I welcome the crime statistics that were released this week, which show a fall in the number of crimes recorded by police last year. The Scottish Government’s vision for justice aims to shift the balance from short-term sentences to community-based interventions, which we know are more effective in reducing reoffending. How will the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Bill help to reduce reoffending, crime and future victimisation?

I thank Alex Cole-Hamilton for bringing this debate to the chamber. It offers us a real opportunity to discuss an issue that we should be debating a lot more: our national security. I want to reflect on what the Chinese balloon incident means for us all going about our daily lives and enjoying the freedom of living in a democracy.

There has been much commentary about that recent incident in the context of the wider threat that is posed to the west by China. Last summer, General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned that China is

“increasing in their aggressiveness in their rhetoric, but also in their activity”,

noting that Chinese intercepts in the air and at sea have increased drastically over the past five years. Further, John Bolton, former US security adviser, recently described China as

“the existential threat in the 21st century”.

Other observers acknowledge that surveillance in the 21st century is an expected and everyday part of international relations. A recent commentary piece by the Royal United Services Institute described the event itself as

“neither new nor particularly notable”,

although it accepted that the balloon

“stayed in the country’s airspace for a longer period of time than its predecessors.”

Scotland is a safe place to live in, but the United Kingdom is not immune from the threat that is posed by bad actors. Many of us will recall the tragic terrorist murders of Jo Cox MP and David Amess MP, and the radicalisation of British citizens and their recruitment to Daesh during the Syrian conflict.

The current threat level for the UK is “substantial”, which means that an attack is likely. In his recent annual threat update, the director general of the Security Service, Ken McCallum, reiterated that

“No-one should be under any illusion about the breadth and variety of the threats we face”.

He said that those threats include

“Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine bringing war to Europe”

and

“an increasingly assertive Chinese Communist Party using overt and covert pressure to bend other countries to its will.”

He described how the

“Chinese authorities use all the means at their disposal to monitor ... and ... intimidate ... the Chinese diaspora”,

“from ... forcibly repatriating Chinese nationals to harassment and assault.”

Recent media coverage has focused on so-called overseas Chinese police stations, including one that was reported in Glasgow—a matter that Ross Greer raised with the First Minister late last year. I also note Alex Cole-Hamilton’s comments on his interaction with local students on their experiences.

The reach of the Chinese state also extends to using organisations such as the United Front Work Department to apply pressure on anyone who challenges the regime’s core interests, whether on democracy or human rights abuses. According to the director general,

“We can expect it to increase further as President Xi consolidates power on an indefinite basis.”

I welcome the establishment of the UK Government’s defending democracy task force, which will focus on protecting the democratic integrity of the UK from threats from foreign interference, including that of China. I ask the minister to provide an update on the task force’s engagement with the Scottish Government on its work.

In the meantime, I value and cherish the fact that we live in a nation in which police officers are not routinely armed; in which we can walk around our communities safely; and in which we can speak freely on the things that matter to us. We will not and must not be complacent as we maintain our focus on China’s growing sphere of influence in a volatile international environment, while defending our freedom and democracy.

I again thank Alex Cole-Hamilton for bringing forward an important motion for debate today.

I am happy with that suggestion.

I ask members for an indication of their view on going back to Police Scotland to ask some further questions. Rona, I know that you—[Interruption.] Do members agree that we should do that?

Members indicated agreement.

I will bring in Stephen Imrie in case I have missed anything; I do not think that I have.

I thank the witnesses for attending this morning. We will pause momentarily to allow the cabinet secretary to leave.

I am happy for us to incorporate that into correspondence to the cabinet secretary. Obviously, the criminal justice reform bill is coming forward, and I would be very surprised if the new contract and the process around that were not incorporated into the bill.

Are members happy with what we have proposed?

Members indicated agreement.

I will pull things together. Very few such trials have been undertaken despite the support for the notion of virtual trials, and members have highlighted some relevant points. We need a much more substantial evidence base. It is concerning that momentum is waning, if that is the case. The fact is that the reality seems to be at odds with what is happening in our court system.

There are good points to raise about budget implications for virtual trials. Issues such as the quality of connections are practical matters, but they are important nonetheless. It is good to see better use of a virtual option for taking evidence on commission; that was highlighted in some of the correspondence that we received.

For next steps, I propose—I am not sure whether all members will agree with this—that we note the discussion that we have had today and note that the matter will be the subject of further consideration in the forthcoming criminal justice reform bill. However, Jamie Greene’s last comments suggest that he would prefer to go back to the SCTS with some further questions.

Thanks, Jamie. I am happy to look at an opportunity to do that.

On the point about monitoring the remand population, your impression is probably correct. I am certainly happy to consider some work around monitoring remand populations outwith the scope of the work on the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Bill, which will conclude shortly. I am happy to consider that point further, because it is clearly a pressing issue that we have been grappling with.

It is one of our coming agenda items.