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Is the number of beds being increased?

Thank you. Do I have time for one more question, convener?

So—this goes back to the original question—this is, as far as the bill stands, an absolute for anyone under a certain age.

It is reassuring that one of Keith Brown’s last acts in post was to instruct a pilot project to look into the possibility of providing court transcripts at least to complainers in sexual offences cases, initially. That is a good bit of progress. We should not lose sight of that, so we should ensure that what has been committed to will be put into action quickly. We should be clear as to what is happening.

In the previous session, we also heard evidence from Victim Support Scotland. The organisation said that victims of crime, who are often young people, are really surprised by the lack of information, and it described it as an “information vacuum”.

That happens when cases go not to the courts, which at least are public, but to the children’s panel system. There was a recent case, which has been well publicised, in which a young girl was severely beaten by another young person. That young person was subject to bail conditions, but those were lifted or removed without the knowledge of the young girl or the police, which understandably caused great distress.

With regard to the greater number of cases that are likely to go to children’s panels, has any consideration been given to providing more transparency through the bill? Given that the hearings process is not even public, has any consideration been given, or has any work been done, in respect of whether victims and their families should be informed of what is happening?

Is the number of beds rising from 84?

So, if the cross-border stuff is removed from the equation, Scotland will have capacity. However, that then brings into play the problem of cost, because the payment for cross-border places is 35 per cent higher. The Scottish Government will have to find the money to fund those places at a higher rate, will it not, to make St Mary’s more sustainable?

And the bill will allow for them to remain in secure accommodation until they are 19—or is it 21?

Thank you very much.

Thank you, convener. I did not realise that we had enough time for it.

We heard evidence about young people under the age of 18 who are in police custody. The bill would give them the option for no parental contact to be made. I asked about this issue in the previous session. Has any consideration been given to those children potentially being subject to exploitation, whether by someone who does not have their best interests at heart or by organised crime? Does the bill include any way to address that?