Tackling Violent Crime
- Submitted by: Jamie Greene, West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
- Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
- Motion reference: S6M-04320
- Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Motions as amended
That the Parliament recognises that a majority of the Parliament supported the justice vision and strategy on 8 February 2022; further recognises the need to focus on prevention and early intervention, taking a whole-government approach to reduce crime and make communities safer; supports making services person centred and trauma informed, in line with the aims set out in the justice vision; believes that improving support for victims and survivors should be among the highest priorities for the justice system; notes that recorded crime is at one of the lowest levels since 1974; acknowledges that there is more to do to address violent crime and improve the experiences of women in communities and within the justice system; welcomes the sustained investment in the justice system in 2022-23; believes that, while there will always be a place for restricting people’s liberty in society, the balance should be shifted to ensure that custody is used only when no alternative is appropriate, making greater use of alternative options in communities, and contrasts this progressive and evidence-based approach with the strategy adopted by the UK Government.
Supported by:
Sharon Dowey, Meghan Gallacher, Sue Webber
Vote
Result 69 for, 29 against, 20 abstained, 11 did not vote Vote Passed
Scottish National Party
- 58 for
- 0 against
- 0 abstained
- 6 did not vote
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For
- Alasdair Allan
- Angela Constance
- Angus Robertson
- Annabelle Ewing
- Ash Regan
- Audrey Nicoll
- Ben Macpherson
- Bill Kidd
- Bob Doris
- Christine Grahame
- Clare Adamson
- Colin Beattie
- Collette Stevenson
- David Torrance
- Elena Whitham
- Emma Harper
- Emma Roddick
- Evelyn Tweed
- Fergus Ewing
- Fiona Hyslop
- Fulton MacGregor
- Gillian Martin
- Gordon MacDonald
- Graeme Dey
- Humza Yousaf
- Ivan McKee
- Jackie Dunbar
- Jamie Hepburn
- Jenni Minto
- Jenny Gilruth
- Jim Fairlie
- Joe FitzPatrick
- John Mason
- John Swinney
- Karen Adam
- Kate Forbes
- Kaukab Stewart
- Keith Brown
- Kenneth Gibson
- Kevin Stewart
- Mairi Gougeon
- Màiri McAllan
- Maree Todd
- Marie McNair
- Michael Matheson
- Michelle Thomson
- Natalie Don
- Neil Gray
- Paul McLennan
- Rona Mackay
- Ruth Maguire
- Shirley-Anne Somerville
- Shona Robison
- Siobhian Brown
- Stephanie Callaghan
- Stuart McMillan
- Tom Arthur
- Willie Coffey
Against
0Abstained
0Did not vote
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- 0 for
- 29 against
- 0 abstained
- 2 did not vote
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For
0Against
- Alexander Burnett
- Alexander Stewart
- Brian Whittle
- Craig Hoy
- Dean Lockhart
- Donald Cameron
- Douglas Lumsden
- Douglas Ross
- Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
- Edward Mountain
- Finlay Carson
- Graham Simpson
- Jackson Carlaw
- Jamie Greene
- Jamie Halcro Johnston
- Jeremy Balfour
- Liam Kerr
- Liz Smith
- Maurice Golden
- Meghan Gallacher
- Miles Briggs
- Murdo Fraser
- Oliver Mundell
- Pam Gosal
- Rachael Hamilton
- Russell Findlay
- Sharon Dowey
- Stephen Kerr
- Tess White
Abstained
0Did not vote
Scottish Labour
- 0 for
- 0 against
- 20 abstained
- 2 did not vote
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For
0Against
0Abstained
- Alex Rowley
- Anas Sarwar
- Carol Mochan
- Claire Baker
- Colin Smyth
- Daniel Johnson
- Foysol Choudhury
- Katy Clark
- Mark Griffin
- Martin Whitfield
- Mercedes Villalba
- Michael Marra
- Monica Lennon
- Neil Bibby
- Pam Duncan-Glancy
- Paul O'Kane
- Paul Sweeney
- Pauline McNeill
- Rhoda Grant
- Richard Leonard
Did not vote
Scottish Green Party
- 7 for
- 0 against
- 0 abstained
- 0 did not vote
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For
Against
0Abstained
0Did not vote
0Scottish Liberal Democrats
- 4 for
- 0 against
- 0 abstained
- 0 did not vote
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For
Against
0Abstained
0Did not vote
0No Party Affiliation
- 0 for
- 0 against
- 0 abstained
- 1 did not vote
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Original motion text
That the Parliament notes with concern that the number of police-recorded violent crimes is at its highest level in a decade; further notes that Scottish Government decisions have contributed to this rise by underfunding the police, which has led to full-time police officer numbers being at their lowest level since 2008; recognises that the Scottish Government’s justice strategy is failing victims of crime, as is evident through the 931,991 hours of community sentences that have been written off or not yet carried out; notes that organised crime and domestic abuse contribute to a deteriorating picture of crimes of violence in Scotland, and urges the Scottish Government to take action to address this; recognises that the Scottish Government’s justice strategy is failing to keep the public safe by diverting dangerous criminals away from prison, instead allowing them to carry out inadequate non-custodial alternatives; believes that proposals such as those outlined in the Scottish Government’s consultation on bail and release from custody arrangements, which include proposals to automatically release offenders after serving just a third of their prison sentence, do not address the shift in balance in the justice system away from victims, and further distil a lack of confidence in sentencing, and calls, therefore, on the Scottish Government to change strategy by acknowledging that punishment remains an important part of the criminal justice system, and to support proposals contained in the proposed Victims, Criminal Justice and Fatal Accident Inquiries (Scotland) Bill, such as the introduction of Michelle's Law and Suzanne's Law, to improve the landscape of support for the victims of crime, which it believes is currently letting down too many in society.
Accepted amendments
Tackling Violent Crime - Amendment - Amendment
Submitted by: Keith Brown, Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party, Date lodged: Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Supported by: Siobhian Brown, Graeme Dey, Ash Regan
Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Result 69 for, 29 against, 21 abstained, 10 did not vote Vote Passed
Amendments that have not been voted on
Tackling Violent Crime - Amendment - Amendment
Submitted by: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date lodged: Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Supported by: Paul Sweeney
Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, May 11, 2022