Seòmar agus comataidhean

On the question of options for young people other than putting them into custody, I want to explore two elements. What stands out for me, as it did in the previous session, is the issue of alternatives to custodial sentences and the need to protect our communities. Having spoken to somebody who has gone through open prison, I know that they were able to engage with the Prince’s Trust, go out to work and play football. Should we have more of that?

I also want to ask about structured sentencing. How effective is that, and how could social work play a bigger part in it? I have worked in outdoor education, and what stands out for me is the empirical research in that regard, in particular around youth offending and people who are at risk or who are going into the criminal justice system for the first time.

Another initiative that stands out, which could work really well, is campus cops. I do not know whether any of you can come back on that. Campus cops came into a big school—probably one of the biggest schools—in South Lanarkshire, and they were able to gauge whether there was an element of offending coming through. How effective would that approach be?

I am throwing quite a lot at you, but I am keen to hear your thoughts, and to hear about what evidence exists in those areas.

Good morning. Before I ask my question, I note that it was heartening to hear about the crossover work with regard to the prison estate. I sit on the Criminal Justice Committee and we are going to speak to the Scottish Prison Service tomorrow, so I will feed back that information about Barlinnie and so on. It is good to know that that is moving along nicely.

In just over a month’s time, the eyes of the world will be on us, which is exciting. How is the Scottish Government liaising with the UK Government to ensure that COP26 delivers a world-changing agreement and a lasting legacy that we can all be proud of?

That is good. I think that the deposit return scheme will be warmly welcomed in the school estate in my constituency, given the number of plastic bottles that are used. I look forward to that scheme, which I think will come in legislatively at some point next year. Is that correct?

It is great to hear that we are investing in our young people, which is key in relation to climate change.

My next question is about young people and finance. The just transition paper that has come out touches on that, and you have touched on it, too. Will you outline what we are doing on green participatory budgeting with our young people? Have we started to roll that out? Are we doing it at a local authority level? What are the plans for taking it forward so that we leave a legacy and—I am sorry if I am not making myself clear—we include our young people in participatory budgeting and what happens in their communities?

Teresa, you touched on the impact of staff shortages. Has that situation improved at all?

First, I want to thank each of the public agencies, for all the work that they have done, and all the staff, who have stepped up to the mark in these unprecedented times. The range of work that you have done to keep Scotland’s communities safe is commendable.

My questions are focused on the prison service. I want to ask Teresa Medhurst and Tom Fox about the purposeful activity in rehabilitation programmes that, as your submissions outline, was suspended during Covid. Will you outline the plans for rolling out work in key areas of that purposeful activity? Have any lessons been learned in how we go forward? Do you have any transformational ideas about how we can do things differently to ensure that, as is key, and in accordance with human rights, the prison service is delivering purposeful activity in education, as well as delivering programmes for rehabilitation?

I will focus my questions on the forthcoming COP26. Professor Skea touched on the just transition. Internationally, everyone is looking at Scotland in relation to transition, so I would like to tap into that and ask whether you can go into more detail. You talked about the just transition principles and how the international climate change negotiations have played out to date. Are the principles properly understood? Have they been accepted internationally or is there an expectation gap?

Does Dave Moxham want to comment?

I am delighted to be at the committee, albeit on a temporary basis.

The only relevant interest that I will declare is that I am currently a councillor for South Lanarkshire Council.

Jim Skea touched on local pension funds. I should declare an interest as I was previously the chair of Strathclyde Pension Fund. We had a fiduciary duty to ensure that we were maximising the members’ pension pots, but arguably there was also an ethical investment element. I know that Strathclyde Pension Fund is probably about the 12th biggest pension fund in the UK. How do we balance that going forward? Is that something that you have looked into to see how we can transition to making those pension pots more ethical?