Chamber and committees

Members will be united in our condemnation of the issues that the member refers to. However, does Liam Kerr agree that his proposal is extremely specialist and complex and that, rather than this being a role for the victims commissioner, any work in Scotland to look at the issue more closely would need to be done by a more specialist and multi-agency forum?

Amendment 83 would enable survivors of rape and sexual offences to access court transcripts from the clerk of justiciary free of charge. For context, I note that, at stage 2, I moved a probing amendment on the issue, joining Pauline McNeill and Jamie Greene, who lodged similar amendments. I welcomed the cabinet secretary’s commitment to engaging further on the issue in advance of stage 3.

The difficulties that survivors have historically experienced in accessing a record of a trial were first brought to the Criminal Justice Committee’s attention in 2021. I pay tribute to the women who described the challenges that they faced, with one having had to pay more than £3,000 for a single transcript. For some survivors, access to transcripts has a practical function if they are involved in another process, such as one in the civil space. For many, access to a record of what was said during a trial is an extremely important part of their recovery and closure process, and such access reflects a justice system that is trauma informed and trauma responsive.

I am very grateful to the cabinet secretary for agreeing to the establishment of a pilot that enables survivors to access transcripts free of charge and for extending the pilot beyond its original timeframe in order that a number of operational considerations—such as the development of emerging technology, the evaluation of potential demand, and potential legislative changes—could be considered more fully.

Amendment 83 seeks to add a new subsection to section 94 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 to require that a transcript is made and sent to a complainer at no cost. That will apply to cases involving sexual offences listed in section 288C of the 1995 act that were heard in the High Court or the sexual offences court and that commenced on or after 31 December 2006.

I am very grateful to Scottish Women’s Aid, Victim Support Scotland and other organisations for their support for amendment 83.

I know that that has been proposed and given some thought. Perhaps it is something that the cabinet secretary will be able to comment on.

I urge all members to support amendment 83, which reflects our commitment to ensuring that our justice system responds effectively to the unique needs of victims who have suffered complex trauma, putting their needs front and centre always.

I move amendment 83.

I thank my colleagues Pauline McNeill and Jamie Greene for their support. This is a small but, I hope, important piece of cross-party work, and it is great to get cross-party support for it. I thank the cabinet secretary for her support, too.

I endorse and agree with all the points that were made by colleagues about the extension of the provision. There are practical and cost implications, but this is perhaps the beginning of a wider discussion. I press amendment 83.

Amendment 83 agreed to.

I am concerned about amendment 104. I understand the rationale for it, but has the member considered what support or guidance would be provided to a survivor in preparing their statement? Reading that out in an open court has quite big implications for them, and they might seek guidance on what to include and what not to include.

As the minister highlighted, nuclear power takes decades to become operational, at an eye-watering cost to the public, with EDF Energy reporting that the costs of Hinkley Point C could spiral to almost £48 billion, which is more than double the original estimate. Does the minister agree that, given the risks and huge costs of nuclear, we are better placed to take advantage of Scotland’s natural abundance of far more affordable and far quicker to deliver renewable power?

Recipients of disability benefits in Scotland will, understandably, be concerned following the United Kingdom Government’s recent proposals to cut social security, given the implications for disability benefits in Scotland. Will the cabinet secretary provide an update on the Scottish Government’s engagement with the UK Government on those proposals? In addition, what reassurance can she provide to disabled people and those living with long-term health conditions that their interests are being protected?

I welcome the record funding for entrepreneurism that the Scottish Government is investing this year, which comes alongside the news that Scotland is now the fastest-growing start-up nation in Europe. Can the Deputy First Minister say any more about the renewed support that the Scottish Government is providing to start-ups and about any collaboration with the private sector?

Sharon Dowey, do you want to ask a follow-up question?

I will come in with a follow-up question on that, and Ben Macpherson might want to come in after me. My question is about the pressures that are on prison officers because of the number of serious and organised crime group members who are in prison. To what extent does what is happening outwith prisons in the world of serious and organised crime impact on how settled the prison population is? We know that there is a lot of tension between organised crime groups at the moment.