Seòmar agus comataidhean

As the convener said, my questions are about restrictions on the use and supply of fireworks. The bill introduces various restrictions on the days and times when fireworks can be sold and used. The committee has had some concerns about that and we are looking for a wee bit more information that might alleviate those concerns. Are the witnesses content with the proposed restrictions? Do they strike an appropriate balance between allowing people to enjoy fireworks and reducing their misuse?

I know that my colleagues who visited Blackburn heard some support for having local flexibility in the bill that could encompass some of the issues that we have been talking about in the committee, such as local gala days or sporting events that might be important to people in a certain area. Would you support that flexibility? What are your thoughts on that? I will start with Julie Whitelaw.

I am glad to hear that. However, if the Parliament picks certain dates, might that open up the bill to criticism relating to other religious festivals or dates that might become important in the future? That is what the committee is grappling with. The more that I speak to witnesses on the issue, the more content I am becoming with the provision in the bill, because it seems to have widespread support from stakeholders. However, the committee is grappling with the question of whether it is best not to have any dates at all, and not to go into that minefield of picking the most important dates, because the relevant dates will be different for different people.

Alternatively, as I asked in my previous question, do we need more flexibility for local authorities so that they can judge local need? I know that I have already asked that, but I just wanted to set out where I am coming from with my questions, and where I think other committee members are coming from. Convener, I am well aware of the time and that that was more of a point than a question, so I am happy to pass back to you.

That is one of the key benefits. I fully understand why certain days have been put in the bill. Not only will it allow emergency services to prepare but, as we heard quite articulately from the previous panel of witnesses, it will allow pet owners, for example, to prepare not to be in the area or to seek alternatives; medication and suchlike were mentioned.

My worry, which I know that other members share, is that, by specifying dates, you go into an arena of not specifying other dates such as other religious festivals or other events that might be important to people. I want to work out whether there is any way in which we can improve that aspect of the bill or ensure that it is not open to some sort of challenge in the future—that is our job.

Rob, have you got any thoughts on the specified dates? How would that aspect impact on the people that you work with?

Good morning. I am afraid that I, too, have been damp squibbed—if there is such a term—by Jamie Greene, but I will pick up on the line of questioning about the dates that have been specified. I have some concerns that, as other members have said, those could be open to challenge. I would like to be reassured that there is not something more that we could do to help with the intent of that bit of the bill as we move through the legislative process.

I know that local authorities are able to have organised displays and the like, but do you think that there is an argument for them to have more power to set specific dates for their area? All three of the previous speakers have asked about this issue. There are other religious events during the year, and there are also one-off events that might be important to people. Do you have any thoughts on whether local authorities could have an application scheme, for example?

No, I am happy with that, convener. The previous questioners covered the main thrust of what I was going to ask about.

Good morning to the witnesses. You might have heard some of the questions on this area during the earlier evidence session. Quite a few of us had questions about the specific restrictions that are proposed in the bill around the limit on days and times when fireworks can be sold and used. What do you think of those restrictions and do you have any concerns about the legislation specifying certain days?

Okay, thanks. I am happy to leave it there. Those have been two really good answers about those particular restrictions and it is good to have them on the record.

Good morning, cabinet secretary—it is still morning. A couple of months ago, or it might have been more than that, the committee met some vulnerable witnesses who had been through the court system, and we heard the harrowing experiences of witnesses and victims—in some cases, alleged victims—of some of the most harrowing offences, which you will know about. The committee committed to making sure that their experiences, although they were given to us privately, would be fed back when we got the opportunity to do so.

On that basis, I want to go back to an earlier part of our discussion when we talked about the evidence that we heard from defence lawyers last week about needing to see the accuser and interpret body language. We have heard that, if people who had experienced such offences presented as confident and capable, things went against them—or, at least, they felt that they did—and that the same happened if they broke down.

It is worth highlighting that context to indicate why I—and, I know, other members—support a move towards having more remote hearings and ensuring that as many vulnerable witnesses as possible do not have to be present in court. The previous evidence session was really good, as it confirmed that the court system would still have the power to have hearings in person if that was appropriate for all parties.

You probably answered the main part of my question in your opening statement and in your responses to my colleague Jamie Greene, but what I want to know is how much the proposed legislation is actually needed to let us move towards a more remote system that protects vulnerable witnesses, particularly in the most high-profile domestic abuse cases. Does the Parliament need to pass the bill to help us meet that objective?

I do not have any specific questions that have not already been addressed by the cabinet secretary. I have a thought, rather than a question. It is obviously not ideal to be in a situation where we are looking to extend these things but I think that we are all in the same boat there. We are living in difficult times and, as was highlighted at the start, the pandemic is still with us, so, in certain areas where people are living closer together, such as prisons, we still need to err on the side of caution.