Chamber and committees

Rona Mackay, do you have a supplementary?

I have a couple of final questions, which I will direct to Victoria Marland. They are in relation to the submission that the Leverhulme centre sent to the committee.

An issue that came up in our first panel is the challenges that are involved in the use of vapes in prisons. In your submission, you said that the most commonly detected format in samples sent to the Leverhulme centre in 2025 was e-cigarettes. We have heard evidence about the use of vapes to smoke substances in prisons. Can you tell us a wee bit more about the specific issues that you are finding in relation to e-cigarettes and how we can combat those issues?

The Scottish ocean cluster has the potential to drive innovation and entrepreneurship in the blue economy by creating value from underutilised sidestreams. A successful Iceland ocean cluster—a model that Scotland seeks to emulate—has generated high-value jobs in engineering, artificial intelligence, product design and biotechnology, thereby contributing to vibrant and sustainable local economies. Furthermore, that ocean cluster has driven substantial growth in Iceland’s biotechnology sector and has resulted in the establishment of its first unicorn company, which creates high-value medical products from fish sidestreams—namely, cod skin. The Scottish ocean cluster would have the added benefit—

—of access to our established biotechnology and innovation facilities. Does the cabinet secretary agree that that development has significant merit, and will she agree to meet me?

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Seafood Scotland regarding the development of the Scottish ocean cluster. (S6O-04898)

In light of the latest drug deaths figures, and reflecting the clear message from the Scottish Drugs Forum’s stop the deaths conference that people with living experience must be central to solutions, can the minister set out how their voices will be prioritised in leading and shaping policy and practice, not only as consultees but as partners in building the strengthening movement that is needed to end preventable deaths?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress being made in relation to its hydrogen action plan. (S6O-04893)

As the cabinet secretary knows, the north-east of Scotland’s TH₂ISTLE hydrogen valley project bid for European Union funding of €9 million, which will bring together a consortium of 29 partners led by Aberdeen City Council, aims to stimulate demand for hydrogen, thereby helping sectors including transport, agriculture, construction, new green industries and industrial test facilities to decarbonise. Given the significant opportunity that that bid creates for the north-east, what assurance can the cabinet secretary provide that the hydrogen action plan includes tangible support mechanisms to help projects such as TH₂ISTLE, which is critical to the emergence of the hydrogen economy in the region?

We move on to our second panel of the morning. I am pleased to welcome Dr Craig Sayers, clinical lead for prison healthcare at NHS Forth Valley and for the national prison care network; Dr Lesley Graham, a retired public health doctor and founding member of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems; and Dr Catriona Connell from the University of Stirling. Welcome to you all, and thank you very much for your attendance. Thank you also to those witnesses who have provided written submissions.

We are looking to spend around 80 minutes on this evidence session. I will get things going with my usual opening question. I will perhaps come to Dr Sayers first, and I will then move across to Dr Graham and Dr Connell.

We have heard a lot of evidence throughout this inquiry, and we are keenly aware that the primary focus of our evidence has been on the use of drugs in prisons. It has been less to do with the use of alcohol or some other complex issues around co-dependency, the use of alcohol and its impact, particularly in the justice system. Could you perhaps set the scene by setting out whether illicit alcohol in prisons is indeed an issue in Scotland? Is there adequate and consistent screening, and is there early identification of alcohol use disorders at admission? What support and service provision is available in prisons and, more broadly, in the community?

That is quite a big question. I will bring in Dr Sayers first to kick things off.

Under our next item of business, we will continue our inquiry into the harm caused by substance use in Scottish prisons. Today’s session gives us the opportunity to take evidence from two panels of witnesses with experience of rehabilitation, throughcare and post-release support. I am very pleased to welcome: Gillian Reilly, head of service for the alcohol and drug partnership executive at NHS Scotland; Haydn Pasi, head of the national voluntary throughcare partnership at Sacro; Marianna Marquardt, policy and research officer at Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs; and Hamish Robertson, director of data and insights at the Wise Group. You are all very welcome, and I thank you for joining us this morning.

I refer members to papers 1 and 2, and I thank those witnesses who have provided written submissions. I intend to allow up to 80 minutes for this session.

As ever, I will begin with an opening question. The focus of today’s session is, as I said, rehabilitation, throughcare and post-release support, however, I will open up with a general question just to set the scene. I will come to Hamish first and then work across the panel, asking you for your thoughts and comments.

To what extent is substance use in prison driven by supply-side issues—for example, the availability of drugs, illicit medication trading and the lucrative market associated with drug supply in prison—set against the demand-side issues such as boredom, trauma and self-medication? Again, to what extent is substance use in prison driven by that demand and supply effect, and what further steps can be taken to address the supply side specifically?