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I want to examine how the single-judge trial would operate. You have had questions from the convener and Russell Findlay about how the pilot will be assessed. Will you publish what you are looking for? There is some confusion. At least three of our witnesses, including Professor James Chalmers, seem to think that you will measure conviction rates. It is not just the Scottish Criminal Bar Association that thinks that that will be one of the assessment criteria, but you have clearly said that it will not.

I agree.

Lastly, I am trying to piece together the different legal forms, because they connect quite a bit. I take it that, if you were to set up a specialist court, it would be possible that a single judge would sit alone in a specialist court without a jury and with two verdicts.

I see. You would evaluate conviction rates, in that case.

That is a good thing, not a bad thing.

No, but you can understand why I am asking the question if the argument for removing the not proven verdict is that Scotland is an outlier—we would still be an outlier if it was removed. I do not particularly have a problem with that, because I think that some features of our system are good. I just wanted to understand that.

We are still an outlier.

Okay.

Lord Advocate, you are correct, in that we have heard evidence from witnesses whose reading of the bill is that it would somehow give powers that could cross over the independence of not just the Crown Office but other agencies. That is clearly not the case. You have addressed that issue, but do you agree that, should the bill be passed into law, the Government probably needs to do a bit more work to ensure that everybody understands the role of the victims commissioner in relation to that point?

We have heard quite a bit of evidence, and I was really interested in the evidence of one witness who had a very positive experience in recent times. One strand of their good experience was that they had access to the advocate depute. That raises a question for me in relation to the bill. Would it take considerable resource to set up the commission? Can I guess that it will take about £20 million? John Swinney is in the room, so he can correct me if I am wrong.

Okay, it is closer to £1 million, but that resource could perhaps be used elsewhere, which is a consideration for the committee.

Lord Advocate, if the Crown Office were to provide victims more access to advocate deputes so that victims have a better experience, would that require additional resource? Would it be fair to consider doing that instead of spending money on a victims commissioner?