make it credible. The minister has outlined the Executive's position. That position is not ...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

11 May 2005

Rehabilitation in Prisons

Like other members, I welcome the Justice 1 Committee's report, which poses many valid questions against a background in which rehabilitation programmes in prison appear to be less than wholly effective. It is a shame that we will not have more time to debate the issues today....

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

16 Dec 2004

Reoffending

The Deputy Minister for Justice said that he hoped we would have a mature and sensible date on what is a complex issue. I believe that a great deal that is of value has been said in the debate.I share Patrick Harvie's instinctive dislike of prisons and his concerns about the s...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

25 Jun 2003

Modernising Justice

As the Scottish Socialist Party's justice spokesperson, perhaps I could ask the representatives of the other parties what a harridan is. It seems to me that fewer professions in Scotland are held in lower regard than are lawyers and perhaps journalists. Here we are as politici...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

25 Jan 2006

Abolition of NHS Prescription Charges (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Today, I have great pleasure in introducing this stage 1 debate on the Abolition of NHS Prescription Charges (Scotland) Bill. It is a proud moment for me and for the Scottish Socialist Party. I thank those MSPs, particularly in the Green party and the independent group, who we...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Committee

27 Feb 2007

Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Amendments 83 and 82 seek to amend section 50 in relation to part 2 of the bill, on the confinement and release of prisoners. The amendments seek to ensure that that part of the bill is implemented only after ministers have presented to Parliament a report compiled by independ...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

12 Nov 2003

Alternatives to Custody

I accept entirely that the victims of crime have a role in the matter. However, we must look at the broader picture and realise that, sometimes, being a victim of a particular crime does not give a person the broadest vision of the situation in the country as a whole. Nonethel...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

25 Feb 2004

Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

It is a remarkable coincidence that the debate is taking place on the same day and at the same time that the United Kingdom Home Secretary decides to continue to detain 14 people without charge or trial in Belmarsh prison in London for yet another year. The debate also takes p...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

13 Apr 2005

Women Offenders

That was a quote from the Government rather than a quote of my own. I will come later to the point that Stewart Stevenson raises; I have only just started my speech.Clearly, the arrival in the 1980s of hard drugs and a noticeable and dramatic change in sentencing policy change...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Committee

19 Dec 2006

Child Sex Offenders Inquiry

I echo the points that other members have made. The sub-committee's report is interesting and valuable. I have to say that I read it in a way that I have never before read a committee paper in preparation for a meeting. It is measured and gives a flavour of the issue being one...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

29 May 2003

Scottish Executive's Programme

I promise the Presiding Officer that there will be no singing today.The statement that the First Minister made to the Parliament yesterday has been criticised today and yesterday as being complacent and representing much more of the same, when promises of profound improvement ...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

14 Sep 2006

Criminal Proceedings etc (Reform) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

When I heard the minister make the same remark earlier, I could not help but be struck by the parallel with debates at the time of the poll tax, when it was argued that the only people who were not paying it were those who could afford to. The argument is a complete red herrin...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

11 Jan 2007

Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

The bill's policy objectives, which have been mentioned by most members who have spoken in the debate so far, are laudable. I want to see a clearer, more understandable system for the management of offenders while they are in custody or on licence in the community—a system tha...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Committee

28 Mar 2006

Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Thank you for accommodating me, convener. I apologise to the committee and the minister for not being present earlier.The purpose of amendments 202 and 203, like that of the other amendments in the group and of the bill, is to address the incidence of knife crime, the carrying...

Colin Fox: SSP Committee

14 Nov 2006

Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

You mentioned an average sentence of 1.9 months, but I was driving at the effect that sending more people to jail for longer would have on the entire prison population as regards rehabilitation programmes and so on.

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

28 Apr 2004

Criminal Procedure (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill

That is even less generous.Obviously, nobody in the chamber or in the country wants the guilty to walk free—that would not be justice and would not be fair. I understand that the Justice 1 Committee, the minister and others have not taken decisions lightly, but if the 110-day ...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

29 Apr 2004

Reducing Reoffending

I am sorry, but I do not have time.I hope that the Executive is not trying to pre-empt the consultation and besmirch the democratic process. If criminal justice social work and the Scottish Prison Service are absorbed into one agency, the democratic accountability of current s...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

24 Mar 2005

First Minister's Question Time · Mordechai Vanunu

I hope that the First Minister accepts that Mordechai Vanunu is recognised across the world as a man of peace, a man of principle, a man who demands justice for the Palestinian people and a man who, after being kidnapped by the Israeli state, spent 18 years in jail for exposin...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

11 Jan 2007

Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

I am sorry, but I do not have time.The Sheriffs Association goes on, in an unusually humorous vein, to ridicule the bill's proposals with the example of an offender who is found guilty of assault to severe disfigurement. I do not have time to read the joke, but it is on page 2...

Colin Fox: SSP Committee

13 Feb 2007

Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

That is fine. My third question relates to amendment 13. I want to ask for the minister's view of the conundrum—which I would describe as a nonsense—that the committee has previously considered, that someone who is sentenced to 14 days will serve longer in jail than someone wh...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

10 Feb 2005

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

I will give way in a second. I refer in particular to the appeal of William Gage, which comes before the Court of Appeal next month. I hope that the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will become more positive and strong enough to withstand pressure to convict innocent...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

24 Mar 2005

First Minister's Question Time · Mordechai Vanunu

I am disappointed that the First Minister cannot be more forthright. That is the second time that he has opted out of giving an opinion on the matter. What does he think of the decision by University of Glasgow students to elect Mordechai Vanunu as their rector? Mordechai Vanu...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

13 Apr 2005

Women Offenders

I have no problem with that suggestion, as the minister has put it in black and white terms. Those women who can afford to pay should be encouraged to pay rather than being sent to jail as a consequence.

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

08 Jun 2005

G8

As a Lothians MSP, I welcome the G8 protesters to Edinburgh and know that I speak for the vast majority of people in this city when I welcome them. People throughout Scotland are heartened that so many people who are motivated by a raw sense of injustice and inequality will be...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

16 Mar 2006

Fresh Talent Initiative

And Italy. Members can add their country of choice to the list. I understand that 10 per cent of the population of Edinburgh is now English—as is 50 per cent of my household. It is clear that Scotland can and has accrued great benefit from the inward migration of new citizens,...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

13 Apr 2005

Scotland's Needs and Aspirations

Like other members, I welcome the independents' approach to the debate, which has provided an opportunity for us to consider an eclectic collection of themes that reflect the needs and aspirations of the Scottish people.I will focus on one aspiration, which was highlighted thi...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

25 Jan 2006

Abolition of NHS Prescription Charges (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

The minister and the deputy minister have both argued that there is a series of anomalies, but they then suggest that the way to get rid of them is not to abolish charges. The Executive is trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. No matter how we look at the current exe...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

20 Apr 2006

Local Government Pensions

The motion that is before the Parliament was passed unanimously at Labour's Scottish conference in February. I hope, therefore, that Labour members in particular will support their party policy today.More than 1 million workers went on strike on 28 March in the biggest industr...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

03 Mar 2005

G8 Summit (Right to Protest)

I hope that this debate is as lively as the one that preceded it.The Scottish Socialist Party looks forward very much to the G8 summit that will be held in Gleneagles in July. In particular, we look forward to welcoming the people who will join us in the protest against the G8...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

25 May 2006

Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Paul Martin suggests that the retention of DNA samples from millions of people will help to solve crimes and enable the police to eliminate people from inquiries and home in on suspects far more quickly and effectively. I am sure that all members understand his motivation for ...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

20 May 2004

Major Events and Festivals in Scotland

Of course I agree with that point, but it is the one point that has been reiterated time and again in the motion and in the debate. In my opinion, the cultural side of the equation has been left untouched.On a more positive note, I welcome the congratulations that the minister...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

17 Jun 2004

Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I welcome the minister's recognition that it is young people themselves who suffer more than any other group in our community. That leads me on to another point of which the minister is aware. People talk about the young people in the children's hearings system as offenders, b...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

07 Oct 2004

Scotland's International Image

This morning, the First Minister said that during his trip to China next week he will announce the opening of a permanent office and the placing of a permanent Scottish representative in Beijing. Perhaps the Deputy First Minister will tell us in his reply whether that represen...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

22 Mar 2007

Scotland in the United Kingdom

The Executive's case for the union consists of three elements, essentially. It says that the union provides political stability, security for Scotland in an uncertain world and continuing economic prosperity. I want to consider those three elements, which the minister has ment...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

08 Jan 2004

Youth Justice

I am sorry, but I do not have time to take an intervention.I have sat in on children's hearings in the past few months. More often than not, the children who are in front of those hearings do not have an accredited social worker dedicated to their case. By not providing a dedi...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

29 Jun 2005

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

This is one of those rare debates when we have ample time for speeches. It was interesting to listen to representatives of the landlord class—if I can say that—in John Home Robertson and David Davidson. John Home Robertson is correct to say that the most serious housing proble...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

01 Mar 2007

Illegal Moneylenders

Mr Stone also mentioned it, but he underplayed it, too. I will tell members why.Today, the Royal Bank of Scotland declared profits of £9.7 billion and, yesterday, HBOS—the Halifax and Bank of Scotland—declared profits of £5.7 billion. In each case, profits were up about 15 per...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

25 Sep 2003

Scottish National Theatre

I welcome the debate. It is fitting that our concerns, questions and inquiries about where we go from here are added to the welcome that we have given to the announcement of the Scottish national theatre. I am sure that the minister will take those concerns, questions and inqu...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

25 Oct 2006

Scotland International

Indeed. I will bear that in mind throughout my speech, Presiding Officer.I say to Phil Gallie that, as a democrat, I respect the wishes of the people of Scotland and abroad. Like the Conservatives, I have lost a damn sight more elections that I have ever won, and I have learne...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

15 Mar 2007

Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

Those members who argue that the current system is in disrepute are absolutely correct. That is what the bill seeks to address. However, the passage of the part of the bill that seeks to make people who are serving 14-day sentences serve even longer than they do now would brin...

Colin Fox: SSP Chamber

17 Jun 2004

Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

I begin by assuring the minister that I fully understand the strength of feeling in communities throughout the country about the need to address and solve the problems that are associated with groups of young people carrying out offending behaviour in their areas.Like the mini...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

08 Sep 2004

Scottish Executive's Programme

This debate is about offering a vision of a different Scotland—a more socially just Scotland. I am sure that, as we open this new building, people across the country will be taking stock of the achievements of this Parliament after five years. They will list free personal care...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

16 Nov 2005

Social Housing

The debate is important, so I am grateful to members who have stayed behind to participate after such a long day. I have taken the liberty of ordering some Ovaltine.The pressing need for rented accommodation is seldom out of the news in Scotland. In the past couple of days, we...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

08 Dec 2005

Criminal Justice Plan

This has been a wide-ranging debate and I must confess that I am tempted to speak about a couple of matters that have come up in the course of it, in particular the extraordinary rendition flights and the work of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. The Parliament wo...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

13 Sep 2006

Penicuik Leisure Facilities

I congratulate Christine Grahame on securing this members' debate on the provision of leisure services in Penicuik, and I note that the Lothians region is doing well in the draw for members' business debates. Last week, we had a debate on children's services in West Lothian. I...

Colin Fox: SSP Committee

08 Nov 2005

Abolition of NHS Prescription Charges (Scotland) Bill: Financial Memorandum

That takes us into important territory. When we look at who pays prescription charges, it is largely wrong to suggest that the money comes from better-off people. As I say in my submission, other submissions have made it clear that the people who are most penalised by having t...

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): SSP Chamber

11 Jun 2003

Education (School Meals) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

I rise to support this group of amendments. As members are all too aware, the Parliament is criticised for a lack of ambition and, in the first four years, it was criticised for having failed to meet the expectations of Scots who sought to establish it.Today we have a debate a...