Seòmar agus comataidhean

It sounds very positive overall. However, what discussions are taking place with defence lawyers, who will play a key part in making that happen?

Good morning to the panel. It has been a very tough session, and I thank you all for being able to speak about the topic.

A lot of the focus has been on the extreme end of the issue, and that is obviously why you are here today. I want to go back a wee bit and ask—this is probably for you, ACC Ritchie or Katy Miller—whether there are any plans in place to have a more wellbeing-focused approach across the whole service for every serving officer and serving member of staff, including you.

I ask that because, in the past few years, as organisations have become more aware of mental wellbeing and emotional health, I have been making more and more visits to organisations and businesses in my constituency that say that they now give a specific hour a day for wellbeing. Their employees have to go for a run or do some other exercise or meditation specifically for their mental wellbeing. Is there anything like that in there so that problems are addressed at an earlier stage and so that everybody can look after their own mental wellbeing? I am not sure who is best placed to answer that question. It is a wee bit different from the other questions.

You have. You referred to this yourself, but it is also worth saying that, although you are the ones here today, the issue is not just in policing. Before I became an MSP, I worked in social work and a lot of the things that we have been talking about today reminded me that, back then, we were always thinking of ways in which people could be better supported and how it was almost a rite of passage for every children and families social worker to have a period off work with stress. I do not know whether I should be saying this on the public record, but I do not know a children and families social worker who has not had that. There are definitely similar areas across the public services.

That takes me to my second point. ACC Ritchie, I think that it was you who said that you do not know a single officer who has not had at least one and probably several such events. Given that that is a known part of the job, how much focus is given to it at the training stage, when your officers are at Tulliallan and places like it? Are they specifically told that it will be a part of their job—a difficult part—and are they provided with scientific and evidence-based research on how they might want to cope with it? That might be where the techniques that I mentioned could be brought in.

We could probably spend a lot more time on that subject, but I am conscious of the time.

Thank you, Baroness, for your powerful words so far. The committee recently met some asylum seekers who told us about some horrific circumstances, and if they, or any of the agencies supporting them, are watching, they will very much welcome your strong words. Thank you.

A number of areas have already been covered, but I just want to go over one of them again. When we speak to people, they almost always talk about simple things. There is an understanding that there are wider policy and political issues that need to be sorted at a high level, but most folk to whom we spoke just wanted to have free transport, to get more appropriate meals and to be treated with dignity and respect. I know that others have asked this, but what can we do here, and across the UK, to make that a reality?

Thank you for that very thorough answer.

My next and final question is about Mears. As the convener said at the start of the session, we have heard mixed evidence on Mears. The third sector organisations have been particularly critical, while the local authorities and statutory organisations have been a bit more supportive. We also heard evidence from Mears itself. I am looking for your opinion, based on what you have picked up through your work. I suspect that individual people who work for Mears will, on hearing the sort of stories that we have heard, want to react and do good, but do they have the power—or the green light—to challenge the UK Government, or do they live in fear of their contract?

Good morning—just—to the minister and her officials. Thanks for your evidence thus far.

I have a few areas to ask questions about, the first of which is mother and baby units. Over the past couple of weeks, we have met in private with asylum seekers in what have been very powerful sessions, and my colleagues have already gone over some of the issues that were raised. In a session two weeks ago, mother and baby units were talked about quite a lot; indeed, in one particular group that I was on, I heard some quite horrific stories about them.

Has the Scottish Government made representations to Mears or the Home Office on the use of mother and baby units? What is the Scottish Government doing to ensure that asylum-seeking mothers with babies are being supported? I should have said that the concerns that we heard were about the unit in Glasgow.

Thanks for that. I appreciate that the contract is with the UK Government, but, in the meetings that you have described, does the Scottish Government get an opportunity to raise the concerns that we have heard about Mears? Is there an opportunity at those meetings to discuss how Mears operates in Scotland?

That is good to hear. I think that the women who spoke to us that day will welcome hearing the Scottish Government respond so categorically.

Similarly, we have heard right through our evidence sessions quite a lot about provision for interpreters, which is something that you are probably aware of, minister. We have heard a lot of concerns about inconsistencies in the provision of interpreters and the quality of interpretation; indeed, we have heard from asylum seekers that, sometimes, interpreters do not interpret what the person for whom they are interpreting has said. Are you aware of those concerns? What more can the Scottish Government do to address them?

Thanks very much for that. When we produce our report, the issue will be highlighted, because of the amount of evidence that we have heard on it from organisations and individuals.

My second line of questioning is on Mears, about which we have heard varying evidence. Broadly speaking, I would say that third sector organisations were fairly critical of the service that Mears provides. However, Mears itself—unsurprisingly—and statutory services such as local authorities were more positive. What is the Government’s understanding of the relationship that Mears has with statutory agencies and community organisations? Are there regular meetings between the Government and Mears? I do not know whether anybody else is involved in those meetings.