It is on the same line of questioning. The bill basically says that the default position is that the police would still attend in person. Will you outline the everyday strain on officers who are requested to appear at court, and the pressure that that puts on the service? What are the current pressures on police in attending court?

I am looking at the practicalities of the proposed approach. Virtual court appearances could ease the strain on officers, but are you confident that a virtual system would be practical for officers in their everyday work? I am wondering how officers could be deployed operationally and therefore whether a virtual system would be of any benefit. An officer would not be able to go out on front-line duties if their case might suddenly be called at the court, because they would have to be available to give their evidence virtually. Is that correct?

During yesterday’s sentencing, Lord Beckett, the judge, praised the children for their “formidable strength” and “courage and perseverance”. Without that, the vile individuals involved might never have been caught and would still be offending and wrecking lives today. However, it should not fall on child victims to bring such monsters to account.

Given the system’s failure to intervene sooner, despite the children having been in contact with services, what lessons have been learned? What immediate changes are being introduced to ensure that this never happens again?

Fatal accident inquiries have been mandatory for all deaths in custody since 2016, yet Scotland still has one of the highest rates in Europe of suicide in prison. Would the cabinet secretary consider making it mandatory to implement all fatal accident inquiry recommendations so that lessons are learned and we can avoid making the same mistakes again and again?

I have a question for Paul Smith on initial custody attendances held virtually. Should custody appearances be an explicit exception in the bill to the court’s discretion on virtual attendance? If so, should any other type of hearing be an exception to virtual attendance?

Good morning. My first question is for Stuart Munro. The Law Society mentions that it is

“essential that ... directions contain measures that ensure that witnesses are not susceptible to any undue influence and the effective participation of the accused is guaranteed”

and, to ensure that, that

“an appropriate connection network and suitable electronic devices”

are necessary. Will you provide more detail about the Law Society’s concerns about undue influence on effective participation if virtual appearances are made permanent, and its concerns about the stability and reliability of network connections and electronic devices?

So, is there a case for custody appearances to be virtual? I thought that there were concerns about that.

Thank you, convener—it is a very quick question to Simon Brown.

You mentioned a pilot in Kilmarnock, which you described as “a singular failure”. You said that “communication with clients was ... poor” and that courts were on till 8 pm.

Have all the learnings from that pilot been put into the bill? Is there a copy of the report on the findings from the pilot that could be made available to the committee?

Like all MSPs who represent what we know as Burns country, it is an honour for me to speak in today’s important debate. As a representative of South Scotland, it is clear to me how the influence and legacy of Robert Burns run through our history and culture—it is a legacy that can be seen all around the area where I live.

The area is full of the history of Burns: from Burns cottage in the village of Alloway where he was born, to the Robert Burns birthplace museum, the Burns monument, and the Brig O’ Doon, where poor Meg famously lost her tail. The bridge itself also inspired some of his most famous words. There is also Poosie Nansie’s in Mauchline where Burns met his wife Jean Armour, who bore him at least eight children, Souter Johnnie’s cottage in Kirkoswald, home of the shoemaker immortalised in “Tam O’ Shanter”, and Alloway auld kirk, where you can find the graves of Burns’s family members. There is the Tam O’ Shanter inn, which, it is said, Robert Burns frequented—it was the pub that Burns’s friend, who was the inspiration for Tam O’ Shanter, left from that fateful night. His legacy is everywhere.

My children all went to Alloway primary school, just up the road from the famous Burns cottage. To this day, just like at other schools in Ayrshire, the young people there learn to recite Burns poems and take part in competitions. That tradition still thrives and it is a reminder of how deeply ingrained he is in the lives of young people in that part of Scotland, hundreds of years after he was born.

But Burns is not a poet just for Ayrshire and Scotland; he is an international icon. Few writers could claim that their work is sung at Hogmanay every year from Ayr to Australia, yet with “Auld Lang Syne” he achieves just that. Closer to home, his legacy carries economic weight. Tourism in Ayrshire is driven significantly by Burns’s global appeal: he puts us on the map. Visitors come from all over the world to events such as the Alloway 1759 festival and Tamfest—and what could be better than a Burns supper on Burns night in Scotland?

Our young people benefit from that in a number of practical ways. For instance, pupils from Kincaidston primary in Ayr recently created a new guided walk at the Burns cottage as part of a National Trust scheme to develop career skills and improve access to heritage. Free talks are taking place at the Burns birthplace museum throughout 2025. They proved so popular in December that they sold out. If anyone is thinking of attending one of their talks, I can confirm that they do excellent coffee and homemade scones. In Mauchline, there is also the Robert Burns blue plaque tour, which takes in various places of interest.

We spend much time in this chamber in heated debates and disagreeing about a range of different policies and political priorities. I imagine that, if Robert Burns were alive today, he would be in the thick of the heated debates. In fact, given his infamous reputation, he may possibly have been the subject of many a heated debate.

That said, it is welcome that we can all come together in chorus on this important topic and highlight the legacy of his work and genius. A farmer’s son inspiring generations in arts and literature, and providing endless entertainment and enjoyment through the decades, is a truly great thing. It has been a privilege to speak on this important topic and I am delighted to give my support to Oliver Mundell’s motion.

Like all MSPs who represent what we know as Burns country, it is an honour for me to speak in today’s important debate. As a representative of South Scotland, it is clear to me how the influence and legacy of Robert Burns run through our history and culture—it is a legacy that can be seen all around the area where I live.

The area is full of the history of Burns: from Burns cottage in the village of Alloway where he was born, to the Robert Burns birthplace museum, the Burns monument, and the Brig O’ Doon, where poor Meg famously lost her tail. The bridge itself also inspired some of his most famous words. There is also Poosie Nansie’s in Mauchline where Burns met his wife Jean Armour, who bore him at least eight children, Souter Johnnie’s cottage in Kirkoswald, home of the shoemaker immortalised in “Tam O’ Shanter”, and Alloway auld kirk, where you can find the graves of Burns’s family members. There is the Tam O’ Shanter inn, which, it is said, Robert Burns frequented—it was the pub that Burns’s friend, who was the inspiration for Tam O’ Shanter, left from that fateful night. His legacy is everywhere.

My children all went to Alloway primary school, just up the road from the famous Burns cottage. To this day, just like at other schools in Ayrshire, the young people there learn to recite Burns poems and take part in competitions. That tradition still thrives and it is a reminder of how deeply ingrained he is in the lives of young people in that part of Scotland, hundreds of years after he was born.

But Burns is not a poet just for Ayrshire and Scotland; he is an international icon. Few writers could claim that their work is sung at Hogmanay every year from Ayr to Australia, yet with “Auld Lang Syne” he achieves just that. Closer to home, his legacy carries economic weight. Tourism in Ayrshire is driven significantly by Burns’s global appeal: he puts us on the map. Visitors come from all over the world to events such as the Alloway 1759 festival and Tamfest—and what could be better than a Burns supper on Burns night in Scotland?

Our young people benefit from that in a number of practical ways. For instance, pupils from Kincaidston primary in Ayr recently created a new guided walk at the Burns cottage as part of a National Trust scheme to develop career skills and improve access to heritage. Free talks are taking place at the Burns birthplace museum throughout 2025. They proved so popular in December that they sold out. If anyone is thinking of attending one of their talks, I can confirm that they do excellent coffee and homemade scones. In Mauchline, there is also the Robert Burns blue plaque tour, which takes in various places of interest.

We spend much time in this chamber in heated debates and disagreeing about a range of different policies and political priorities. I imagine that, if Robert Burns were alive today, he would be in the thick of the heated debates. In fact, given his infamous reputation, he may possibly have been the subject of many a heated debate.

That said, it is welcome that we can all come together in chorus on this important topic and highlight the legacy of his work and genius. A farmer’s son inspiring generations in arts and literature, and providing endless entertainment and enjoyment through the decades, is a truly great thing. It has been a privilege to speak on this important topic and I am delighted to give my support to Oliver Mundell’s motion.