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 1041 contributions
Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 5 September 2024
Kevin Stewart
I am glad to hear about the engagement, but I am one of those folks who disna like to see the reinvention of the wheel. We must look at best practice to ensure that the secondary legislation and guidance are right.
The Government, along with Fife Council and third sector partners, ran a pilot scheme at Queen Margaret hospital that applied trauma-informed practice. It was extremely successful in housing folk, and it dramatically changed the way in which health service staff, including doctors and nurses, worked with people. Protocols were in place for that pilot. Have we looked at them and are we going to apply them to the secondary legislation and the guidance, or are we going to ignore them?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 5 September 2024
Kevin Stewart
I get that point about co-design, co-production and co-operation but, with regard to scrutiny, there comes a point where, if a body is not doing what it needs to be doing—such as adhering to the SHORE standards—there has to be a way of holding that body accountable. How are you holding the Prison Service accountable for not reaching the standards?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 5 September 2024
Kevin Stewart
Gentlemen, do you have anything to add to that?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 5 September 2024
Kevin Stewart
I want to go off at a tangent here.
Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 5 September 2024
Kevin Stewart
Would the sector be supportive of the Scottish Government’s battle with the UK Treasury to get longer-term funding to achieve that?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 5 September 2024
Kevin Stewart
One of the things that is highlighted in the communication that you have sent to the committee is a lack of consistency. You highlight that in relation to sustainable housing on release for everyone—SHORE—standards. You have stated that there is best practice out there, but, quite frankly, those of us around the table know that in some places the practice is pretty abysmal. How will you ensure that uniform consistency and good practice are implemented through the bill and regulation?
As a final point, one thing that happened during the Covid emergency was folk just getting on with it and making sure that they met people’s needs. How do you make sure that that ethos carries on, and have you looked at what happened during Covid to shape the bill and the regulation to be the best that it possibly can be?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 5 September 2024
Kevin Stewart
You said that you have talked to a lot of people, which is not a bad thing—talking and listening is good—but have you and ministerial colleagues instructed the Scottish Prison Service to ensure that best practice is exported across the Scottish prison estate?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 5 September 2024
Kevin Stewart
When I was a minister, I used to get into trouble for being derogatory about the bean counters.
Mr Bruce, do you want to add anything?
Social Justice and Social Security Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 5 September 2024
Kevin Stewart
Grand. Does anyone else want to come in on that? I am taking it that you are all answering yes.
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Meeting date: 27 June 2024
Kevin Stewart
I am going to try to pin you down, minister. At one point, in answer to Marie McNair, you said that we must ensure that legislation and regulation are embedded. What are you doing to ensure that legislation and regulation are embedded and that folk comply with legislation, in order to help those victims?