Chamber and committees

I would like to ask Ross Haggart some questions. The backdrop to this is a decade of cuts to the fire service in Scotland. Audit Scotland reported that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has an “insurmountable capital backlog” and information that was provided by the service to my office suggests that 45 per cent of the entire estate is assessed as being in either poor or bad condition, but in your reply to Pauline McNeill, you indicated that only five fire stations could be prioritised.

The FBU’s decon campaign highlights the health risk of contamination and some of that risk relates to the condition of the estate: for example, the availability of showers. What consideration has been given to the legal duty of care that the service is obliged to provide to its workforce and to the risks of litigation and the legal responsibilities of the service?

Have you had any advice about your legal liabilities and could you share that with the committee, perhaps in writing? Could you inform the committee, perhaps in writing, of the mitigation work that you referred to? It would be extremely helpful if you could keep the committee advised on that.

Thank you very much. As you know, we had a huge fire in the Highlands in June and two firefighters were injured. Across Europe over the summer there have been wildfires and extreme flooding—indeed, it is happening not just in Europe, but across the world. The implications of climate change must be at the forefront of your mind in relation to increasing demands on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. What work is being done to look at what those increased demands are likely to be and how we will have to respond to that?

Obviously, in this place, we pass legislation. We have just passed the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Bill, and we are considering the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill. What implications will those bills have for your budgets in the coming year?

I appreciate that that will not be a matter for the coming year’s budget, but does that mean that you expect cases to cost more if those legislative changes take place? Are you saying that you expect the process to be, rather than cheaper and more streamlined, a more resource-intensive process that will cost the public purse more?

In its submission, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service suggests that an increase of £13.4 million would be needed. Could Mr McQueen briefly outline how that figure has been calculated?

I understand. Thank you.

One of the major challenges that we still face is the backlog of cases. I know that there has been progress on that, but it is still a massive problem that is having a huge impact on all the individuals involved. The Crown Office submission suggests that the level of resource funding that might be required is around £207 million for 2024-25, taking into account pay rises. Can you set out how that figure has been reached? What are the potential implications if aspects of that might change?

I understand. Do I have time for an additional question, convener? I know that we are under time pressure.

I congratulate Rona Mackay on securing this important debate and warmly welcome her initiative, which has led to this issue being debated in the chamber today. I also want to place on record my thanks to Victim Support Scotland, Children 1st and the other organisations that have been involved in the opening of Scotland’s first bairns’ hoose.

As Rona Mackay has already mentioned in the debate, the bairns’ hoose model is based on Iceland’s renowned model, and seeks to bring the needs of child victims and witnesses together with justice, health, social work and recovery support services at a single point of contact.

As an MSP for the West Scotland region, I, like Rona Mackay, am pleased that the first bairns’ hoose will be supporting child victims and witnesses in East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire. However, it is crucial that all eligible children are able to access such facilities, so that they can have access to the trauma-informed support that the model provides. I look forward to seeing how the bairns’ hoose develops and to hearing about its effect on outcomes. I would be grateful if the minister could today provide an update, and commit to future parliamentary updates, on the progress that is being made towards widening access to such facilities and other initiatives that enable child victims and witnesses to access trauma-informed practices.

Ahead of today’s debate, Victim Support Scotland reiterated its concern that some local authorities may choose to use the bairns’ hoose as a place of safety for a child who has caused harm. If that were the case, it could increase the risk of retraumatising victims and witnesses, including child victims, undermining the very purpose of the bairns’ hoose as a service. Therefore, I would be grateful if the minister could respond to the concerns that are being raised and address the reason why Victim Support Scotland is calling on the Scottish Government to guarantee that no bairns’ hoose in Scotland will be used as a place of safety under the Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019. I hope that the minister will give that guarantee today and outline how the Scottish Government will establish the trauma-informed support service that is required for children who have caused harm but also ensure that the needs of other victims are addressed.

The bairns’ hoose is a key part of improving the experiences of child victims and witnesses in Scotland’s justice system, but we all recognise that it is not the sole solution to the problem. That is why many stakeholders have raised concerns about the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill that is being scrutinised by Parliament. The concern is that the bill lacks provision to ensure that support and information are in place for victims who have been harmed by children and that it could create an imbalance between the rights of the child who has caused harm and the rights of the child victim. There also issues in the bill with regard to the lack of information-sharing provisions and the lack of safety planning and risk management measures.

As the minister will know, a number of stakeholders, including Victim Support Scotland, Rape Crisis Scotland and Women’s Aid, have come together to suggest a number of changes to the bill. I urge the Scottish Government, in responding to the debate, to seriously consider what is being said and ensure that the legislation truly delivers an improved experience for child victims and witnesses in Scotland.

The bairns’ hoose alone will not transform the experience of child victims and witnesses in Scotland, but it is a very important development that I warmly welcome. For that reason, I associate myself with Rona Mackay’s words and those of all the other members who have spoken in the debate and again congratulate all those who have been involved in the opening of Scotland’s first bairns’ hoose.