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Seòmar agus comataidhean

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 25 November 2024
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Displaying 1319 contributions

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Criminal Justice Committee

Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 17 May 2023

Douglas Lumsden

I will be quite brief, convener. I welcome the opportunity to engage with the cabinet secretary, and I hope that the invitation will be extended to Sandra Geddes, Alan’s sister. I know that she would welcome that—she has always said that her brother was failed, but she accepts that the attacker, Stuart Quinn, was also failed. He was let out one night with nowhere to go—he got chatting to somebody randomly at a bar, who tried to get him some accommodation but could not get anything and then offered him a place to stay for that night, with the tragic consequences that came from that. I welcome the engagement. I still intend to press my amendment, however.

Criminal Justice Committee

Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 17 May 2023

Douglas Lumsden

Thank you—it is all down to Sandra. As I said in my initial comments, she is a brave and determined woman, which is why I am here, speaking to this amendment today. As I said, she always points out that Stuart Quinn was also failed by the state.

I want to press on with the matter, and I welcome the engagement. If we can change the amendment to bring it back at a later stage, I would be happy with that, but I will press the amendment today.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Effective Scottish Government Decision Making

Meeting date: 16 May 2023

Douglas Lumsden

I want to move on to lines of communication between ministers and civil servants. Ms Fraser, are there clear instructions on how a minister and civil servants should be communicating?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Effective Scottish Government Decision Making

Meeting date: 16 May 2023

Douglas Lumsden

No, I just wanted to make sure that the Government is focused on prevention, because I do not see it, to be honest.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Administration in the Scottish Government

Meeting date: 16 May 2023

Douglas Lumsden

Okay. When the First Minister said that he was happy to check that he could legally reveal findings of a previous investigation, was he referring to only one of those investigations or all three? Whom did he ask?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Administration in the Scottish Government

Meeting date: 16 May 2023

Douglas Lumsden

That is good to hear.

I will move on to record keeping. We faced issues to do with vessels 801 and 802—it was difficult to find out who had approved the spend on them. Permanent secretary, will you explain what has changed in that regard? Can we as a committee feel comfortable that proper processes are in place so that that does not happen again?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Effective Scottish Government Decision Making

Meeting date: 16 May 2023

Douglas Lumsden

I do not know whether it is a fear of funding being removed or a fear that that disagreement will be taken into consideration if they apply for extra funding.

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Administration in the Scottish Government

Meeting date: 16 May 2023

Douglas Lumsden

First, I have a quick question on the underspend. Obviously, it is down as being £2 billion but, as Ross Greer pointed out, that is not the figure, because it includes student loans that you cannot really take out. How much money—if any—was handed back to the UK Government at the end of the year?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Public Administration in the Scottish Government

Meeting date: 16 May 2023

Douglas Lumsden

No. I will change the subject.

We have heard that three harassment reviews took place in session 5. The First Minister asked whether one of those could be looked at again. What about the other two? Was it just that one in particular? Whom did he ask?

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Effective Scottish Government Decision Making

Meeting date: 16 May 2023

Douglas Lumsden

Is the process already in place for that scrutiny to happen, or will it be put in place?