Audrey Nicoll
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“Some consider that mobile phone use by children is so ubiquitous that bans in isolation are not enough to tackle the negative impacts. It seems that there is still some way to go to find a clear, evidence-based approach that safeguards children.”
“However, Ms Gosal’s motion reflects the concerns of many—parents, teachers, legislators, police officers and children—that overexposure to the use of mobile phones carries risks. I commend the work of many organisations to safeguard children in that space.”
“What an utter privilege and an amazing experience it has been to be a member of our amazing Scottish Parliament. I thank a number of people for making it happen: my loving husband, Alex; my wonderful son, Sam; my parents, Bill and Jean; and my sister, Susan. I also thank Maureen Watt, who has been a mentor and friend throughout.”
“I thank Pam Gosal for securing this debate on a Scotland-wide ban on the use of mobile phones in schools, and I congratulate her on her powerful and comprehensive speech.”
“Having entered politics later in life, I have often found it hard to understand why we think fractious discourse and debate serve the people of Scotland.”
“Amendment 41 agreed to. 17:45 Amendment 143 moved—[Martin Whitfield]— and agreed to. Section 10F—Register of foster carers: procedure for regulations Amendment 42 moved—[Natalie Don-Innes]— and agreed to. Section 10G—Register of foster carers: interpretation Amendment 43 moved—[Natalie Don-Innes]— and agreed to. Amendment 144 not moved.”
The complete record
Every one of 432 lines we hold for Audrey Nicoll, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 9.
“The UK and Europe have committed to rearmament, so what can Scotland do to support that endeavour? I and others contend that, although defence is reserved, Scotland cannot stand still as the world changes around us. We have an opportunity to support our defence industry across skills development, recruitment and research and development—all competencies that lie here in Scotland, not London. In 2022, Scotland’s defence sector added £3.2 billion to the Scottish economy and employed more than 33,000 Scots, including 1,500 apprentices. Stephen Kerr: Will the member give way on that point? Audrey Nicoll: I am just finishing. However, the value of the industry is not just economic; it is also crucial to the wider defence picture in the UK, Europe and Ukraine. I look forward to seeing our new Scottish defence industry strategy soon. 17:07”
“That is not an unusual scenario, but it demonstrates the fragility of Scotland’s undersea infrastructure. The issue cuts across domestic and international policy but has significant implications for our energy industry and communications capability. I, for one, will be interested to see what comes forward in the defence review. That leads me on to Ukraine. In recent months, the situation in Ukraine has been peppered with increasing uncertainty, largely courtesy of the United States pulling back from its previous commitment to support Ukraine and, in particular, the withdrawal of aid and intelligence support. In response, the UK Government has committed to a coalition of the willing, which involves bringing together European countries, NATO and others to drive progress towards lasting peace.”
“On energy infrastructure security, the UK strategic defence review is considering the reforms that are needed to meet the challenges of the 21st century and is expected to advise on an expansion of our military footprint in the Arctic and high north, as the region becomes increasingly contested owing to melting sea ice opening up access. On a recent parliamentary visit to the Faroe Islands, we discussed high north security in the context of undersea infrastructure, which, in the main, means gas pipelines and data cables. Just last week, we saw two incidents in which Royal Air Force Typhoons were scrambled to intercept Russian intelligence aircraft in NATO airspace. Indeed, in 2023, 50 Russian aircraft were intercepted by RAF jets scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth.”
“I propose that we give it less passing attention and instead recognise how our domestic policy can and should intersect more closely with international policy across a range of areas, including defence and the security of our energy infrastructure. Scotland is a peaceful and prosperous country, but we are not immune to the impact of the global events and conflict that have been raised by colleagues this afternoon, such as those playing out in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, or to the implications of globalisation withering on the vine, courtesy of US tariffs. Some might welcome that, of course.”
“I am very pleased that we are having this debate on the international situation. I have never understood why we have not spent a bit more time debating issues that impact Scotland in the international space and that have the potential to threaten our democracy, our security and our future. That said, I commend the scrutiny that has been undertaken by the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee on a range of issues, such as Brexit, the implications of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 and the review of the EU-UK trade and co-operation agreement. However, across the world, democratic systems are under pressure, with fundamental principles being challenged and, in some cases, actively undermined. Where does Scotland see itself in all that? How do we remain safe and prosperous?”
“Kate Forbes: The UK Government has made £50 million available to Teesside to develop various SAF projects. We need at least similar support for Grangemouth, and we need the UK Government to swiftly introduce its planned sustainable aviation fuel revenue support mechanism bill. The £200 million that has been ring fenced in the National Wealth Fund is really welcome, but it operates in a different way from funding that can be provided up front. I take the member’s point about the opportunity. We know the steps that need to be taken, and we are willing all parties to take them. The Presiding Officer: In the remaining one and a half minutes, there are five members who wish to ask questions. I would be grateful if we could all bear that in mind when it comes to asking multiple questions. If we could all be concise, that would be helpful.”
“As was touched on in previous questions and responses, one of the key pathways that the report highlighted was the transformation of Grangemouth into a producer of sustainable aviation fuel, which is an option that the Scottish Government has long called on the UK Government to appropriately regulate for. Does the cabinet secretary share my concern that the UK Labour Government has so far concentrated on aviation fuel developments south of the border, when Grangemouth is poised to lead that industry? Bearing in mind the cabinet secretary’s important point about the need for a radical shift in policy and the regulatory landscape, what engagement has the Scottish Government had with the UK Government on the urgent need for regulatory changes to enable that?”
“Overall, however, we are content to support the general principles of the bill. If the Parliament agrees to the general principles today, we are ready to scrutinise the bill at stage 2. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Liam Kerr to open the debate on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives. 15:14”
“It is crucial that, where possible, such reviews intersect with existing processes but do not duplicate them, so as to minimise the impacts on grieving families. Following the conducting of such a review, an anonymised report would be published. Given the relatively small population of Scotland, we have concerns about the ability to truly anonymise such reports. It is clear to us that there is a risk of further traumatising families by making reports publicly available. We ask that the impact on surviving family members be central to consideration of how reports are published, shared or distributed. The committee welcomed many of the bill’s provisions. In some areas, we commented on specific provisions and, on occasion, we made recommendations to the Scottish Government to strengthen its proposals.”
“However, the committee recognised that many people who experience domestic abuse do not report their abusers to the police. As such, we felt that the wider definition in the bill will allow greater opportunities to learn lessons and to prevent future deaths. The bill also contains provisions to allow future expansion of the scope of such reviews, such as including deaths in the context of honour-based abuse. I note the Government’s commitment to include other types of deaths, including so-called honour killings, within the model. The committee heard concerns about where domestic homicide and suicide reviews would fit into the already complex review landscape in Scotland. We recommended that the Scottish Government provide detail on how joint and multi- agency reviews will work in practice.”
“I note that the Government’s response clarifies the circumstances in which national jurisdiction can be used and the point at which it ends, in both solemn and summary proceedings. Part 2 of the bill establishes a new system of domestic homicide and suicide reviews. The committee welcomes the principle of having such reviews, which will fill a gap in the review landscape in Scotland. Crucially, they will allow lessons to be learned, identify areas for change and improvement, and help to prevent future abuse and deaths. I will highlight the committee’s main conclusions relating to part 2. We acknowledged that the scope of the review process is broader than the current definition of domestic abuse, which amounts to criminal conduct. We heard conflicting views on whether the definition in the bill was too wide.”
“The test of whether something is contrary to ‘the interests of justice’ is used in a wide range of different situations in criminal procedure”. Another proposal that attracted interest was the proposal to make permanent the provision for a national jurisdiction when courts are dealing with the initial stages of a custody case. We support the idea that the current temporary measures should be made permanent. However, we feel that there must be greater clarity about the point at which national jurisdiction ends. In our view, that should be the point at which full committal takes place. That is in the interests of preserving the important principle of local justice, which benefits users of the justice system.”
“In principle, we are supportive of making aspects of the current temporary arrangements permanent, but we think that the bill must include clearer rules setting out how the courts should use those powers. For example, we think that there should be additional criteria for the Lord Justice General to take into account before making a general determination in favour of virtual attendance in particular types of cases. We also think that clearer rules are required as to the types of location from which it is appropriate that virtual attendance can take place. We also think that the practical concerns expressed about the current operation of virtual custody courts need to be addressed. I note the Government’s response to the committee’s recommendation on that aspect, which says that “the current tests are well understood by the courts.”
“If fiscal fines are being used by prosecutors for particular types of offence, the level of the fines will need to keep pace with inflation. However, we heard some concerns about the potential for non-payment to increase, as well as calls for victims to be informed when a fiscal fine is accepted. Those issues will need to be monitored. A particular area of interest in our evidence sessions was the proposal to make permanent the current rules on virtual attendance at court. In principle, we are not against the concept of virtual attendance at court. It has been seen to deliver efficiencies in the use of court time and improvements for some users of the justice system, particularly professional witnesses.”
“There was broad support for the proposal to allow digital images to be used in court in place of physical evidence—typically a weapon or an item of stolen property—which will help the efficiency of the wider criminal justice system. However, we think that the right for any party to require the actual physical evidence to be produced in court should be strengthened in the bill. We also recommended that the retention policy for physical evidence should be updated to reflect the new provisions in the bill; we do not want important evidence to be disposed of prematurely. The bill proposes to make permanent the recent increase in the levels of fiscal fines. In certain circumstances, fiscal fines allow a person to pay a fine, thereby avoiding being prosecuted and obtaining a criminal conviction. We understood the logic behind that approach.”
“It also introduces two new procedures to modernise how courts operate. Many of those provisions were broadly welcomed in evidence, and they attracted our support, too. There was widespread support for the proposal to make permanent the electronic signing and sending of certain legal documents. However, we highlighted the need to avoid digital exclusion for those who find it difficult to use technology. The Government’s response highlights that the bill does not provide that the electronic signing and sending of documents will be a requirement; rather, it allows for certain documents to be signed and sent electronically.”
“I am pleased to open on behalf of the Criminal Justice Committee in the stage 1 debate on the Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Bill. The committee has taken time to consider the proposals in the bill carefully, and we agreed our stage 1 report unanimously. I thank our clerking team, Scottish Parliament information centre colleagues and everyone who supported our consideration of the bill, and everyone who assisted our scrutiny by providing valuable written and oral evidence. I will highlight some of the main findings set out in our stage 1 report. As we have heard, it is a two-part bill. Part 1 makes permanent a number of the temporary court procedures that were introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to enable courts to continue functioning safely.”
“They have published some of their work and they will independently review the talk to me strategy and make formal recommendations to the Scottish Prison Service, based on wider stakeholder engagement, including with those in custody and their families. The new policy will be based on the best available evidence.”
“It is clear from the cabinet secretary’s statement that the Scottish Prison Service’s talk to me strategy needs an overhaul. I very much welcome the update that has been provided, indicating that the strategy will be reviewed. Will the cabinet secretary provide more information on the review, particularly about the experts who have been appointed to carry it out? Angela Constance: As I said in my statement, Professor Graham Towl is leading the evidential stage of the overhaul. He is a prominent academic expert in forensic psychology. He will be supported by Professor Crighton, a consultant forensic psychologist. Both professors have held senior forensic psychologist roles in the Ministry of Justice and they are experienced in working in custodial settings.”
“In the coming months, the centre will also undertake a census study of children in secure accommodation. The views that are captured as part of that study will inform our work, which is under way, on “Reimagining Secure Care”.”
“The minister’s update is welcome, including her announcement on the new four-bed national secure care provision at Rossie. More broadly, it is vital that care and justice services for children continue to be informed by the views of care-experienced children. Can the minister say any more about the steps that the Government is taking to ensure that young people’s voices are at the heart of its work? Natalie Don-Innes: As the member knows, that is extremely important to me. The Government commissioned the Children’s and Young People’s Centre for Justice to consider the future needs of children and young people who are in or on the edges of secure care. Last autumn, the CYCJ published its report, “Reimagining Secure Care”, which included specific and detailed information setting out the views of a sample of children in secure accommodation.”
“It is important that lessons from the pilot are used to improve how any statutory process would operate. Some of the emerging detail, such as the reasons for applying for transcripts, has reaffirmed how transcripts can play a role in a person- centred, trauma-informed justice system. It is vital that any revised system takes account of the experiences of victims, irrespective of how that is done. However, that should not be done at the expense of improving access to transcripts generally, which is what the cabinet secretary is aiming to achieve through the work on amending the bill.”
“Absolutely no one wants survivors to have to wait any longer than is necessary for a court transcript. I hope that that issue can be resolved as part of the evaluation of the pilot. I welcome the commitment by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs to work with me and others ahead of stage 3 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill on making the provision of access to transcripts permanent within the terms of the on- going pilot. However, I am a little concerned about the implications of another external evaluation for further progress on the pilot. Can the cabinet secretary outline how such an evaluation could impact the progress of the pilot? Fiona Hyslop: It would be of concern if the evaluation were to delay making the pilot statutory.”
“It was committed to by the previous UK Government, and we are urgently looking for a meaningful update from the current UK Government, so that we can maintain momentum and provide investors with confidence. It is vital that we support the decarbonisation of Scotland’s industry and the future of Grangemouth. That will protect and create jobs, and, as was pointed out by business leaders last week, it will make a significant contribution to Scotland’s economy. Decision Time 17:04”
“The report highlights the need for an urgent decision on Acorn, because carbon capture and storage, which is of enormous importance to the north-east, could have a vital role to play in securing Grangemouth’s future. In the light of that, many people will rightly be frustrated that the UK Government has repeatedly failed to prioritise investment in carbon capture and storage in Scotland. Does the cabinet secretary agree that a green light for Acorn is long overdue, both for Grangemouth and for industries in the north-east? Kate Forbes: Yes is the short answer. We have been waiting far too long for progress on Acorn. The Acorn project is a stand-alone industrial transportation and storage project.”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action being taken to support maths learning in secondary schools. (S6O-04470)”
“I look forward to working with members, Action for Children and other partners to prevent and tackle child criminal exploitation in order to make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up and a place in which children are safe and respected. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes the debate. 13:25 Meeting suspended. 14:15 On resuming— Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Question Time Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme 1.”
“In response to many members’ points, I note that we are working with the UK Government on its Crime and Policing Bill, which includes provisions to enhance police powers to disrupt child criminal exploitation and child sexual abuse and exploitation. Scottish ministers aim to take those measures forward through the legislative consent process. The Jay review also highlights the fact that children who do not have an immigration status are vulnerable to exploitation. For them, Scotland’s statutory independent child trafficking guardians service is vital, as was recognised by the Jay review. I have much more to say, but I appreciate that time is short, so I will conclude.”
“The latest annual child protection statistics, which are due to be published on 25 March, will provide further information on how child criminal exploitation has been reported by children’s services across Scotland. I turn to the criminality of the individuals who perpetrate child criminal exploitation. The partners on the serious organised crime task force continue to use every means at their disposal to disrupt serious organised crime, including child criminal exploitation, and to raise awareness of the serious harms that it causes. We are reviewing the use of existing legislation to better prosecute child sexual exploitation offenders.”
“That approach sits alongside wider reform of the youth justice system in Scotland, which is clear on the need to ensure that children who are exploited are viewed through a child protection lens rather than a justice one. Ash Regan: [Made a request to intervene.] Natalie Don-Innes: I would like to make progress. We also recognise the importance of support for victims. Backed by £10 million of Scottish Government funding across 2023 to 2025, the bairns’ hoose programme is already improving the experiences of the child protection and justice system for young people, including those who have experienced child criminal exploitation. We are actively working to improve data.”
“We have also provided more than £450,000 of funding across 2023 to 2026 to support the anchor Highlands project, an Inverness-based alliance between Barnardo’s, Action for Children and Aberlour that supports young people who are at risk of exploitation through a focus on contextual safeguarding. The Jay review compels us to re-evaluate our approach to what is a complex issue and to acknowledge that children who are caught in exploitation are manipulated and grouped by perpetrators. I am pleased that the Lord Advocate’s instructions for non-prosecution of victims of human trafficking have been recognised. Those instructions, which were updated last year, advise against the criminalisation of child exploitation victims.”
“That resource supports consistent and evidence-based messaging to teachers and all who work in education settings. In addition, dedicated Scottish Government funding to keep the Promise is being provided to Action for Children and the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice in order to develop an improvement framework for all practitioners to enhance the identification of and response to criminal exploitation. The framework is due to be published later this year. To further improve the collective response to child abuse, including child criminal exploitation, we will roll out national multi-agency risk assessment training for social workers, police and health professionals over the next year.”
“I thank Michael Matheson for bringing the debate to the chamber. It is a really important topic and has been looked at by the Criminal Justice Committee, of which I am a member. On the point about awareness, I highlight the issue of county lines, whereby young people— often, children—are recruited by gangs to participate in illegal drug-related activities. That issue is perhaps flying slightly under the radar in Scotland. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Minister, I can give you the time back. Natalie Don-Innes: I thank Audrey Nicoll for making that point and assure her that it is being considered in our overall response to the issue. Education Scotland has developed a professional learning package for local authorities’ strategic safeguarding leads, based on the practitioner guidance.”
“As I said, the Glasgow health and social care partnership has confirmed that it has not been alerted to any specific incidents of antisocial behaviour. Additionally, I point out that no concerns about increased injecting in the community have been raised by stakeholders, including by community representatives at the first community engagement forum meeting, which was held on 25 February. Rural Crime 3.”
“All of us in the Parliament have a responsibility to ensure that we do not inadvertently spread misinformation about a service that seeks to address an issue by using a method that international evidence demonstrates works. Given that the location for the Thistle project was chosen because community injecting was already happening there, can the minister outline what, if any, substantive evidence has been provided by Police Scotland that suggests that there has been an increase in injecting in the community or, indeed, an increase in the discarding of paraphernalia? Siobhian Brown: No evidence has been provided to suggest that there has been an increase in injecting or in discarding of paraphernalia. I agree with Audrey Nicoll that we must ensure that accurate information is communicated, both in the chamber and to the local community.”
“Reflecting that commercial success, our on-going public service reform work has delivered, with Historic Environment Scotland, a revised business model that will allow it greater financial freedoms to manage its commercial income in the year. That reinvestment into our historic environment, alongside our grant-in-aid funding and HES’s philanthropic and fundraising activities, will provide it with a sound platform to continue to develop for Scotland and to maintain our historic sites.”
“Can the cabinet secretary provide an update on what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the impact on the heritage sector of the United Kingdom Government’s increase to employer national insurance contributions, and of the implications that it will have for the sector’s ability to conserve historic sites? Angus Robertson: The Government has strongly raised our concerns with the UK Treasury about the impact on public services of the increase to employer national insurance contributions. Regarding the impact on the heritage sector, the increase equates to an additional £1.6 million of costs to Historic Environment Scotland. However, Historic Environment Scotland’s commercial income continues to grow.”
“Scotland’s north-east is now home, in Blackhillock, to Europe’s largest battery, which is significantly reducing the amount of wasted clean energy from the Viking, Moray east and Beatrice offshore wind farms and will provide an estimated saving to consumers of £170 million over the next 15 years. Meanwhile, Age Scotland research has found that three in four Scottish pensioners have lived in cold homes over the winter. Rising energy bills are continuing to heap pressure on households, and Labour’s surprise cut to the winter fuel payment has added to the difficulties that many older people in Scotland face. Given Scotland’s huge energy potential, and further to Christine Grahame’s question on the issue, does the First Minister agree that people in Scotland should have lower bills for the energy that we generate?”
“I am aware, too, that the minister is deeply interested in that area of work and has been involved in it. There is still a long road ahead before we reach full gender parity globally. However, I am confident in the Scottish Government’s commitment to taking meaningful steps towards that goal in Scotland and to further address the many new and emerging threats to women that we face today. I again thank all members, in particular those who supported my motion and will contribute to the debate. I wish everyone—albeit belatedly—a happy international women’s day. 17:44”
“That has particular relevance to women who are survivors of sexual crimes, whose experience of the justice system is, frankly, traumatising. Many more pieces of work are under way that are making a real difference for women and girls across Scotland, including by reducing the gender pay gap, expanding childcare provision and tackling gender-based violence and health inequalities. I ask the minister, in her closing remarks, to provide an update on the issues that I have referenced and on the work of the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls. To be honest, I do not know a great deal about the council, but I know that it has been a welcome initiative that the First Minister has developed to explore ways of tackling gender inequality in Scotland.”
“At least £4 million will be allocated to expand the number of women entrepreneurs by providing tailored support at the earliest stages of business creation. The Scottish Government’s women’s health plan cements Scotland’s commitment to tackling gender inequalities in health. I am pleased to note the progress that is being made in that space, including the development of specialist menopause services, and that the Scottish Government is actively consulting women and girls on the next phase of the plan’s delivery. In the justice space, the Criminal Justice Committee is continuing its scrutiny of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, which seeks to improve the experience of victims in the justice system, many of whom are women.”
“This week, Clifford was sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murders of his former girlfriend Louise, her sister Hannah and their mother. The sentencing judge described him as a man “soaked in self-pity”, who “holds women in utter contempt.” Systemic biases are still deeply embedded in our society. The theme of this year’s international women’s day is accelerate action, by taking the swift and decisive steps that are necessary to tackle gender-based inequality. I will touch on three areas in which we are accelerating action in Scotland. First, we are forging a path for women’s economic empowerment. I was pleased that, just recently, the Deputy First Minister announced funding to encourage women into enterprise.”
“When I spoke to Sharyn, she described the harrowing situation for many women who were too malnourished to breastfeed their newborn babies but could not afford to buy formula on the black market, so their babies died. “Chilling” is not the word. The emerging online threat to women is also a cause for great concern. Developments in artificial intelligence and technology have changed the ways in which women are exploited online. For example, South Korea is facing a national crisis as a result of the increasing publication of deepfake pornography photos and videos of young women. As our social media grows, so does the spread of misogynistic influencers. We have seen the horrifying case in England of Kyle Clifford, who was allegedly influenced by the grotesque misogynist Andrew Tate.”
“What better place to begin than to spotlight the achievements of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani woman and Nobel prize winner who, as we all know, bravely spoke out against the Taliban’s exclusion of young women from schools? Malala’s story brings to light that, although strides have been taken in improving the rights of women and girls, so much more is still to be done, particularly in international spaces. We simply cannot ignore that. Our media is currently awash with reporting about women’s rights violations and such rights being increasingly diminished in Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine and Syria. Who could forget the example set by Sharyn Lock, an international midwife who fasted for five days outside the Scottish Parliament, in solidarity with women and children who were going hungry in Gaza, and who called for an immediate ceasefire?”
“Before I begin, I warmly extend my thanks to members who supported my motion. I am delighted to bring to the chamber this debate to mark international women’s day 2025, and I thank all members who intend to speak this evening. International women’s day, which this year was celebrated on 8 March, aims to recognise the achievements of women across the world. It brings with it an opportunity to raise awareness of the barriers and challenges that women still face, but also to celebrate the many achievements made to date in improving the lives of women and girls both in Scotland and further afield. I hope that the debate will deliver on the aims of international women’s day, and I very much look forward to hearing the contributions of my fellow members.”
“The SFC will be interrogating the proposed plan closely, and staff need to be given a chance to input ideas that might mitigate the nature and scale of the impact.”
“Graeme Dey: The Leverhulme centre is externally funded through to next year, so it is in a slightly different position, although I accept that its staff are the subject of consultation. However, among the things that the SFC will be considering as it goes through the proposed financial recovery plan are any consequences that will come from what is being proposed and any serious impacts that will be felt way beyond the confines of the university. This cannot be a recovery predicated coldly and purely on saving money regardless of the implications for staff, students and wider stakeholders. However, major savings will have to be made by the institution—we cannot get away from that.”
“The Leverhulme research centre for forensic science at the University of Dundee works with justice partners to provide a range of forensic services in Scotland, with work on-going to establish a national drug-checking service and an institute for innovation in forensic science for Scotland as part of the Tay cities region deal. I understand that staff, both externally grant funded and fully tenure-funded by the Scottish Funding Council, are at risk of redundancy, which would be a significant blow to the future provision of forensic services in Scotland. I welcome the minister’s response so far, but can he provide any further reassurance specifically on the future of the centre, given its importance to the delivery of justice in Scotland and its potentially critical role—through drug testing—in the efforts to reduce drug deaths?”
“I welcome the scrutiny, and although I hope that it informs on- going work to address the inevitable gaps and shortcomings with regard to the operation of the Equality Act 2010, I believe that there must be an acknowledgement of the complexities of some aspects of embedding equalities in compliance, but those should not be insurmountable. I commend the huge level of commitment that is already evident across public services. I acknowledge that this is a continuous and often complex process, and I will certainly do all that I can to support that work. 15:41”
“I have been following the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee’s inquiry into the operation of the PSED in Scotland, and I have noted the evidence of stakeholders on a wide range of issues, such as the need for clearer understanding of the tenets of the duty and the importance of data that informs compliance. I was interested to hear about the collaborative approach in Aberdeenshire, which involves members and officers working together to consider the challenges that have arisen from a mixed school estate in which facilities in the older part of the estate are less able to comply with some aspects of the duty than facilities in other parts of the estate. That is a great example of the on-going need to assess and monitor compliance and of working together to find solutions.”