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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 21 December 2024
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Displaying 816 contributions

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Criminal Justice Committee

Priorities in the Justice Sector and an Action Plan

Meeting date: 20 April 2022

Rona Mackay

The section on women and children refers to the work of the women’s justice leadership panel. At the end, it says:

“The Scottish Government’s Vision for Justice ... refers to the opening of the Bella Centre in Dundee and the Lillias Centre in Glasgow.”

If we ever have a gap in our schedule, it might be good for the committee to visit either of those places.

Criminal Justice Committee

Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 30 March 2022

Rona Mackay

On the timescale, a licence will be valid for five years. Has any thought been given to the possibility that, during that five years, someone might commit an offence? What would be the process in that case? Would the licence be revoked?

Criminal Justice Committee

Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 30 March 2022

Rona Mackay

I have a couple of brief questions, one of which I meant to ask earlier when we discussed licensing. I apologise if I missed this information in a previous answer, but do we have any detail on who will provide the registered training course? Has someone been chosen to do it? It seems that the answer is no. Is it likely to be a commercial body or the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service?

Criminal Justice Committee

Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 30 March 2022

Rona Mackay

So it would apply only to convictions for firework-related offences. It would not apply if an individual had been convicted of assault, antisocial behaviour or anything like that.

Criminal Justice Committee

Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 30 March 2022

Rona Mackay

I have a question on cost—again, this is a detail that you probably do not yet have. We know that in Northern Ireland, a licence costs anywhere between £100 and £160. Minister, you said that you were conscious that you did not want to make the cost prohibitive for families who wanted to purchase fireworks. Do you have any idea of the scale of what a licence might cost? Can you give us a ballpark figure just now?

Criminal Justice Committee

Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 30 March 2022

Rona Mackay

Are you saying that a message about which of the bill’s provisions will be in operation this year will be part of the communication campaign, as well as the stuff that you have run before?

Criminal Justice Committee

Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 30 March 2022

Rona Mackay

That is fine. I just wondered whether there was a firm view on that.

My other question is about public awareness, which the convener alluded to. If the bill passes this year, the public might expect big changes in November around the purchasing and setting off of fireworks, which, with the best will in the world, will not happen. Do you have any detail on the communications and the public awareness campaign that will come out to manage people’s expectations, as it were?

10:45  

Criminal Justice Committee

Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 30 March 2022

Rona Mackay

I will stick with the licensing theme. We know that there is widespread support for licensing—I think that the minister said that the level of support was 84 per cent. I know that the detail of the scheme is probably not fixed yet, because that part of the bill will not be implemented until next year. Nevertheless, is it possible for you to give us a timeline for when the scheme will be up and running?

Criminal Justice Committee

Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 30 March 2022

Rona Mackay

Finally, a licensing scheme could involve a pretty big workload and could have an impact on local authorities that have to issue the licences. Has any impact assessment been done for local authorities to look at the resources or staff that they may need?

In addition, Elinor Findlay mentioned a new IT system. Would that be provided to every local authority?

Criminal Justice Committee

Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 30 March 2022

Rona Mackay

So people will apply to the Scottish Government for a licence. Okay—I had not appreciated that. Thank you.