Seòmar agus comataidhean

While it is the responsibility of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) to hold the Chief Constable to account I would like to draw your attention to the fact that 87.6% of people in Scotland have experienced no crime in 2018-19 and that 78% of adults felt very or fairly safe walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark.

This is an increase of 12% since 2008-9 demonstrating that the public continue to hold a generally positive perception about the police and justice system.

This has also been reflected in the recent public survey commissioned by the SPA (Policing Lockdown: The Public’s View) which identified that there is a high level of support and confidence in the police during the pandemic.

I would also like to highlight that the proportion of adults who were a victim of crime has fallen from one-in-five (20.4%) in 2008-09 to one-in-eight (12.4%) in 2018-19 and that overall crime is down by 45% since 2008-09, and by 20% since 2016-17 to the lowest level ever estimated by the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey.

Adults in Scotland are now less likely to experience crime than those in England & Wales, who had an equivalent victimisation rate of 14.9% in 2018-19.

Violent crime is down by 48% and property crime by 44% since 2008-09 and the proportion of younger adults experiencing violent crime has almost halved between 2008-09 and 2018-19, from 12.0% to 6.1%.

These results are consistent with our recorded crime figures over the longer term which show crime is at one of the lowest levels since 1974.

The survey findings also show that public confidence in the police is broadly higher than in 2008-09 and that the majority of people who have come into contact with the police in recent years reflect positively on their experience.

We have also established a Victims Taskforce, which I co-chair along with the Lord Advocate, which is focusing on improving the experiences of victims and witnesses. Membership consists of senior decision makers in justice, support, legal and local authority sectors.

The Scottish Government has also committed £17.9 million for victim support services.

While the allocation and prioritisation of resources is for the Chief Constable and SPA to determine. The Scottish Government are protecting Police Scotland’s resource budget in real terms in every year of the current Parliament, delivering a boost of over £100 million by 2021. Furthermore, at the last Scottish budget announcement, the Scottish Government increased the policing budget by £60 million, a 5.1% rise compared to 2019-20.

The First Minister and I have been absolutely clear in urging those who wish to demonstrate to find alternative ways to express their feelings, such as making good use of social media. At this difficult time no large gatherings of any sort should be taking place. There is currently no formal notification process for demonstration organisers to inform local authorities about static protests, that is why during the Covid-19 pandemic I have been actively engaging with Police Scotland and Local Authorities to ensure that those meeting outdoors follow the regulations and guidelines. I will continue to work with partner organisations to make this message clear.

Decisions on the frequency of Scotland’s Official Statistics on police recorded crime are a matter for independent Scottish Government statisticians and the Scottish Crime Recording Board (SCRB), rather than Ministers. A monthly publication of crime statistics was introduced to inform users about the volume and type of crimes and offences recorded in Scotland during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These publications also informed users that the Scottish Government will continue to publish monthly crime statistics up to the release of the September 2020 figures in October. After that point, the SCRB will review whether and how this process should continue, including user feedback on the value of these statistics.

The 10 “Nightingale” courts in England and Wales are being set up for civil and non-custody cases. Running full trials in external venues was one of a range of options to restart jury trials put forward by the Scottish Government but, following our discussions with partners and stakeholders, it is not one of the options currently being focussed on. Jury trials in Scotland have now recommenced using two different models, while virtual proceedings are being used for summary and civil business. We are continuing to work with the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service to explore additional innovative solutions to enable recovery across the justice system.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days”

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days.

The published Financial Memorandum which accompanies the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill details the Scottish Government’s estimates regarding the number of additional prosecutions that may take place should the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill be enacted.

The responses to the, ‘ One Scotland: Hate Has No Home Here ’, consultation and public awareness events yielded valuable information both from individual and organisational perspectives.

Subsequently the Scottish Government contracted independent external analysts who undertook the analysis of the consultation responses and produced a report , which was then published on the Scottish Government website in June 2019.

Contained within Annex A of the report is a list of all the organisations who responded to the consultation broken down into four categories: third sector bodies, public sector and partnership bodies, faith groups and other organisations .

These responses can also be viewed individually on the Scottish Government’s Consultation website unless the organisation requested that their response remain anonymous.

We continue to take forward a range of initiatives to strengthen victims’ rights and ensure support and information is available to them. The Victims Taskforce is leading the development of a victim-centred approach to put victim’s needs at the heart of the justice process and provide more compassionate and trauma-informed support at every stage. The Taskforce is also directly informed by victims’ voices and experiences through the work of reference groups set up by Rape Crisis Scotland and Victim Support Scotland. All Taskforce papers, including a detailed work plan, have been published on the Scottish Government website https://www.gov.scot/groups/victims-taskforce/

We are investing £18.7 million during 2020-2021 to support victims of crime, including funding for victims’ organisations who provide practical and emotional support. This includes increasing Victim Support Scotland’s victims fund to £100,000 to help meet immediate financial needs of the most vulnerable victims. We’re also investing in specialised services for families bereaved by crime and have consulted on plans to give more victims of serious crimes the right to explain to courts how it has impacted on them.

In addition, since April 2019, under the Victim Notification Scheme, victims of prisoners who are serving a life sentence have been given the opportunity to make representations in person, orally or in writing before any decision is taken on the first occasion that the prisoner is considered for temporary release.

Progress has also been made on parole. We are discussing with the Parole Board options for victims attendance at hearings, improved communications and greater use of electronic monitoring, including GPS technology. We have also recently commenced work to rewrite the Parole Board for Scotland Rules.

The Scottish Government will continue to listen to the lived experiences of victims and their families in helping to shape our victim-centred approach within the justice process. If the Stewart family wish to meet with the Scottish Government again my office can facilitate a meeting.