Chamber and committees

I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests—I am a councillor on Aberdeen City Council and a member of the Aberdeen city ADP.

Today’s debate is bittersweet—it is another reminder of the pervasiveness of our relationship with drugs, but also an opportunity to take stock of the work that is being done, and the work that is still required, to address problem drug use and reduce drug deaths. I welcome the latest Police Scotland figures, which show a slight decrease in drug deaths, but every death is a tragedy.

The Criminal Justice Committee has been taking evidence on problem drug use, which we see as a defining challenge of the current session of Parliament. We recently joined colleagues from the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee and the Social Justice and Social Security Committee to consider the intersection between health, criminal justice and social justice in tackling problem drug use. I will highlight some key points that are linked to the Government motion, but first I will reflect on some witness testimonies to our committee, which shone a light on the factors that push and pull people into a relationship with drugs.

One witness was not a heroin user when he entered a young offenders institute, but after release, he became one. Another was born into the heroin epidemic of the 1980s, when, as she put it,

“crime and drugs took precedence over ... education and nurturing”.—[Official Report, Criminal Justice Committee, 27 October 2021; c 4.]

Another was raised in poverty and experienced trauma in a violent relationship. By the time she got out, she was broken and using drugs to ease the pain in her head. Witnesses spoke of limited access to person-centred support; their addiction being seen as “not severe enough”; and treatment not being available for the drug that they used—all of which further marginalised them at a time of need.

We heard about the importance of trauma-informed interactions with police officers, court staff, sheriffs and prison officers, and we welcomed Police Scotland and Crown Office plans to develop trauma-informed training for officers and practitioners, with more solicitors and sheriffs now also trauma informed. We welcomed the task force’s stigma strategy to address the alienation and damage that are caused by the war on drugs, and its desire that distress brief interventions be developed. I know that local provision of DBIs in my constituency was curtailed significantly during the pandemic.

We also took evidence on diversion from prosecution. Although there are challenges with monitoring and attendance, there was real consensus that community-based remedies, where they are appropriate, are much preferable to prison sentences. I welcomed Dr Liz Aston’s contribution on the role of police officers in diverting people to drug services, and I welcome the development of programmes such as navigator, which will allow front-line staff to undertake first-point-of-contact referral to services and support.

Recently, the Lord Advocate announced her decision to extend the use of recorded police warnings to include class A drugs, as the cabinet secretary outlined. In her statement, the Lord Advocate highlighted the Inverness pilot led by Medics Against Violence, which supports referrals to a mentor who can provide support at the first point of contact with police. I would be interested to hear more about progress on that project.

Throughcare on liberation, including general practitioner access, opiate substitution therapy and take-home naloxone, was considered a priority, in addition to alternatives to remand and imprisonment such as bail supervision and residential rehabilitation. On naloxone, I welcome the chief constable’s commitment to a national roll-out to all police officers, and I commend the Scottish Ambulance Service for its work to develop carriage and use of naloxone.

Finally, the committee heard overwhelming support for law reform to facilitate safe consumption spaces, and the Lord Advocate commented that she would be willing to consider specific proposals that are presented to her on that.

I hope and expect that the committee’s work, including our recent joint sessions with other committees, will inform the national mission and the delivery of the new vision for justice to develop a whole-system approach that is public health based and has person-centred and trauma-informed practices at its heart.

Will the cabinet secretary explain how Scotland’s catching policy will help to deliver the objectives in the Fisheries Act 2020 that we are now required to work towards?

Given the importance of transitioning from oil and gas to green energy such as offshore wind, this matter is of great importance to businesses and residents in my constituency of Aberdeen South and North Kincardine and in the wider north-east. How is the Scottish Government engaging with north-eastern employers in the energy sector, particularly given that this is Scottish apprenticeship week, to ensure that support is in place to train apprentices and reskill existing employees?

I extend my condolences to the families of Brett McCullough, Donald Dinnie and Christopher Stuchbury.

Some of the findings in the investigation report are challenging, and some of the things that the RAIB found seem so straightforward and obvious that it is hard to believe that they were not in place. The minister mentioned some of the changes that have been brought in since 2020. Can she provide more detail on those and how they might be helping to make Scotland’s railways safer now?

I want to pick up on a point that you made in response to Rona Mackay’s questions. You said that there has been a lot of positive feedback on the Aberdeen virtual trials. However, last week, we took evidence from the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association, which has concerns about the option of virtual trials because they diminish the “solemnity of proceedings”. Do you accept that not everyone is in favour of the virtual trial option? Is work being done to allay some of the fears about it?

Okay, thank you. Fulton?

That is very helpful. Russell Findlay is next and then we will work our way round the room.

We will move swiftly on. Members have questions on time limits in criminal cases.

Does Fulton MacGregor want to pick up on anything relating to time limits?

Thank you for that helpful clarification. I will call Russell Findlay next. A number of members are interested in sticking with the issue of conducting court business by electronic means, so I will bring in Russell and then Rona Mackay.