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The public have some really good ideas about what would be best for them. When massive change is taking place in a big organisation, the best advocates for that change are often the staff themselves.
In Scotland, we have the opportunity to share best practice. A phrase that is commonly used elsewhere in the world is, “We have the best care but we don’t have the best care everywhere.”
That makes for better decision making, which is what everyone wants. Everyone wants the best decisions to be made, based on the best evidence available.
We can take different approaches, and I do not think that the criminal justice outcome is always the best answer. Disruption or prevention is sometimes more appropriate in making sure that we prevent such crime happening again.
That is one of the reasons why, although 2030 and 2045 may be the nominal dates, we strongly need action now, as Kirsty has emphasised. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second-best time is now, and so on.
We leapt at the chance—that is probably the best way to put it. Susan Harkins has been very involved in that work, and we were really fortunate to secure the pathways pilot funding for the south of Scotland.
I welcome Stephen Boyd, director of IPPR Scotland; Carol Calder, audit director, performance audit and best value at Audit Scotland; and Professor Chik Collins, director of the Glasgow Centre for Population Health.