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 8 of 9.
“In any organisation in which staff have power and control over the wellbeing of the public, both in the service that they deliver and the environment in which they work, compliance with any duty is absolutely crucial in securing the trust and confidence of the workforce and service users. I commend the many public sector organisations that work hard to embed good equality duty compliance. As we have seen of late, there is no point in requiring compliance with any duty unless we can assess that compliance. In the case of the tenets of the equality duty, that means eliminating unlawful discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations across everything that an organisation does.”
“I was grateful to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice for updating the Parliament on the breadth of work that is being undertaken by Police Scotland in that space. It is no secret that, historically, the attitudes, values and behaviour of police officers—most of whom were men—fell well short by today’s standards, courtesy of deeply entrenched cultural attitudes, misogyny and sexism. Embedding the new duty was therefore a significant and costly piece of work to shift the dial on organisational practice and procedures, make significant infrastructure changes, roll out a comprehensive programme of training and shift deeply entrenched attitudes and behaviours.”
“I am particularly proud of my track record in leading the Criminal Justice Committee, to which Russell Findlay made a significant contribution, through a range of work that has had at its heart the safety, dignity and wellbeing of women and girls. I fully intend to continue that work for the rest of the parliamentary session. At the heart of the debate sits a much wider issue of ensuring and supporting public sector compliance with the provisions of the Equality Act 2010, as set out in the public sector equality duty. While I am in a reminiscing mood, I will reflect on my experience of embedding the PSED in policing. However, I acknowledge that that was a number of years ago, and things have moved on considerably since then.”
“I have spent my entire working life in the public sector, striving to improve the lives of women, girls and those who are most vulnerable in society, many of whom have protected characteristics. In my policing career, that was uppermost in my work across operational and specialist policing, as it was in higher education teaching in the interprofessional learning space and supporting embedding the equally safe strategy across the university—and, now, in my work as a parliamentarian. Further on in my contribution, I will touch on my involvement, during my policing career, in embedding the public sector equality duty, which exists to protect people from discrimination and is based on the nine protected characteristics.”
“Before I get into the substance of my contribution, I commend everyone who works hard to improve the rights and freedoms of women and girls in Scotland. Later this afternoon, I will lead a members’ business debate to mark international women’s day. I look forward to celebrating the progress and advances that have been made to promote and create a truly gender-equal world. I was disappointed not to be able to attend the international women’s day event in the Scottish Parliament last weekend but, from previous years, I know the breadth and depth of the conversations, the topics discussed and the many challenges that have been identified. There is much to celebrate but much to do.”
“To ask the Scottish Government, in light of joint calls on the United Kingdom Government from business leaders in Scotland for the project to be progressed as a priority, whether it will provide an update on what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding the Acorn carbon capture and storage project and Scotland’s journey to net zero. (S6T- 02407)”
“Although I understand that the issue sits more in the health space, access to primary care services for people who are living with drug harm can often be an important protective factor that prevents them from entering the justice system. I thank the people’s panel again for this really important piece of work. The Criminal Justice Committee remains steadfast in its commitment to addressing drug-related harm through our scrutiny work, in collaboration with our colleagues on the Social Justice and Social Security Committee and the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. The insight from the people’s panel provide a clear road map, and we are committed to translating those recommendations into tangible actions that will save lives and foster healthier communities across Scotland. 15:40”
“I am interested in what timelines the Government might be looking at for full implementation of that. On naloxone campaign developments, plans are being formulated for a comprehensive naloxone awareness campaign, as we have already referenced, which aims to educate the public and reduce overdose fatalities. I would like to know whether that will be a sustained campaign. Finally, on general practitioner engagement with MAT standards, initiatives are in place to ensure that GPs have access to and are utilising MAT standards information and training that are available online, but how many GPs are actually engaging? Will there be an evaluation to ensure that that translates into better patient outcomes?”
“Efforts have led to a substantial increase in naloxone availability, with 70 per cent of at-risk individuals now equipped with kits. Although the increased availability of naloxone is positive, I am aware that there is still room for greater awareness and for use to broaden out even further. I know that the Government is fully behind widening access to and use of naloxone, and I would welcome reassurance that that will remain a key area of delivery. At the joint committee meeting on 20 February, the cabinet secretary committed to providing an update on several fronts. First, there is progress on the single shared assessment. Efforts are under way to streamline assessments between the NHS and third sector organisations, ensuring cohesive support for individuals.”
“The Criminal Justice Committee has scheduled a formal meeting on 23 April to deliberate on the matter, and I hope that that may initiate a further inquiry based on the panel’s recommendations. The panel advocates for an expanded public awareness campaign regarding naloxone, a life- saving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses. The goal is to empower individuals to administer naloxone confidently, knowing that there will be no legal repercussions. My constituency team and I have undergone training to administer naloxone, and I—like my colleague Collette Stevenson—would encourage anyone to consider doing likewise as it could save a life. The Scottish Government supports that recommendation in principle, too, and it is engaging with partners to broaden the reach of naloxone distribution.”
“In response, the Scottish Prison Service has established an incident management team in collaboration with Public Health Scotland, the Scottish Ambulance Service, Police Scotland and national health service partners. The team has problem assessment groups to provide rapid responses to emerging issues in correctional facilities. The Scottish Prison Service is also partnering with the University of Dundee to gain deeper insight into the nature and extent of drug use in prisons. Innovative technological solutions are also being explored to detect and prevent contraband entry. However, we must ensure that we are striking the right balance between enforcement and ensuring that prisoners who are living with drug harm receive the support that they need.”
“A new national third sector throughcare service is set to launch in April this year, which will extend support to those who are leaving remand for the first time. Unplanned release from remand is a significant issue. I am delighted that that provision is being introduced, and I seek reassurance on the longer- term sustainability of the funding. The proliferation of illicit substances—especially potent synthetic drugs—in our prison system poses significant challenges. The panel recommends that our cross-committee collaboration intensifies efforts to curb drug supply in prisons, aiming to create a safer environment for prisoners and staff.”
“We know how important prison release plans can be, as we hear a lot of anecdotal evidence from prison mentoring groups about what can go wrong and how easy it is for someone to relapse unless proper plans are in place. I am pleased that the Scottish Government has accepted that recommendation. I know that the cabinet secretary is aware of the importance of pre-release planning. The committee welcomes the implementation of medication assisted treatment standard 5, which ensures that people receive support to remain in treatment for as long as they desire during critical transition periods. In addition, more than £3 million is allocated to third sector partnerships, which provide voluntary throughcare services.”
“I also thank all the committee clerks, the Scottish Parliament information centre and other colleagues for their support in assisting the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee and the Criminal Justice Committee to work together in support of efforts to tackle drug use and its associated harms. As we have heard, the people’s panel made a range of recommendations, and I will discuss in further detail those that are pertinent to the Criminal Justice Committee. The panel emphasises the necessity of sustained support for individuals who are transitioning from environments such as prisons in order to prevent the cliff edge effect whereby support diminishes and external pressures resurface, increasing the risk of relapse.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Criminal Justice Committee in this debate on the people’s panel report on reducing drug harm and deaths in Scotland. I extend our sincere gratitude to the people’s panel members for their commitment to this complex issue and for producing a thoughtful and comprehensive report. Their insights are invaluable as we strive to address the multifaceted challenges of drug-related harm in our communities. I commend the participation and communities team and members of the stewarding board for their excellent work in making the people’s panel happen.”
“So that progress and investor confidence can be maintained, we are pushing for the UK Government to make a clear and meaningful public announcement by return, and certainly ahead of June, confirming that the UK Government is committed to awarding track 2 status to the Acorn project and the Scottish cluster. Proposed Heat in Buildings Bill 3.”
“Scotland is on a journey to becoming a renewable energy powerhouse, facilitated by our just transition to net zero. However, that will require the co-operation of the United Kingdom Government on initiatives such as the Acorn carbon capture and storage project. Will the minister provide an update on engagement with the UK Government on the Acorn project, which is of huge importance to the north-east? Alasdair Allan: The member is right. Scottish ministers regularly engage with our counterparts in the UK Government to push for a decision on Acorn. Carbon capture is vital for achieving our climate targets—the Climate Change Committee described it as being a necessity, not an option, that we achieve net zero emissions. The Scottish cluster is essential not just to Scotland’s target of reaching net zero by 2045, but to the UK’s 2050 target.”
“I am heartened by the response from civic society and parliamentary party leaders, and I hope that we will be able to convene that gathering on 23 April. My objective is to draw people together to encourage community cohesion, which will involve working to tackle the hatred and prejudice that Mr Choudhury raised— Audrey Nicoll echoed what he said. I look forward to using that gathering to create a firm foundation for the values of Scottish society. The Presiding Officer: We move to constituency and general supplementary questions. If we are all concise, more members will have an opportunity for scrutiny. Police Officers (Working Conditions)”
“The growing levels of Islamophobia in the UK are deeply concerning. It is vital that we recognise that more must be done. Will the First Minister further outline how he hopes that the gathering of representatives from key organisations with the leaders of Scotland’s parliamentary parties, which was announced last week, will assist in creating a more cohesive society in which everyone feels at home? The First Minister: Last week, I set out my aspiration to draw together leaders from across Scotland, including from our parliamentary parties, to consider how we can agree a common approach to asserting the values of our country in order to bring people together and create a cohesive society where everyone feels safe and at home.”
“An additional £1 million has been specifically earmarked to support national initiatives to help recruit and train more ASL teachers, including in the member’s constituency.”
“Can the cabinet secretary outline how the 2025-26 budget has already earmarked funding for support to state schools and, specifically, how the Scottish Government is supporting the recruitment of additional teachers, which is a significant issue in my constituency? Jenny Gilruth: The 2025-26 Scottish budget provides record block grant funding of more than £15 billion for local government, which is an increase of £1.1 billion, or 5.5 per cent in real terms, compared with 2024-25. The 2025-26 local government finance settlement also includes an extra £186.5 million for increasing teacher numbers to 2023 levels, and a further £28 million of funding for the additional support for learning workforce.”
“It references analysis by Scottish Renewables that an average 1GW Scottish offshore wind project would pay £38 million a year to use the electricity network, whereas an identical wind farm in the congested seas off England’s south coast would get a £7 million payment for the same service. That is utterly unbelievable, so the regime needs urgent reform.”
“We heard that industry bodies, trade unions and investors are very concerned that the proposal will have a material impact on the scale of the renewables sector’s investment in Scotland and on our ability to drive key projects and unlock jobs in the supply chain here. I would very much welcome an update on the Scottish Government’s position on that issue in the minister’s summing-up speech. Reducing energy bills sits at the heart of our energy thinking. SSE’s detailed briefing sets out the challenges of our antiquated and absurd electricity charging system very well.”
“I also welcome the cabinet secretary’s acknowledgement that the good practice principles must be improved and that community benefit must be ramped up—football shirts and pocket parks do not cut it. However, I remind Mr Lumsden that he inserted an industrial development on a treasured green space in my constituency, known as St Fittick’s park, with absolutely no consultation when he was one of the leaders of Aberdeen City Council, so we must all be genuine in our commentary on community benefit. At last week’s meeting of the cross-party group on renewable energy and energy efficiency, we heard concerns about zonal pricing, which is being considered by the UK Government as part of its energy pricing mechanism review.”
“Of course, there are challenges relating to planning, regulatory processes and financial mechanisms. That last point has been raised with me recently by several businesses that are seeking to expand and would like a clearer shared investment strategy between the Scottish and UK Governments that will provide confidence to underpin the level of investment that is required to unlock infrastructure projects. That is particularly relevant to our port infrastructure in enabling authorities, including Port of Aberdeen, to support floating offshore wind projects. I am grateful to the cabinet secretary and the minister for their respective engagement on that issue.”
“One business with more than 40 years of deep-water experience is scaling up its testing of offshore platform technology, which is offering important opportunities for foundation manufacturing in Scotland. Another business is developing a new type of hydrogen storage vessel to support projects that require a method of moving hydrogen to end users. Currently, there is no UK or Scottish manufacturer of that type of storage vessel; such vessels are all imported. Port of Aberdeen continues on its journey to create an international hub for offshore wind, including by further deepening the south harbour, and the brilliant Net Zero Technology Centre’s TechX clean energy accelerator programme supports unbelievably talented clean energy start- ups to continue their journey in accelerating the transition to a net zero industry.”
“As the Deputy First Minister set out last week in a debate on increasing investment in Scotland, renewable energy generation reached a record high in the first half of 2024 and Scotland’s net zero sector has grown by more than 20 per cent since 2022. Scotland’s renewable energy industry supported more than 42,000 jobs and an economic output of more than £10.1 billion in 2021, according to the Fraser of Allander Institute. The UK’s net zero industry is growing three times faster than the overall UK economy, and it generated more than £83 billion for the UK in 2024. I call that a success story. Some of that success is visible in my Aberdeen South and North Kincardine constituency.”
“I am always very pleased to speak in any debate on energy. As I am a north- east MSP, today’s debate on Scotland’s renewables future is no exception. Scotland’s offshore energy industry has been a success story for over 50 years. Although we do not need to rehearse the fact that our energy mix is shifting away from oil and gas, it is worth repeating that the tax regime that is connected to Scotland’s energy industry has seen hundreds of billions of pounds of tax revenue flow to the UK Government. Scotland has done its share of heavy lifting, heating our homes and businesses and keeping the lights on, and I hope that that continues. However, as they say, progress is impossible without change, and we are now on a different trajectory, with a unique opportunity to repurpose our energy sector through a managed just transition.”
“Last week, the consul of Ukraine in Scotland told the Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee that Ukraine requires “not only peace but a just peace.”—[Official Report, Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee, 27 February 2025; c 5.] Does the First Minister agree with that? What would his message be on that matter? The First Minister: The people of Ukraine have suffered enormously, and it is vital that the peace settlement that is achieved is one that protects the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Those are the requirements of a just peace, and they should comprise the approach that is taken to confront Russia and to ensure that the legitimate aspirations of the people of Ukraine are fulfilled as a consequence of that support from the west.”
“I am also mindful of the point that His Majesty’s chief inspector of constabulary made when he spoke about the day-to-day demands on the job and how they can have an impact on the mental health of serving police officers. That is why the £17 million investment in and focus on mental health support and access to enhanced occupational health services are of particular importance.”
“The cabinet secretary will be aware of the interest that the Criminal Justice Committee has taken in officer and staff mental wellbeing. Although it is clear that a lot of progress has been made in that area, will she outline any further detail on access to support for officers and staff that is of a more specialist nature and that goes beyond the early preventative role? Angela Constance: There are two points to make in relation to Ms Nicoll’s question. There is the support that is absolutely necessary when officers find themselves in danger in protecting others or are witnesses to very traumatic circumstances. In that regard, there is the trauma risk management programme.”
“However, I hope that the issues around remand are also included as part of that early work. Perhaps, in her closing remarks, the cabinet secretary can jog my memory about whether remand is to be included. I support all proposals to enable Scotland to continue on its journey towards a reformed and effective justice system. I welcome the announcement and look forward to following the progress of the review. 16:05”
“It will take political will, moral courage, resources, and action on several fronts to achieve meaningful change.” I therefore welcome the cabinet secretary’s update on an independent review of sentencing and penal policy to examine how custodial sentences and community interventions can be used to best effect, including, importantly, whether and how they can be developed further. I am also delighted to hear that Martyn Evans will chair the commission. He will bring a wealth of insight and experience to his role, as will the other commissioners who have been referenced today, and I do not think for one second that he will simply tell the cabinet secretary what she wants to hear. The cabinet secretary noted that the review will focus initially on community sentencing, bail and release from custody.”
“On the forthcoming budget for 2025-26, I am pleased to see the Scottish Government’s commitment to strengthening community justice services through an investment of almost £160 million, and I urge all members to support the budget next week. We cannot call out perceived failures in the system on the one hand without supporting the solutions on the other. I note the comments of Dr Hannah Graham and her academic colleagues in their submission to the Criminal Justice Committee relating to the recent early release of prisoners. They said that “the prison population and jail conditions are important issues which have been raised for decades.”
“In response, Scotland has undertaken a range of proactive steps, including a broadening out of community justice, interventions, the presumption against short-term prison sentences, and the enactment of the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023 to support more effective use of bail and more effective release planning. The provisions in the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 that ensure that under-18s are no longer sent to prison are also hugely welcome. I agree entirely with Rona Mackay’s comments with regard to community custody units that aim to effectively support women as they transition out of a prison environment and back into the community.”
“Many members have referenced the complexities of the prison population, longer sentences and the unrelenting legacy of Covid. Those factors are not unique to Scotland, but meaningful and sustained change has been difficult to achieve. Although I support modernisation of our prison estate, I strongly disagree that creating more prison space as part of the solution to the current prison population challenge fits remotely with a contemporary justice system. Liam Kerr: Will the member give way? Audrey Nicoll: I will not, if Liam Kerr does not mind, as I am short of time.”
“Since this parliamentary session began, the challenges that the justice system faces have featured prominently in chamber business. Justice touches absolutely everyone. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Back in 2022, the new strategy, “Vision for Justice in Scotland: three year delivery plan”, set out the timely and welcome approach that was being taken across Scotland to grasp the nettle of reforming our justice system so that it meets the needs of a modern and contemporary Scotland. Scotland’s prison population remains among the highest, per capita, in western Europe, and front and centre of virtually every debate on the subject in this parliamentary session has been the need to reduce that population. We understand the factors behind the stubborn upward trend.”
“As a frequent traveller on the A96, I understand that it was a slope failure as a result of heavy rain that caused the damage to the bridge. What challenges exist in relation to the required remedial work? Given the complexities, is it not crucial that the work be carried out with the utmost care, which will, regrettably, inevitably lead to the work taking longer? The Deputy Presiding Officer: Be as brief as possible, cabinet secretary. Fiona Hyslop: The work is a complex operation that needs to be done safely. The bridge wing wall failed due to a damaged drainage pipe that saturated the soil behind it. It is in an urban location and is next to a watercourse. The levels in the River Isla and the groundwater levels all have to be considered to ensure that the work is done properly and safely for all concerned. Storm Éowyn 8.”
“I see that in my constituency casework involving people arriving at health services with a substance dependency and a mental health issue. Working across mental health and drugs policy, we commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland to produce an exemplar protocol that builds on best practice from around the country and internationally. It outlines how mental health and substance use services can work together to deliver a whole-system approach, which will be absolutely critical to fully delivering and implementing MAT standard 9. That work will support local areas to integrate mental health and substance use services and will ensure that people with co-occurring conditions can get the help that they need regardless of which service they present at.”
“Through my engagement with colleagues who work in drug services, I am aware that concerns about access to formal mental health assessment continue, with people often being considered to be too chaotic or using too heavily, being passed between mental health services and, ultimately, struggling to access the care that they need. I very much welcome the cabinet secretary’s recognition of the importance of services adapting and the update on the development of the exemplar protocol. Will he provide further detail on the action that is being taken to ensure that there are clear pathways and timescales for mental health support, acknowledging the wider pressures on mental health services? Neil Gray: I thank Audrey Nicoll for raising that point, and I recognise that we still need to resolve that challenge.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Douglas Ross, on behalf of the Education, Children and Young People Committee. You have around six minutes, Mr Ross. 15:29”
“We also said that the financial memoranda that are presented to the Parliament on Government bills must be as accurate as possible and that proposed legislation must be accompanied by appropriate resources. As members will know, in this session our committee has scrutinised several significant bills, all of which have significant associated costs outlined in their financial memoranda. I welcome the resource and capital increases for the criminal justice sector for 2025-26. The committee looks forward to scrutinising whether those extra sums have been invested wisely using a spend-to-save approach. We will continue to keep the pressure on and will work with the cabinet secretary to improve the way in which our criminal justice sector works.”
“I welcome the response of the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs to the committee that she had been able to secure an increase of £400 million, or 10.5 per cent, compared with the opening 2024-25 budget that was presented to Parliament in December 2023. It is important to note, however, that that increase does not account for the in-year adjustments to budgets that were made in 2024-25. The committee considers that in-year payments should be more transparent in order to provide the committee with a more accurate picture of the funding situation of the organisations that it holds to account—not just the sums provided at the start of each financial year.”
“The benefits of DESC include fewer victims and witnesses having to attend court, which reduces the time it takes for cases to come to court and reach a conclusion, and, importantly, saves police time. During a pilot of the programme in Dundee, around 19,500 pieces of evidence were handled through DESC, which freed up almost 550 hours of police officers’ time. As the committee said last year, it also wants to see reform of the criminal justice sector continue. It urges the Scottish Government and others to invest in relatively low-cost schemes in which investments have clear cost savings but significant benefit. In short, the spend-to-invest approach is one that we want to see adopted further.”
“That is just a flavour of the evidence that the committee took; more is set out in our report, which was unanimously agreed. Of particular interest to the committee was the pressure on capital budgets and investment right across the sector, and the ways in which relatively small sums of money invested using a spend-to- save approach in individual parts of the sector can bring wider benefits elsewhere across it. One example was the investment in the summary case management system, which has seen the number of police witness citations fall to around half in some areas of Scotland, thereby releasing officers for front-line duties. Other examples that should result in budget savings over the longer term are the investments in body-worn video cameras for police and the new digital evidence-sharing capability, or DESC.”
“The Scottish Prison Service told the committee that a significant proportion of its budget is “exposed to inflation and to public sector pay policy”,— [Official Report, Criminal Justice Committee, 6 November 2024; c 30.] which limits its options for mitigating cost pressures from emerging challenges such as a population that has grown by around 10 per cent and that is far more complex, thereby creating significant additional budgetary challenges. We also heard of the pressures arising from the ageing prison estate—in particular, the urgent need to replace HMP Barlinnie with a new facility at HMP Glasgow. The committee welcomes the fact that HMP Glasgow is a key priority for major infrastructure improvements in the prison estate.”
“Similarly, we heard from Police Scotland that the situation was “critical” and that it was vital that the organisation moved towards new funding arrangements, namely “multi-year funding commitments from Scottish Government, the exercise of statutory borrowing powers and the establishment of a facility to enable the carry forward of financial reserves.” The Scottish Police Authority said that the impact of the United Kingdom Government’s national insurance increase, which was announced during our scrutiny, was that an additional £25.3 million of revenue would be required next year.”
“We heard stark evidence from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service that a lack of capital and resource budget was preventing important work from happening in response to firefighters’ exposure to fire contaminants and also preventing the provision of dignified facilities from progressing. That concerned many members, who saw that as essential provision, given that the role of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service continues to evolve.”
“I am pleased to speak in this budget debate on behalf of the Criminal Justice Committee. I thank committee members, the clerking team and SPICe and comms colleagues for their support in our budget scrutiny, as well as the many stakeholders who provided evidence to the committee. This year, our focus was again a broad one as we scrutinised the financial pressures that policing, fire and rescue services, prisons, prosecution services and courts, community justice, criminal justice social work and the third sector face. Without exception, every organisation that gave evidence told us the same story—that there was no scope for further cuts and that meaningful investment was long overdue.”
“The new prisons, working collaboratively with our partners, are expected to strengthen skills and employability, improve mental health among the population in their care, create a safer working environment and improve professional development and support opportunities for staff.”