Chamber and committees

Okay. I am happy to do so.

If I can continue, it is important for us to go down the road of dealing with the issues one by one. It is more complex than any of us would like it to be. It is important that we deal with the realities that are in front of us, because then we are best placed to support people.

10:30

It is now, which is why the conversations are happening now. I do not want to push back unhelpfully, but that is exactly why the conversations are happening now.

I do not think that we are disagreeing about the importance of timing in this situation. That is why the engagement is under way, and it is why we committed in advance to being ready in the event of a pressing need for more funding. That discussion is live, and it might be that, the next time I am in front of you, we will have a different discussion.

I think that we are in the same place on the issue. I point to the large spectrum of work that is under way on victims. It is important to acknowledge that this is a road that we are travelling down, and a broad range of actions are under way. Obviously, they are not all concluded yet—that would be impossible. That is happening because of the dialogue with people who have personal knowledge in all kinds of areas, but also because of the Government’s focus on the issue. I think that there will be an ongoing discussion on the issue, and I would welcome that.

The work on victim notification is a key part of our work, because we want to be in the best place with the people at the centre of the criminal justice system being aware of the progress of their case. That is why work is continuing on pursuing the best path in that policy area.

It is important to recognise that the issue is complex and that the system must work for the individuals concerned. The issue is not just with the system but with the communication that victims need and want. Giving victims the opportunity to receive communication in the way that they need and want is central to our work. I welcome the fact that discussions are continuing, which will help us to get to the most useful place for victims. I acknowledge that the matter is of real importance and concern, as Colm Merrick said.

Obviously, we are dealing with the provisions that are there.

I appreciate Mr Kerr’s focus on domestic abuse, which is an issue of significant concern to us all. I know that the committee, as well as MSPs across the chamber, are exercised by it in the wider context of tackling violence against women and girls.

As Mr Kerr will recognise, the domestic abuse orders involve complex regulations that need to be dealt with one by one—

Advocacy should be vital, and we can increasingly see that when we speak to people who are victims and are in the very challenging situation that I referred to in my first response.

The improvements that can be achieved through access to advocacy speak for themselves. People who are in that difficult situation will find the navigation of their personal circumstances improved by the availability of an advocacy service, as well as their knowledge and understanding of what their experience is likely to look like as they progress through the justice system.

I will start where you finished off: with the good practice that exists in parts of the country. Some of that practice is specific to people’s needs, and we need to retain that. The services that might be suitable for one person who is travelling through the justice system might not be what is required for a person who is travelling down a different path. It is important that we learn lessons from that and draw on information from the places where such practice is in place.

In terms of the bigger picture and how all that fits together, we are on a journey to ensure that people who are in the justice system have the most trauma-informed and supportive experience possible. I think that you will be aware of the trauma-informed pathways in the justice system. This is all part of the same picture in which tangible, constructive and helpful steps are being put in place to improve people’s experience when they enter the justice system.

Advocacy is, and will continue to be, an important part of that. As the member alludes to, this is a developing area.

Thank you—it is a timely question. There are significant community concerns about protests and their consequences, whether those are experienced directly—we have seen terrible examples of people being attacked on our streets for the colour of their skin, which is outrageous and wholly unacceptable—or whether they involve communities feeling under threat because the situation, understandably, causes them concern.

I am thinking particularly of people in the Jewish community—I represent a large Jewish population, but this is a nationwide issue—who are worried about being visibly Jewish when they walk down the street. Similarly, many members of the Muslim community have concerns relating to the visible manifestation of their religious faith. As a minister, I have frequently met members of both communities, as well as members of the Sikh and Hindu communities. Those engagements are important, because of the tension that unfortunately exists, which is often inflamed in ways that it never should be. Because that tension manifests in protests, it has a profound impact on people’s ability to feel safe when going about their daily business.

A key element of what we are doing is engaging in regular conversation and dialogue to understand communities’ concerns. Also, vitally, we are doing significant work on community cohesion, whether directly with the communities such as the ones that I have spoken about or, in that bigger public protest space, with organisations such as the Centre for Good Relations. We are taking every possible step to ensure that people are safe and also feel safe in their communities.