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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 28 November 2024
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Displaying 1012 contributions

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Criminal Justice Committee

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Pauline McNeill

That would be really helpful.

My second question, which I asked the previous panel, is about the extension of the role of firefighters, which I think is interesting. I commend everybody who has been involved in that. To me, it is very forward thinking, because so much is changing in society and that is not just about budget pressures; it is the world in general. I am clear that there is no money to enact that extended role but, if you had money tomorrow, how quickly could you make progress on that?

Criminal Justice Committee

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Pauline McNeill

So, with funding, and with an incremental approach over time, it is good to go, so to speak.

Criminal Justice Committee

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Meeting date: 4 September 2024

Pauline McNeill

Sorry, I mean police services or police stations.

Criminal Justice Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 12 June 2024

Pauline McNeill

I have other questions, but I will leave it there just now.

Criminal Justice Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 12 June 2024

Pauline McNeill

So, there was a reduction in the use of home detention curfew, but you have done the groundwork so that it can be used more, and there are signs that it is being used more.

Criminal Justice Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 12 June 2024

Pauline McNeill

Good morning. I thank the cabinet secretary and Teresa Medhurst for keeping the spokespeople informed of the crisis that you face. I appreciate all that you are doing.

The first thing is to understand how we got here. We had some exchanges on that last week, so we are coming to understand what is behind the issue. I am trying to understand what the capacity is. We received figures this morning. I want to put them on the record to make sure that I have understood them. According to the Scottish Parliament information centre, the design capacity is 7,905 prisoners, the extended operating capacity is 8,608, and the target operating capacity is 8,198. In the numbers that you are releasing, are you aiming at that 8,198 figure or at something else?

Criminal Justice Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 12 June 2024

Pauline McNeill

I agree with the member about the role that the cabinet secretary has played today. I agree with what she has said, and I note that she has been the cabinet secretary for only a short time. I agree with the primary concern. This has been a long time coming and there are limited solutions. We would not want to build our way out of the problem, but it is clear that other things could have been done earlier in the process. That is my primary concern.

I know that there is an information-sharing agreement with Victim Support Scotland. I wanted every victim to be notified and I have had to factor in what the cabinet secretary said about that not being trauma informed. It is not my area of expertise, but I would have thought that every victim would want to be notified about the person who offended against them. I would also like anyone who has a victim in their family to be notified.

Criminal Justice Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 12 June 2024

Pauline McNeill

I will.

Criminal Justice Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 12 June 2024

Pauline McNeill

The Government has already acknowledged that there is a housing emergency. Are you concerned about that? If we do not house those people, they are more likely to reoffend. It must be a big concern for you if they do not get support in the community, they cannot get to a general practitioner to get their drug supply, or they cannot get housed.

Criminal Justice Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 12 June 2024

Pauline McNeill

Am I right in saying that there has been a reduction in the use of home detention curfew?