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Yes. Given the financial pressures that would come with even the most optimistic projection and given the backlog that already exists, has there been any discussion between the court service and the Crown about dealing with the summary cases more efficiently with non-court disposals, which is a direction of travel in the justice system anyway? Specifically in light of the budget pressures, has that been talked about? Both of you can answer that.

From that answer, it sounds as if there is not an active discussion about a change of policy or suchlike.

Going back to focus on summary cases, you have spoken, Mr McQueen, about the fact that one in 10 police officers cited for summary cases do not give evidence. That is a monumental waste of their time. It takes them away from communities when police budgets, as we heard last week, are under extraordinary pressure. You used the word “churn”. This has been a blight in the justice system and the court system for years. Given that there are tens of thousands of summary cases where work is done and a guilty plea is ultimately reached and all that work has not been needed, why on earth has there not been a better grip on this until now? What can be done? Is it a question of too many organisations all blaming one another? Does the blame lie with the Crown, with the courts, with the judiciary, with defence lawyers? Why are these figures so appalling and these delays so built into the system? What can be done apart from continually recognising it and talking about it?

Your answers have partly covered the ground that I was going to ask about, but I have a question about the estates. In your submission, you say that the budget for the next four years amounts to about £440 million, which is mostly about building prisons but is also to do with the cost of providing cables for internet access, phone lines and so on.

We already know that Stirling prison is three years late and that the replacement for Barlinnie is due to open in 2026, with HMP Highland due to be finished in 2024. Last week, Police Scotland told us that inflation on building costs is much higher than general inflation—I think that the figure that we were given was around 30 per cent. You have already suggested that, in the final two years of the projections, you are expecting an overrun. Can you quantify that? Do you have any idea what the figures will be and where the money comes from? Has Government committed to meeting those costs or will the building have to stop or compromises have to be made?

Does 30 per cent inflation sound probable?

I am sure that we are all looking forward to seeing the statistics from the pilots and how they work out.

I want to go back to the point that Pauline McNeill raised about the 7,000 Covid deaths being subject to investigation. A unit has been set up to deal with that. I presume that the process will not involve a full fatal accident inquiry for each death. Is that correct? If it is, is there any public outcome in relation to the deaths?

I want to continue the questions around SPS’s energy costs and usage. It is something that we do not really think about, but it represents the equivalent of providing heating and light for 10,500 family homes. It is clearly a huge amount of the budget.

Your submission says that the costs for 2022-23 were 47 per cent higher than the costs for the previous year. Coincidentally, the Crown Office submission also refers to energy costs. It says that for 2022-23 they were largely offset by the Scottish Government securing advance purchase, which meant that it did not suffer to the same extent. Do you know if that is a separate scheme? Is that something that you are not part of? It may just involve particular Government buildings or it might be that I am misunderstanding the position, and that, indeed, you were part of it but you still experienced a 47 per cent increase.

Is there a temperature that is required for prisoners?

For clarity, given the budgetary pressures in the Crown Office, does the Government’s commitment to meet the costs of compensation refer to all compensation? Does it refer only to compensation up to this point, with the rest of it being up for discussion, or is it open ended?

In the letter from the court service I see that there are projections on the proposed settlement, with a realistic funding gap totalling about £60 million over four years and a pessimistic projection of more than £81 million. We know that inflation in Scotland, the European Union and the US is running at around 9 or 10 per cent, so, hopefully, the worst case will not come to pass and it will be more like the optimistic projection rather than the other two scenarios.