Angela Constance
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“Patients deserve better. There have been active campaigns by members across the chamber to represent the views of constituents in Lanarkshire, including by my colleagues Neil Gray and Fulton MacGregor. I fully appreciate the strength of feeling on the need for a new Monklands hospital.”
“Proceeding in that cost envelope would significantly limit our ability to invest in services and infrastructure across the wider NHS. I have carefully weighed the opportunity cost against our objective on improving public services. The current proposal also raises important questions about value for money.”
“For the wider system, it will reduce pressure on acute hospitals, allowing focus on those who need specialist care most. I can announce today that, as part of the programme, specifically for Lanarkshire, we will begin with a new general practitioner walk-in facility in Lanark—transforming an old shop front and a retail park in the town ce…”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to provide an update to members on NHS capital projects, specifically on the current position and next steps for the Monklands replacement project. I begin by being absolutely clear: the Government will deliver a new Monklands hospital. That commitment has not changed and it will not change.”
“During the election campaign, the Scottish National Party promised to increase use of the new refugee doctors project, which is meant to help medically trained refugees from Gaza and other places to get registered for work in the national health service.”
“Scotland welcomes refugee doctors and is committed to supporting them in overcoming barriers that prevent them from rebuilding their medical careers.”
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“I am grateful for the opportunity to update Parliament on the exceptional weather that Scotland experienced last week during storm Éowyn. I begin by expressing condolences to the families and friends of those who have died or been injured as a result of incidents during the storm. I also extend my sympathy to those who have experienced disruption or damage to their businesses and homes as a consequence of the storm. On Tuesday 21 January, the Met Office announced the likely arrival of storm Éowyn and predicted disruption for the following Friday and Saturday. By Thursday 23 January, its forecast confidence had increased, and it took the serious step of issuing a red warning for wind that covered the central belt and southern Scotland.”
“I assure members that we will address the systemic failures that were identified by Sheriff Collins and strengthen oversight of and accountability for the reforms that must be made. I expect services to be provided within a culture of transparency, candour and compassion. That is particularly true in relation to all people who are in the care of the state. Accountability starts with acceptance, but it does not end there. Accountability must also result in answers and actions that lead to lasting change. I again extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of William Lindsay and Katie Allan, and to all families who have been affected by a death in custody. I know that they do not want condolences or hand wringing. It is action that they seek, and it is such action that we will deliver.”
“Last year, I visited Northern Ireland and heard at first hand about the positive impact that has been achieved through its system of enhanced combination orders, which enable judges to address offending behaviour through alternatives to custody while providing for support and intervention to address the underlying drivers of such behaviour. Such examples speak to the whole-system approach that we need here. I will come back to the Parliament with plans to strengthen our community order system, and I want members to remember this day when I do so. Like everybody here, I do not want there to be any preventable deaths in our prisons, and there should be no suicides.”
“People who break the law must face consequences for their actions, and sometimes there is no alternative to the punishment of depravation of liberty. In other cases, that can be done safely and more effectively in the community. Let me be clear: people need to stop calling that “soft justice”. If our mindset is that jail is the only option, we will never be able to stop the impacts that imprisonment can have on people, families and society, which lead to further societal costs that we all pay for. I want to go further on community justice and to drive more innovation in that area.”
“I am therefore commissioning a focused independent review of the FAI system that will look at the efficiency, effectiveness and trauma-informed nature of investigations into deaths in prison custody. I will ask the inquiry chair to report to me by the end of this year on the solutions and the tangible actions that need to be taken. Finally, although this is not in my gift to introduce, I will continue to pursue the lifting of Crown immunity with the United Kingdom Government. I believe that that should change in line with the position with other public bodies. We also need to take more steps to improve alternatives to custody. Since I became justice secretary, I have said that there needs to be a shift in the balance from custody to justice in the community.”
“That will require primary legislation, which we will introduce at the earliest opportunity. Alongside that, I will bring forward proposals in relation to family advocacy and support outside the formal FAI process. The fifth action relates to the FAI process. I agree with Sheriff Collins, among others, that the period of five years between the deaths and the first notice of inquiry was far too long. It is clear that the process is letting families down and that the time taken for FAIs to start and conclude needs to be addressed. I understand that the families do not want another review. However, unless we specifically look at the efficiency and effectiveness of the whole system, we will not see the improvements that are needed. I have discussed that with the Lord Advocate, who shares my view.”
“However, there is more that we must do. I therefore confirm that, with immediate effect, independent chairing of DIPLARs will be extended to all deaths in custody. I also confirm that the learning and key actions from those reviews will be available to those performing the independent national oversight role. The fourth action relates to legal aid for bereaved families who participate in fatal accident inquiries. Currently, families are entitled to legal aid on the basis of means testing, with the majority of families receiving support. However, in recognition of the special significance of a death in custody, we will change the legal aid system to make legal aid free, with no means testing, in relation to fatal accident inquiries into deaths in custody.”
“We need to ensure that that can never happen again. The Scottish Government, the SPS, the national health service and the Scottish courts will work urgently and immediately to ensure that all the written information and documentation that are available to the courts are passed to the SPS at the time of a person’s admission to prison. A standardised approach to sharing relevant information from agencies will also be developed. The third action relates to death in prison learning and audit reviews. Those reviews will now include consideration of the safety of the prisoner’s physical environment and the means by which they were able to die by suicide. That was a specific recommendation made by Sheriff Collins. The reviews now also allow for input from families, following engagement with the family reference group.”
“The SPS has taken action to address and refurbish the physical environment and has introduced trauma-informed training for staff that focuses on support for young people. It will do more by developing an anti-ligature risk assessment, which will further support work to ensure that spaces can be as safe as possible. In addition, the development of suicide prevention technology will be accelerated and, if viable, piloted and reviewed. The second action relates to mental health services and information sharing. The Scottish Prison Service’s suicide prevention strategy, talk to me, will be completely revised and overhauled. William Lindsay’s case was, sadly, not unique. He was let down by many services before he arrived in custody, and there were failings in sharing information about his needs.”
“Work is already under way on that, but I will ensure that specific proposals are brought forward by March this year. Those proposals will strengthen accountability in relation to fatal accident inquiry recommendations and ensure that thematic and systemic issues are identified and addressed, which will also inform and support work on prevention. I turn to the actions. The first relates to the physical environment in prisons and focuses on ligature and risk assessments. Sheriff Collins stressed the need for greater recognition by the SPS of the importance of ligature prevention. I confirm that the SPS will urgently and immediately review and revise its policy on items that can be used as ligatures.”
“To ensure that we drive change and implementation and achieve the impact that is needed, we must strengthen oversight and accountability, and that needs to be independent. Starting now, we need oversight of the actions that are taken as a result of Sheriff Collins’s determination, including those that I will set out today. I have therefore asked His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons in Scotland to provide oversight and monitoring of implementation and, crucially, to review the actions that are taken to ensure that they meet the required outcome. I have asked the inspectorate to involve families and prisoners, just as it should involve prison staff, and to seek other expert advice. The inspectorate will report directly to me. We also need independent national oversight in relation to deaths in custody.”
“I accept those recommendations and commit to addressing in detail each and every one of them in our full formal response. I will report to the Parliament again when we provide that. I will set out to the Parliament today six specific and direct actions that will contribute to the systems-wide reform that must now take place. I am determined to lead change across the Scottish Prison Service, the national health service and broader partners in order to take forward the necessary reforms. Although many changes have already taken place, further improvements are needed at operational and procedural levels. I also expect to see cultural change in the way that agencies work individually and collectively.”
“First and foremost, I express my deepest condolences to the families of Katie Allan and William Lindsay. I am deeply sorry for their deaths. Suicide is a tragedy, but it is also preventable, and the deaths of those two young people should not have happened while they were in the care of the state. Sheriff Simon Collins KC has issued a comprehensive and hard-hitting determination that resonates deeply. Accountability starts with acceptance. The Scottish Government accepts Sheriff Collins’s finding that those deaths were preventable and that systemic failures contributed to their deaths. Systemic failures require a systemic response. I hear and fully understand the families’ demand for action and agree that we must take action, and we will. Sheriff Collins has made 25 thoughtful and substantial recommendations.”
“The bill will ensure that the police complaints and misconduct systems are fairer and more transparent, accountable and proportionate, which will ultimately help to strengthen public confidence in policing in Scotland. I move, That the Parliament agrees that the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill be passed. 16:47”
“That includes Sharon Dowey, who lodged an amendment ensuring that victims, survivors, witnesses or suspects and the accused have the opportunity to have their voices heard as consultees in the preparation of the code of ethics. She also lodged an amendment to create a one-off duty on the chief constable to review and make changes to the policies, procedures and guidance that relate to misconduct in light of the code of ethics. Katy Clark’s amendments increase transparency by obliging the chief constable to explain their reasons either for not revising the code or, in the case that it is revised, for why particular representations made by mandatory consultees did not result in a change. That will assure both officers and the public that the code is keeping pace with ethical standards.”
“I have been open to making improvements to the bill throughout the process, while maintaining a firm focus on what it seeks to achieve. The committee’s significant recommendation that the bill should include a power for the chief constable to remove someone who is unable to maintain their vetting was delivered at stage 2. As stated in his recent letter to the Criminal Justice Committee, His Majesty’s chief inspector of constabulary reminded us that putting vetting on a statutory footing was vital and will ensure “that all officers and staff meet and sustain the standards required and that the public are served by a workforce that they can trust.” I thank the members who have engaged with me throughout the passage of the bill to make improvements at each stage.”
“Every person who holds the office of constable and has the powers of that office has a higher duty to account for their own actions and for the actions of others that they have witnessed in the execution of their duties. Therefore, the explicit duty of candour on constables, and also on Police Scotland as an organisation, is another significant provision in the bill. Several features will strengthen the role of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, including the power to take over the consideration of complaints that are being dealt with by the chief constable or the Scottish Police Authority and the transfer of certain functions from the authority to the PIRC. Taken together, those provisions strengthen independent scrutiny of the police complaints and misconduct systems.”
“The bill will ensure that a conclusion is reached and, if that conclusion is that the officer would have been dismissed had they still been an officer, the person will be added to the barred list. The lists will improve police integrity, increase accountability of those who are dismissed from policing and support police vetting right across the United Kingdom. The bill also puts a statutory obligation on the chief constable to prepare, regularly review and disseminate a code of ethics. There are extensive consultation requirements for the development and maintenance of the code, which reinforce its significance and embed a human rights-based approach to policing.”
“It is a further step on the journey of transformative change that has been delivered since the independent review by the former Lord Advocate, Dame Elish Angiolini, of complaints handling, investigations and misconduct issues in relation to policing in Scotland. I will highlight some specific provisions that have the potential to bring about real and lasting change. The bill enables the Scottish police barred list and the police advisory list, which will capture information about police constables who have engaged, or who are suspected of engaging, in serious misconduct. That information can then be shared as appropriate. There is a strong public interest in dealing with allegations of gross misconduct that are made after officers leave the service.”
“It is therefore essential that there are robust, clear and transparent mechanisms in place to investigate complaints or other issues of concern about the police, and that, if things go wrong, the police must be held to account, lessons learned and improvements made. The bill has four main purposes: to raise and embed the ethical standards of the police service; to strengthen the statutory framework on vetting; to reform how police misconduct is dealt with; and, finally, to broaden the role of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner and therefore provide greater independent scrutiny of police complaints handling in Scotland. The bill cannot be viewed in isolation, however.”
“I also want to make mention of, and express my particular thanks to, my bill team for their excellent support throughout the passage of the bill. Police Scotland officers and staff work tirelessly to protect and support our communities. I reiterate how much I value the hard work and dedication of our police officers, who conduct themselves with integrity and professionalism, and that of the whole policing workforce. The principle of policing by consent is central to the mutual bonds of trust between the public and the police, so it is of the utmost importance that the public have confidence in our police service. We need to have trust that those who serve in the police continue to meet the very high standards of behaviour and conduct that we expect throughout their careers.”
“I am pleased to open the debate on the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill. I express my thanks to the committees that took part in considering the bill. In particular, I thank the members of the Criminal Justice Committee for their detailed scrutiny and for gathering a wide range of views in written and oral evidence. I must also thank the clerks to the Criminal Justice Committee. I thank everyone who has engaged with the committee and with the Government during the development and passage of the bill. I say a special thank you to those with lived experience of the police complaints and misconduct systems for their testimony, which was instrumental in developing the bill, and to Lady Elish Angiolini, whose recommendations formed the basis of the bill.”
“Importantly, Sharon Dowey’s amendment 4 will ensure that, in preparing the code of ethics, the voice of people with lived experience of making complaints against the police will be heard. That input will help Police Scotland to achieve a culture of continuous improvement, transparency and inclusivity.”
“I am happy to have worked with both members on the three amendments in the group. The amendments will enhance the bill and I am grateful to the members for their engagement. Katy Clark’s amendments 10 and 11 will increase transparency and accountability. Amendment 10 will ensure that, if the chief constable decides not to revise the code when triggers for the review occur, they must give the reasons for that and explain why no change is needed. Amendment 11 will ensure that, if mandatory consultees suggest changes to the draft revision of the code but those changes are not included in the final revised code, the chief constable must publicly justify the reasons why that decision is made. That level of transparency will build public trust and confidence in our police service.”
“We have always been transparent about the scheduling and revising of planned timescales, as has the court and tribunal system. However, I am pleased to say that, as a result of recovery funding that has been allocated to tackle backlogs, significant progress has been made in reducing those timescales. In fact, the number of scheduled trials outstanding has fallen by more than 50 per cent since January 2022.”
“However, that forecast has now been revisited and a much less ambitious goal has been set out. Given that the Scottish Government’s budget appears to show that there is a cut in the cash settlement for our court service, can the cabinet secretary confirm that any hope of meeting the court service’s original targets for clearing trial backlogs is over and that people will have to wait longer for justice? Angela Constance: I reiterate that funding to the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service has not been cut. I outlined the figures in my previous answer to Mr Balfour. It is important that that crucial information is not misunderstood or misrepresented. We know that demand on our court system, and on the High Court in particular, is increasing, due to the successful actions of the Crown Office and prosecutors.”
“The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service budget is subject to adjustment each year and direct comparison with published figures does not provide a true reflection of the position. The 2025-26 allocation to the service is £177 million. In addition, it receives recovery, renewal and transformation funding of £20.3 million, which will be subject to adjustment in-year. That provides a minimum of £197.3 million, which is an increase compared to the 2023-24 and 2024-25 figures. Jeremy Balfour: During the pandemic, the closure of courts meant that a large backlog of cases built up, including cases involving the most serious crimes. Back in March 2021, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service forecast that the backlog of cases involving the most serious crimes would be cleared by March this year, which is in just two months’ time.”
“In all my endeavours over the past year or so to reduce the prison population, I am on record as saying, time and time again, that the prison population is too high and that we need to answer, at a fundamental level, the question of why we have one of the highest prison populations in the western world when we are one of the safest countries in western Europe, and indeed in the world. In all my endeavours, I want to shift from more emotive and knee-jerk reactions to reactions and interventions that are, first and foremost, based on evidence of what works, and what works to keep our communities safer. Community justice is key to that, and I am very pleased that this former social worker continues to increase investment in community justice.”
“I know that he is a powerful advocate for social justice and reform, and he is right to say that prison should be used for those who present the greatest risk to members of the public and that our prisons should also have a crucial role in reintegration and rehabilitation. Why does Scotland have one of the biggest prison populations in western Europe? I am not sure that I could answer that question in 30 seconds, but it gets to the fundamental core of the issue.”
“It was Angela Davis who said: “Prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings.” But it is worse—prisons, for most people sent there, are not correctional; they have the opposite effect. Not only do they cost 20 times more than community sentencing; the reconviction rate is double. For all but the more serious crimes, prison does not make society safer at all—it manufactures criminality. So why do we continue to have one of the biggest prison populations in the whole of western Europe, and why is the Scottish Government planning to cut the core budget for Community Justice Scotland in the next financial year? Angela Constance: I have great respect for, and sympathy with, the overall tone and tenor of Mr Leonard’s question.”
“We know that community-based interventions can be more effective in reducing reoffending and assisting with rehabilitation and short-term custodial sentences, leading to fewer victims and safer communities. That is why we are focused on shifting the balance from custody to justice in the community, and we plan to invest approximately £159 million in community justice services in 2025-26 to support that. That includes an additional £11 million, which takes our total new investment over two years to £25 million, supporting a range of community justice services, including diversion from prosecution, alternatives to remand, community sentencing and throughcare services. Richard Leonard: I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer.”
“I very much welcomed the committee’s conclusion in its stage 1 report on the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill that independent legal representation should not be extended beyond section 275 applications. The rationale was that focusing ILR on section 275 applications would provide a base for evaluation of its effectiveness, use and cost and whether further reform is required. That is not to say that we cannot look at the further application of ILR at a later point, where evidence would support that approach. Notwithstanding that, I am happy to discuss with Ms Clark and other members the shape of the bill in the round, because how it hangs together as an overall package is of crucial importance. I will, in fairness and in the spirit of co-operation, discuss with Ms Clark a specific amendment in that regard.”
“As she knows, many rape victims describe their experience of the justice system as retraumatising, intimidating and disempowering. Over recent decades, many other countries have introduced far greater advice and representation for victims, including rape victims. Does the cabinet secretary agree with organisations such as Rape Crisis Scotland that there is a strong case for a further extension of legal advice to victims of rape to empower those survivors? Angela Constance: I start by saying that complainers and victims having fundamental trust and confidence in the system is crucial to their coming forward and seeking justice. I very much recognise Ms Clark’s commentary on the retraumatisation that many victims have powerfully given personal testimony on, particularly in representations to the Criminal Justice Committee.”
“The Parliament is aware that I am committed to improving the experience of victims of sexual offences in their interaction with our justice system. That lies at the very heart of the provisions in the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill. The bill will enable publicly funded independent legal representation for complainers when applications to lead evidence of their sexual history and/or their character are made in sexual offence cases. The bill does not currently include a power for ministers to go beyond that. However, I am aware of Ms Clark’s amendment to the bill, which I will carefully consider, and I will seek to meet her to discuss that directly. Katy Clark: I am grateful to the cabinet secretary for her offer to meet.”
“I am also aware that Minister Siobhian Brown and Minister Jim Fairlie, will, along with representatives of Police Scotland, be meeting Mr Doris, who, with other MSP colleagues, has been pursuing the issue diligently.”
“Angela Constance: Mr Doris’s points are apposite and well made, particularly those in relation to the festive period. I assure him and other members that the Scottish Government will continue to fully support Police Scotland and other relevant partners in dealing with the misuse of such vehicles. Before Christmas, Police Scotland issued public communications via its website, reminding people to consider the legal implications when purchasing an electric scooter or e-bike. Its message urged people to be cautious when buying electric bikes or e-scooters, and it reminded the public that some models may not be permitted for use on public roads and that anyone found riding a non- compliant e-bike or e-scooter on a public road is likely to have it seized by officers, at significant cost to the owner.”
“When the cabinet secretary next meets the chief constable, she might wish to indicate that MSPs such as myself wish to see greater support for Police Scotland in policing the dangerous misuse and often illegal use of off-road vehicles and e- bikes. Councillor Allan Gow and I have an upcoming meeting with the Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on related issues, given our public safety concerns. Given that many e-bikes, scooters and quad bikes will have been purchased as gifts at Christmas and will generally become increasingly common across our communities, does the cabinet secretary agree that promoting the responsible and legal use of such vehicles with related public awareness and education campaigns is worthy of consideration?”
“My most recent meeting with the chief constable was on 19 December 2024, when we discussed Police Scotland’s three-year business plan, with notable progress made across a number of areas, including body-worn video and the police budget. I am pleased to report that the latter was welcomed by the chief constable, who stated that it would allow Police Scotland to continue to deliver against its three-year plan on police officer and staff pay. I am also pleased to inform the chamber that agreement has now been reached in respect of the police staff pay award. Bob Doris: I welcome that positive news.”
“They undertake a difficult and challenging job in order to protect the public and to care for people who are quite often vulnerable. As I mentioned in my answer, I am due to write to the Secretary of State for Justice this month to schedule a bilateral meeting. I know that the issue remains important for Mr Yousaf and others, and it is one of the items that I intend to raise during the meeting. As Mr Yousaf will be aware, Crown immunity is not limited to the Scottish Prison Service. It is applicable to all Crown bodies across the UK, and a broader discussion with the UK Government will therefore be required. Police Scotland 5.”
“However, in any organisation, there will be individual and institutional failures, and on occasion, those failures will have a devastating impact. Last year, I wrote to the then Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, asking that he give serious consideration to lifting Crown immunity for the Scottish Prison Service for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. I was not given a courtesy of a response. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that, during her meeting, she will urge the UK Government to seriously consider lifting Crown immunity to ensure that, if there are criminal failures in the Prison Service, those responsible are able to be held to account and are not protected by Crown immunity? Angela Constance: Let me start by also acknowledging the role of prison officers.”
“The Scottish Government has not had an occasion to discuss the matter with the UK Government since the new Administration was formed. I am due to write to the Secretary of State for Justice this month to schedule a bilateral meeting, and that will be one of several agenda items that I intend to set out for discussion. As Crown immunity remains a reserved matter for the UK Government, it is difficult for me to say more until I have had further discussions with it. Humza Yousaf: I am pleased to hear that the cabinet secretary is writing to her UK counterpart to seek a meeting and that she will propose that that issue be on the agenda. Let me from the outset acknowledge the incredibly difficult job that prison officers up and down the country do. The overwhelming majority do the job well.”
“I am sorry to hear of the delays experienced by Ms Adamson’s constituent and family, and if she would like to provide further details to my office, I would be happy to look into the matter for her. However, delays to court hearings in respect of guardianship applications are not an issue that has been raised with me or my officials previously. As the member will be aware, the scheduling of court business is for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. With support from the Scottish Government and our investment in resources, we have succeeded in significantly reducing the backlog in criminal courts. The civil case that the member spoke of has not previously been raised with me, but I would be delighted to look at it. Scottish Prison Service (Crown Immunity) 4.”
“However, on renewal in 2022, the court refused the extension, as the reports provided by other agencies were out of date by the time of the court appearance. The family have been in a circle of trying to get legal aid re-established and to access the courts again. Therefore, will the minister provide an update on the timeframe for the legislative reforms to the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000? What steps can it take to ensure that agencies, including the courts, meet the timescales involved? Angela Constance: A bill to update and modernise the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 is expected to be introduced during the 2024-25 parliamentary year. A consultation on proposed amendments ran between July and October 2024, with analysis of the responses due to be published later this month.”
“The Office of the Public Guardian plays a key role in promoting awareness and understanding of the legal frameworks that are designed to protect adults with incapacity. Although it does not provide direct court access, its supportive and regulatory functions are key to maintaining trust and efficiency within the broader Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service framework. Individuals who seek support to access the courts can contact their local citizens advice bureau, law centre, solicitor, or third sector organisations that specialise in legal aid and advocacy services. Clare Adamson: I want to highlight the case of a constituent. When a family applied for a guardianship order in 2014 for their adult son, they were granted a three-year award.”
“Angela Constance: With respect to both the Deputy Presiding Officer and the chamber, as Craig Hoy is well aware, I as justice secretary do not comment on, and am not involved in, live cases. I have nothing further to add. The Deputy Presiding Officer: As no member has sought to ask a supplementary question, we will move to question 3. Office of the Public Guardian Scotland (Support for Accessing the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service) 3.”
“In response, the Government said that giving answers would “substantially prejudice the investigation”, which strongly suggests that the Government might well be aware of those facts. Can the minister explain why revealing the specific date on which officers’ identities could have become known would risk prejudicing the police probe? If the Government has nothing to hide, why would it not confirm how it might have secured the identities of the investigating officers—if, indeed, it is in receipt of them? The Deputy Presiding Officer: Before I ask the cabinet secretary to respond, I remind all members that there is a live investigation and that matters are therefore subject to the provisions of the Contempt of Court Act 1981. Members across the chamber should be careful and exercise due caution in what they say.”
“That matter is subject to an on-going police investigation and, as such, it would not be appropriate to comment. Craig Hoy: I thank the minister for that non- answer. While the Crown Office determines whether to prosecute Peter Murrell and the police decide whether to charge Nicola Sturgeon, the public continue to scratch their heads in disbelief at the 1,273 days spent so far on operation branchform. We now know that 11 officers are engaged in the on-going investigation. Separately, a recent freedom of information request asked the Scottish Government if and when it had found out the identities of the investigating officers and how it came to be made aware of those details. The request also asked what procedures were in place to ensure that meetings with those officers did not occur by accident.”