Chamber and committees

Exactly as the member said, I did say that we would not be overseeing a reduction of around 4,000 police officers in Scotland. We have no intention of doing that. I do not recognise the point that the member has made about justice cuts. It would be useful to have that specified—what cuts to justice have taken place? We intend to ensure that there is a good budget settlement. Of course, we will find out more next week when the Deputy First Minister outlines the budget for Scotland.

It would be useful to have the Labour Party acknowledge the constraints under which we are having to operate. It is the same in Wales because of the UK Government’s austerity policies, which are affecting our ability to do as much as we want to in relation to vital public services. We have no intention of overseeing a cut of the magnitude that the member has mentioned, and we do not want to see cuts to the justice budget.

A number of the points that Beatrice Wishart raised in the first part of her question, such as those about career progression and opportunities in the police, are matters for the chief constable, which we do not get involved in. The underlying point to her question is, as ever, about resources—that is perfectly legitimate. I am saying that my intention is to ensure that we do not have to suffer as a result of the cuts that are coming from Westminster, the impact of inflation, which has reduced our budget this year by £1.7 billion, and the hugely increased cost of wage settlements this year. Everyone recognises that those are huge pressures. It is our job to do as much as we can to mitigate the impacts on our vital public services, and I am sure that that is what the Deputy First Minister will do when he delivers the budget next week.

The member referred to local authorities and to some Police Scotland sites. Of course, he will know that Police Scotland operational decisions are taken independently of the Government. It will be a matter for Police Scotland to take that decision. Also, given our common view of the autonomy of local authorities, it is an issue for local authorities to take forward as and when they see fit and in accordance with local priorities. We will continue to provide such advice and information as we are able to provide to local authorities and to Police Scotland, but it will be a decision for those bodies.

Court operational matters, including the system and arrangements for jury service, fall within the remit of the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.

Jury service is a public duty that many people in Scotland may be called upon to perform, and I am grateful to those who perform that important civic duty. Jurors in Scotland may be entitled to a range of expenses, including childminding and dependent adult carer expenses, travel, subsistence and loss of earnings. Further detail on those allowances, including any limits, can be found on the Scottish Courts and Tribunals website.

One example of how we are trying to do exactly that is the revised “Bairns’ Hoose—Scottish Barnahus: vision, values and approach”, which sets out how Barnahus should be implemented in Scotland. That is about making sure that, when children enter the justice system, we have the appropriate model for the delivery of justice, care and recovery for children who have experienced trauma. The bairns’ hoose will build on the Scottish child interview model for joint investigative interviews, which is being rolled out across Scotland, and is supported by £2 million of Scottish Government funding. That promotes best practice to secure children’s best evidence at the earliest opportunity, and it minimises the risk of further retraumatisation.

It may be useful to set out the exact decision of the UK Government, which was to restrict the use of surveillance technology made by companies subject to Chinese national intelligence law. That decision applies to sensitive UK Government sites.

The Scottish Government is in the process of replacing and upgrading security equipment across its estate as part of a multiyear improvement programme. All existing CCTV kit and equipment, including Hikvision and other companies’ products, is being replaced with a new integrated system to improve and future-proof the security of the Scottish Government estate.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that veterans have access to appropriate mental health support wherever they live in Scotland. This year, the Scottish Government provided funding of £658,000 to Veterans First Point to provide mental health and wellbeing support to veterans and their families. That funding is matched by national health service boards. Veterans First Point is also closely involved in work to implement the veterans mental health and wellbeing action plan, and it is represented on the veteran-led implementation board that was established by the Scottish Government, which is chaired by Dr Charles Winstanley.

Policing is, and will continue to be, a priority for the Government. The latest data, from 30 September, shows a higher number of officers in Scotland than there were in 31 March 2007. There are now 30 officers per 10,000 of the population, whereas there were 24 officers per 10,000 of the population in England and Wales on 31 March.

The chief constable has the flexibility to develop his workforce in a way that responds to challenges by ensuring the right workforce mix. Decisions about recruitment are for him to take within that broader context, and I am pleased to note that Police Scotland welcomed around 900 new recruits this year.

The Scottish Government remains committed to working closely with the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland to support delivery of the joint policing strategy, to ensure that we continue to have safe, protected and resilient communities.

Although local deployment is a matter for the chief constable, Scotland’s national police service allows local divisions across the country to access specialist expertise and resources at regional and national levels, depending on demand.

Local police divisions across Scotland have a core complement of officers who are dedicated to community and response policing.

The member has talked about the Government’s words. The motion that is before us was agreed with all parties so that we could speak as one.