Chamber and committees

While there was a significant amount of discussion on pay and the impact of pay settlements, I do not recall that the specific point that Mr Hoy raises was part of the discussions that we had in our evidence sessions on the budget.

The committee heard from Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the Scottish Prison Service, the Crown Office and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. We also heard from community justice and third sector organisations working in the restorative justice space. They did not hold back when they told us what society demands of them in 2026, set against the impact that flat-cash funding has had on their organisations for the past three years. They painted a bleak picture; indeed, the justice secretary acknowledged that the warnings from the sector are “stark”.

Of the major justice organisations, only the Crown Office will receive a total settlement of the size that it said that it requires this year. In policing, the chief constable told us of the continuing escalating reporting of mental health-related incidents, alongside an alarming rise in social disorder, violence against the police and online-related crime and cybercrimes. She said that

“More than £2.5 billion ... should be invested back into policing”—[Official Report, Criminal Justice Committee, 5 November 2025; c 26.]

in Scotland, but that policing’s allocation is £1.7 billion for the coming year.

The Scottish Prison Service capital budget is set to grow by £103 million, but that increase is largely to fund the construction of the new HMP Glasgow and HMP Highland.

I thank Daniel Johnson for his intervention. He makes the point very well. In fact, the Criminal Justice Committee has spent quite a bit of time scrutinising the impact of, for example, mental health-related incidents on policing. Last year, we were told that it was the biggest policing challenge at that time. It is a hard nut to crack, but we will be revisiting it before the end of this parliamentary session.

There may be very limited budget left to address other crucial issues, such as modernisation, maintenance of ageing prisons, digital infrastructure such as drone detection, window grills and body-worn cameras, to name but a few. Severe overcrowding in our prison estate presents a potential challenge flowing from human rights compliance, which, in turn, could increase the risks of future costs in legal proceedings or compensation. There is also the risk of unrest in our prisons, exacerbated by overcrowding and increasing harm caused by substance use. Embedding new practices arising from new legislation—for example, trauma-informed practice—further shines a light on human rights-based budgeting principles.

As members will be aware, there is deep concern about the state of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, which now has a capital backlog of around £818 million. Last week, we heard about the enormous risk faced by our firefighters and their families from a lack of decontamination and showering facilities in fire stations. Many firefighters return home from their shift with hazardous particulate fire materials on their bodies and clothes.

The committee is particularly concerned about lack of funding to allow the fire service to respond to the public need. Restructuring what remains of it in order to meet new demands cannot obscure the uncomfortable fact that we first need to ask whether the challenges of climate change, flooding and wildfires mean that we need a larger or a different fire service, building towards funding the necessary structure. Members will be aware of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s reform process that is currently under way, the focus of which is to reconfigure the service in line with the challenges that I have mentioned. Our committee will scrutinise the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service again in February on those challenges.

To conclude, we are hearing stark warnings from across the justice sector that further cuts and efficiency savings are not realistic and that new investment is needed. Aside from the funding for the Crown Office, the budget falls short of what the committee was told was needed. I urge the finance secretary to reconsider the spending review’s funding of the priorities in the vision for justice programme and the three-year delivery plan, particularly for our police, fire and prison services. I welcome the efforts that have been made in this year’s budget settlement, but it is time to respond to the alarm bells from the justice sector, and future budget settlements must do that.

I am pleased to speak on behalf of the Criminal Justice Committee, and I thank the Finance and Public Administration Committee for bringing the debate to the chamber.

I thank everyone who works in the criminal justice sector for their commitment and support. We very much appreciate the work that they do, and we recognise the challenges that they face day in, day out. I also thank everyone who gave evidence to inform our budget scrutiny, and our clerks and SPICe colleagues for their support in preparing our report.

Justice impacts everyone; therefore, the importance of having an effective, well-functioning justice system in which the public trusts cannot be overstated. The aim of the committee’s scrutiny is to focus on how sustainable the fiscal situation is for the justice sector. The committee recognises that there are no easy budgetary choices currently facing the Scottish Government. However, it is clear from the evidence that we have taken that the alarm bells are now ringing across Scotland’s criminal justice system.

The justice budget for this year is £4.6 billion. That sounds like a lot of money, and it is, but—for context—it accounts for only 7 per cent of the total Scottish budget. Of the justice budget, 74 per cent, or £3.4 billion, is resource funding, which mostly covers pay and salaries. There is also a significant capital allocation of £643 million. However, taken out of the wider context, those figures mask a significant resource problem, in which, I fear, this budget will start to make only a small dent.

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the transport secretary has had with the justice secretary regarding action it is taking to tackle freight crime in Scotland. (S6O-05379)

Will the minister give way?

I express my disappointment at the recent Scottish Government budget announcement with regard to funding for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Notwithstanding the constraints on the Scottish Government’s budget, does the minister agree that there is a case to continue calling on the United Kingdom Government to consider how borrowing and the use of reserves can be offered to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service?

Increasing freight crime reporting is a significant challenge for hauliers. The true cost of freight crime is estimated by the national vehicle crime intelligence service to be around £700 million a year and, largely, it is carried out by organised criminal gangs. The second strategic transport projects review included a recommendation for a national audit of freight facilities—specifically, lorry parks and rest areas, which are crucial to drivers’ safety and secure parking.

Given the key role played by our road haulage industry in supporting our economy—not least in the building of new homes, constructing wind farms and improving our national infrastructure, to name but a few—can the cabinet secretary say more about the progress that is being made following the audit in order to improve safety for hauliers and reduce freight crime across the country?

It is understood that the tanker that was seized by US authorities last week is currently in Scottish waters. I understand from reports that the First Minister was not briefed on that by the United Kingdom Government. Can the First Minister provide an update on the Scottish Government’s understanding of the current situation with regard to the seized tanker?

Community justice services play a hugely important but, sadly, often unrecognised role in the rehabilitation of offenders and in reducing recidivism. In turn, they make a significant contribution to the Scottish Government’s priorities of supporting families, promoting wellbeing and eradicating child poverty. Will the cabinet secretary reaffirm that the budget will maintain the level of support that is required to deliver sustainable and meaningful community justice services across Scotland?

This week’s severe weather has seen the UK’s power demand reach a seven-year high as households struggle to keep warm through the winter storms. In energy-rich Scotland, that power demand sits alongside skyrocketing energy bills as families pay through the nose to heat their homes. Does the First Minister agree that the sooner Scotland’s energy is in the hands of Scotland’s people, the better that will be for lower bills, economic growth and meaningful community ownership? [Interruption.]