Criminal Justice Committee

Meeting date: Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Official Report 604KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

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Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022 (Early Expiry of Provisions) Regulations 2023 (SSI 2023/172)

Our next agenda item is consideration of a negative statutory instrument. I refer members to paper 3. Are members content not to make any recommendations to the Parliament on the instrument?

Members indicated agreement.

Before we move into private session, I will take the opportunity to thank our colleague Collette Stevenson for all her hard work on the committee. Collette will be moving on after summer recess to focus on her new role as convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee. We will miss you and wish you well. I look forward to welcoming John Swinney as Collette’s replacement in September.

Thank you very much. It has been an absolute pleasure working with you all and I will miss you.

Likewise, Collette.

I wish Collette Stevenson the very best. I am very disappointed that I will not be sitting next to John Swinney on committee for the next two and a half years. Members might be aware that I will no longer be sitting on the Criminal Justice Committee after this committee session closes. By the way, I forewarn you that, if an alarm goes off in the building, it is entirely unrelated to what I am about to say. [Laughter.]

I thank the convener, deputy convener, colleagues, the clerking team, SPICe and everyone who has supported the Criminal Justice Committee over the past two and a bit years for their patience and, on occasion, forbearance, as well as for their support to me personally as I have worked on the committee.

I have worked on a number of committees since I got elected and on a number of bills, and I have to say that this is one of the best functioning, most cohesive, constructive and positive environments to work in. The committees in this Parliament do a tremendous job. It not said often enough how important committee work is in our unicameral existence, and I have always tried to approach that with a constructive and positive outlook, which I hope has been welcomed by members.

I also thank my colleague Russell Findlay, who will do a great job in his work on the Criminal Justice Committee as you approach a very challenging legislative environment over the next two years. I know from the committee’s work programme that you will face tremendous challenges, given the major reforms that are to be made to Scotland’s justice system. I wish the committee all the very best in its work.

With that, I make a plea that the committee, notwithstanding its potential changes in membership, continues in the same vein—that it approaches its work in a positive manner, with the good accord and rapport that we have enjoyed over the past two years. I hope that that continues for members, and I will continue to play my part in the Parliament as best I can in that vein, which I think is sorely lacking in politics these days. I wish the members of the committee the very best over the next two and a half years.

Thank you very much. Pauline wants to come in.

I am genuinely shocked that we are losing two members of the committee. I just want to endorse what Jamie said about how we have worked really closely together. I really valued the work that you both did. You will definitely be missed, because the legislation will be hard. I know that we will get two incredibly good new members, but there is no doubt that we will miss the continuity, because we have had some hard things to do. I wish colleagues the best for whatever committee you end up on.

Thank you, Pauline, and thank you, Jamie, for your words. Collette, I endorse what my colleagues have said. Thank you for your contribution. You have always been a really active member on the committee and we will miss you. We wish you both well in your new roles in the broader Parliament and on your new committees. Thank you for your contributions.

That concludes our business in public this morning.

11:54 Meeting continued in private until 12:46.