The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 804 contributions
Criminal Justice Committee
Meeting date: 4 October 2023
Katy Clark
I do not expect you to give a legal answer.
Criminal Justice Committee
Meeting date: 4 October 2023
Katy Clark
An example that was used by Louise Hill was the fact that children are not being allowed to give evidence remotely or virtually. Should there be a legal mechanism to allow the commissioner to be involved in such a case, so that there could be intervention? Would that kind of area need to be explored to make the commissioner’s role effective?
Criminal Justice Committee
Meeting date: 4 October 2023
Katy Clark
I am grateful for those answers. Thank you.
Criminal Justice Committee
Meeting date: 4 October 2023
Katy Clark
I can now—sorry, convener. My screen said that the host was not allowing me to unmute myself. Apologies for that.
Graham O’Neill spoke powerfully about the need to strengthen the powers of the commissioner, and Louise Hill spoke about the implementation gap. That is a powerful criticism not just of the Scottish Government and the justice system but of Parliament itself in its scrutiny role.
I am interested in why we would believe that another voice of criticism, perhaps focusing on some of the failures of the system, is unlikely to be effective unless it has the power to intervene in cases. The panel may all have a view on that. Graham O’Neill has already said that that power should be there. Is that the view of everyone on the panel?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 28 September 2023
Katy Clark
Okay. Thank you.
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 28 September 2023
Katy Clark
Is that your concern?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 28 September 2023
Katy Clark
Paul, do you have any thoughts on that?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 28 September 2023
Katy Clark
You have made that point clear.
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 28 September 2023
Katy Clark
That is helpful. Paul, in your submission you state that the voluntary sector’s contribution to the vision for a wellbeing economy remains “largely unacknowledged”. Will you explain that in more detail?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 28 September 2023
Katy Clark
Alison Davis might want to come in, although I know that we are short of time.