John Swinney
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“Since the report from several years ago was published, the Government has presided over the passage of legislation to rationalise that area of activity. Work is under way to transfer the responsibility for the funding of further education student support from the Scottish Funding Council to the Student Awards Agency Scotland.”
“I appreciate the urgency of the general policy elements of the question, because a number of applications are now being considered by planning authorities. My view is that, given the concerns that have been expressed by planning authorities, the Government has to be responsive to the issue.”
“For as long as we do not have a proper strategy on prison capacity, rehabilitation and clearing the court backlog, early release will be a revolving door, with people going in, coming out and going back into our prisons. Our justice system is in crisis, so we need a strategy.”
“I associate myself unreservedly Mr Cole-Hamilton’s comments about the feelings in the Muslim community. On Monday, I visited the Broomhouse mosque along with Simita Kumar and the Annandale Street mosque in Edinburgh with Ben Macpherson.”
“The development of further guidance will be undertaken in a manner consistent with the ruling by Lady Ross. Malcolm Offord: I thank the First Minister for his answer, which was more comprehensive than I expected.”
“I am a huge supporter of apprenticeship programmes. With foundation apprenticeships and graduate apprenticeships, the Government has brought forward important reforms that create new and successful pathways for young people. I am determined to make sure that every young person has that desirable pathway for their future.”
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“The Lord Advocate has, in her period in office since 2021, brought to Government an intense focus on the awful experience of victims in our criminal justice system. I pay tribute to her for the work that she has undertaken to bring the perpetrators of heinous crimes to justice. I will therefore ask her whether there can be further dialogue with Mr and Mrs Inglis on the contents of the report in order to ensure that the issues about which they remain concerned can be properly and fully aired. There may well be issues in relation to data handling, with which Mr Findlay will be familiar, that constrain the release of the full report. If the report can be released, I am very happy for it to be released, but there may well be reasons why it cannot be.”
“As a result of their pressure, the Crown Office instructed a social work expert to investigate the circumstances of Claire’s murder. The expert’s report is truly damning. It says that Claire Inglis and her son were “invisible in the system” and that the repeated granting of bail to Claire’s home was “a major safeguarding lapse”. The Crown asked the expert to establish whether system defects caused or contributed to Claire’s murder, but Fiona and Ian have not been told the answer to that critical question. That is because the Crown gave them only a brief summary of the report. Will John Swinney back the release of the full report? The First Minister: There will be issues in relation to the release of the full report that I am not sighted on today.”
“Mr Findlay has raised the tragic case of Claire Inglis with me before, and I had the pleasure—thanks to the assistance of Mr Findlay’s staff—of being able to meet Mr and Mrs Inglis on their previous visit to the Parliament. I extend my sympathy to Mr and Mrs Inglis for the tragedy that they have experienced. I agree with Mr Findlay that no family should have to suffer as Mr and Mrs Inglis have suffered. The issues in connection with the handling of the case surrounding the perpetrator of the murder of Claire Inglis are being explored by the Crown, and the Lord Advocate has taken independent decisions on the matter. Russell Findlay: Ian and Fiona are here out of devotion to their daughter and a determination to force the full truth from the authorities.”
“The Presiding Officer: The First Minister will now take questions on the issues raised in his statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for questions, after which we will move on to the next item of business. I would be grateful if members who wish to put a question were to press their request-to-speak button.”
“That is a crucial ingredient for encouraging greater economic activity and growth in the global south. Some 20 years on from the start of our international development programme, my Government reaffirms its commitment to this work. We remember the relationships that were forged 150 years ago and we are proud of all the good that has come from them. We will continue to grow and deepen those relationships and to evolve them to meet the emerging challenges of our time. There is, of course, still work to do, but we are committed to doing it. We will continue to work together in partnership to make a positive difference abroad and here at home. We will continue to be good global citizens. Scotland, as she always has, will continue to play her part.”
“I have spoken today about our development assistance programmes, through which we provide financial assistance to Malawi and Zambia. Those must be sustained, but we must also find ways to nurture greater economic activity and growth in the global south to foster greater economic freedom. During my visit, I heard about the determination of Malawi and Zambia to move from aid relationships with the global north to relationships that are based on increased trade and investment. In Blantyre, I met with partners in our Malawi investment initiative, including the NBM Development Bank and the St Andrew macadamia farm. At that meeting—and in a subsequent meeting with Malawi’s President, Peter Mutharika—I offered to use my Government’s convening power to host discussions on boosting investment in developing countries.”
“However, there is also a need to look at the structural issues that entrench cycles of debt and dependence. Prior to my visit, I met with the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, Christian Aid Scotland and Humza Yousaf MSP to discuss the jubilee debt campaign. That campaign calls for a fairer approach to resolving global debt crises and proposes solutions at a national and international level. In the face of global debt injustice, I am convinced that Scotland must continue to lead with compassion and conviction. We can and we will continue to use our voice to speak out against injustice. Therefore, I announce to the Parliament our support for the cancel debt, choose hope campaign. I raise my voice, my Government’s voice and Scotland’s voice in support of finding a fair, long-term solution to the global debt crisis.”
“In 2020, Zambia became the first African country to default on its debt, and the International Monetary Fund recently reported that, in 2024, Malawi’s overall public debt to gross domestic product ratio was around 79 per cent. Across the global south, unsustainable debt repayments are consuming resources that should be used to build schools, hospitals and climate- resilient infrastructure, and to create progress and opportunity. Climate change is exacerbating the problem. The global south should not be forced to choose between repaying its creditors and helping its communities to recover from storms and droughts. Scotland has consistently advocated for other countries to follow our example of giving funding for loss and damage as grants—not loans—so that countries can recover from extreme climate events without taking on additional debt.”
“That has only strengthened my resolve to ensure that the value of and the vital need for community-led climate finance programmes such as ours are heard loud and clear at the 30th United Nations climate change conference of the parties— COP30—in Brazil and in climate negotiations far beyond that. I am determined that Scotland will continue to support climate justice action in the global south. Borrowing can be a vital tool for economic growth and development, but when borrowing grows too much or too quickly, it becomes problematic. That is happening across developing countries, where total public debt reached a record $29 trillion in 2023.”
“In Zambia, I met partners and grantees from our women and girls fund, which is a key programme for advancing gender equality and the rights of women and girls. At that meeting, I was able to hear directly from them about the challenges that they face and their determination to tackle gender inequality and gender-based violence in their society. Our women and girls fund is designed to work at a grass-roots level. That means that we work in partnership alongside groups and communities, and that we learn from them as they advocate on the issues that so directly affect them. It is the same with our climate just communities programme. On my visit, I met people in Chimbalanga village in Zomba, Malawi, who are taking control of their lives and livelihoods with support from our climate justice fund.”
“At Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in Blantyre, I met Malawi’s first ever cohort of home- grown dentists, whose T-shirts proudly proclaimed them “Locally relevant, globally competent.” In Zambia, I saw the paediatric operating room installed by Dundee-based Kids Operating Room—I had previously visited its sister operating theatre in Dundee. That health partnership will significantly improve access to safe surgery for thousands of children in Zambia. I am equally proud of our efforts in Malawi and Zambia to secure equitable access to education for disabled learners and girls. In Malawi, I was able to meet teachers from Balaka secondary school, where we are funding scholarships for girls, as well as critical wraparound services, such as mentorship and career guidance.”
“They are working in health, inclusive education, equalities, renewable energy and climate justice. They are rooted in those close relationships between countries and institutions, where they are finding shared solutions and supporting shared goals. The new Scottish Government-funded Blantyre- Blantyre research laboratories in Malawi and Zambia are a powerful testament to that. Three universities—in Glasgow, Blantyre and Lusaka— are working together to conduct research into non- communicable diseases. Through that shared commitment to collaborative research, they are improving healthcare for all.”
“Many people in the global south live in extreme poverty, and the challenge to their survival is made ever greater by the devastating—and increasing—impacts of climate change, which they, largely, have not caused. I saw that during my visit. Malawi, the seventh poorest country in the world, is experiencing simultaneous economic and climate crises. In my time there, I met people who are contending with high inflation, the servicing of devastating levels of debt and crippling food insecurity. At the same time, they are enduring the climatic shocks of alternating drought and flooding from tropical storms and cyclones. However, I also saw the difference that our interventions are making. In both Zambia and Malawi, I saw that our projects, commitment and investment are improving lives.”
“Like every other member in the chamber, I know full well that we are in the midst of the most challenging fiscal situation since devolution, and that times are tough for households and businesses across Scotland. My focus on resolving those pressures, within the powers of this Government, is unwavering. However, it is possible—indeed, necessary and right—for Scotland to play her part in the global issues and global challenge that we face. Failure to do so would simply worsen the conditions and inequalities that fuel conflict, deprivation and injustice throughout the world. Scotland is showing leadership and is offering sustained funding. We Scots are—and will continue to be—good global citizens, and I am proud to serve a country that values its commitments to the world’s most vulnerable.”
“From that important moment in 2005, we have grown Scotland’s international development footprint and its contribution to global solidarity to the shape and level that we all see today. Our international development and humanitarian crisis funding reached nearly £13 million this financial year, and we stand by our commitment to increase it to £16 million per annum by the end of this parliamentary session. In addition to Malawi, our international development work now includes partnerships with Zambia, Rwanda and Pakistan. Our support to international communities comes not only through our international development fund, but through our climate justice fund and funding to respond to global humanitarian crises, with a total commitment of roughly £25 million.”
“The partnerships were initially built through the outreach of institutions such as Scotland’s churches, but, today, they are threaded through every facet of our communities, institutions and Governments. Although they have evolved over time, the strength and depth of those ties have never wavered. I saw that for myself during my visit. I experienced the warmest of welcomes in Zambia and Malawi, and the reassurance that these remain close, innovative and forward- looking relationships, with great potential for future growth. My visit coincided with the 20th anniversary of the signing of the original co-operation agreement between the Governments of Scotland and Malawi.”
“Last week, I returned from a visit to Zambia and Malawi to see some of the projects and partnerships that are supported by the Scottish Government’s international development programme. This was the first ever visit by a First Minister of Scotland to Zambia, and the first by a First Minister to Malawi since 2005. Of course, Scotland has a close relationship with both countries that has been built over the past 150 years. Therefore, it was important to me to witness those relationships at first hand and to further strengthen them in person, by hearing directly from the people in those countries about the challenges that they face, their aspirations and their goals for our on-going partnership.”
“12:47 On resuming— Breast Cancer Now Awareness Day 2025 and Wear It Pink Initiative”
“The arrangements for IJBs were put in place by statute that was considered by Parliament. It is the responsibility of the IJBs to take those decisions, and there will be members of any relevant local authorities on those boards. However, there should also be appropriate and adequate consultation with people who are affected by service changes. That is an implicit part of all the approaches that are taken to any service changes that take place, and I encourage that to be the case in this circumstance. The Presiding Officer: That concludes First Minister’s question time. The next item of business is a members’ business debate in the name of Clare Adamson, and there will now be a short suspension to allow those leaving the chamber and the public gallery to do so. 12:45 Meeting suspended.”
“The Government’s paper that was published yesterday makes clear that there are opportunities to improve the living standards of people in Scotland by exercising the powers that would come with independence. In 2014, we were promised lower bills, financial security and European Union membership, but all those promises have turned to dust. This is the time for Scotland to have a fresh start with independence. Integration”
“In my statement on 3 September, I set out to the Parliament the actions that are within the Parliament’s competence and responsibility to take forward. The Government will pursue that agenda to ensure that we fulfil the commitments that I gave to the Parliament. Independence (Living Standards and Energy Bills)”
“That is a sensitive issue and I have to be careful, because we are in territory in which Police Scotland has to make careful judgments about a variety of long- standing circumstances in Scottish society. Some of the issues are easier to handle than others. Fundamentally, I believe that we have to recognise the right to peaceful, respectful public assembly and freedom of expression. We all enjoy that right and are committed to upholding it. However, the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression should never be used to carry out or justify any form of hateful, violent, intimidating or otherwise criminal behaviour. Any form of hate crime is completely and utterly unacceptable. The 2021 act includes rigorous safeguards on free speech, which we respect everybody’s right to. Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Policies (Israel)”
“Although board membership cannot reflect Rhoda Grant’s legitimate aspiration in all circumstances, boards must listen to islanders and act on their behalf. I will ensure that that is the case. Right to Protest (Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021)”
“As Rhoda Grant will appreciate, the process of appointing members to boards is overseen by ethical standards advisers and it must take its course. However, she makes a substantial point about the necessity for island opinion and experience to inform the decisions of bodies that are acting on issues that significantly impact island communities. Regardless of board appointments, I would expect CMAL, Caledonian MacBrayne, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Crown Estate, NatureScot and all the other bodies that have a locus in relation to the issues and experience of islanders to go to absolute lengths to ensure that they can hear islanders’ opinions, listen to them and address the issues that they raise. Those issues are legitimate and boards must take them seriously.”
“The Government has taken measures in relation to NHS Grampian, and the board is under a significant level of additional scrutiny as a consequence of the issues that Tess White puts to me. I know that the cabinet secretary is meeting the board on Monday. I will wait to get a read-out of the report that Tess White mentioned. I am very happy to engage. I discuss the performance of the national health service with my officials on a weekly basis, and I will reflect on the points that she puts to me. I assure Tess White that the issues that are important for the delivery of healthcare to the communities in the north-east of Scotland are being properly and effectively scrutinised and delivered, and I will ask the cabinet secretary to write to her with an update on those issues. Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (Board Membership)”
“That is a serious issue, because the increase in employer national insurance contributions has reduced competitiveness and opportunities for growth in the Scottish economy. The Government’s analysis shows that the changes could cost employers in Scotland more than £1.7 billion, and the cost to public services is of the order of more than £500 million. That indicates that a significant burden is being carried by business in Scotland, which, as a consequence, is an inhibitor of growth. It is beyond me why a Government that apparently supports economic growth is taking such a measure. It is another example of why we should take decisions here in Scotland on our behalf that are in the interests of the Scottish people and the Scottish economy.”
“Incidents of physical restraint and seclusion are declining in children’s residential accommodation, and more people with care experience are going on to positive destinations nine months after leaving school. I acknowledge that there is more work to be done. The work has been taken forward very effectively by the minister responsible, Natalie Don-Innes, who has my full support. We have legislation on the issue, which Parliament can scrutinise, and that will be dealt with by Parliament before the close of the parliamentary session. Employer National”
“As Mr Whitfield knows, I take responsibility for everything here. I am the First Minister of Scotland—I do not dodge that for a moment. We gave a commitment as a Government to honour the Promise. As for the definition of success, I am a wee bit mystified by that point in the Audit Scotland report. It is pretty clear what the Promise has to achieve by 2030, and we are making progress in that respect. I understand Mr Whitfield’s interest in the question, but substantive progress has been made. For example, we have taken action to ensure that no young people under 18 are admitted to young offenders institutes, and we have fewer children in Scotland growing up in care since 2020—a reduction of 18.1 per cent.”
“If Mr Stewart writes to me, I will explore that in more detail. The issue merits a deeper answer than I can offer him at this stage. My first reaction would be that such judgments have to be made on the basis of clinical opinion, but Mr Stewart raises a wider and more significant issue, which I would rather have the opportunity to explore. If he would care to write to me, I will give him a substantive response.”
“The general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing has given a siren warning to all of us about the welcome that has to be extended to staff from other countries to come and work in our national health service. In the year ending June 2025, the number of health and care worker visas issued to nursing professionals fell by 80 per cent. That will have a damaging effect on the operation of our national health service. We all know that there are challenges in relation to the size of our working- age population and a need for an appropriate skilled worker visa route that works in the interests of the national health service. That is one of the reasons why, if we have control of those issues in Scotland, it will be better for the people of Scotland. National Health Service (Electric Shock Treatment)”
“We work closely with the United Kingdom Government and press the argument, particularly with GB Energy and those responsible for the national grid, that there should be connectivity for those projects, so that the supply chain can have confidence in its investment decisions. A number of developments that have taken their course—at Ardersier, and Sumitomo at Nigg—are strong indications of good foundations for the supply chain. However, we need every step of the journey to be undertaken to give us confidence in attracting investment. The Scottish Government is focused on making sure that that is the case.”
“However, the First Minister will recognise that making sure that we attract energy manufacturing capacity to Scotland to support us in the building out of our renewables is critical to delivering a just transition. What specific action is being taken to ensure that we attract that type of investment to create the jobs that we are looking for in the Scottish economy? The First Minister: A number of steps have been taken, particularly in relation to strengthening the scoping and consenting arrangements for offshore renewables projects. The Government is focused on taking those decisions.”
“Scotland is a nation that is extremely attractive to investors due to our skilled workforce, world-leading universities, a strong presence in the skilled workforce in sectors such as energy and a supportive business environment. That is why we have been ranked as the top destination for foreign direct investment outside of London and the south-east for the past 10 consecutive years. That work is led by the Deputy First Minister, who was actively engaged—as I have been—in the global investment summit that took place in Edinburgh this week. Michael Matheson: Scotland’s record in attracting direct foreign investment has been consistently good. Last year alone, Scotland attracted 135 projects and it is ranked the sixth most attractive location in the top 10 locations in Europe for foreign direct investment.”
“It is all very well to come here and complain about budgets, but people have got to vote for them for them to be spent in the community in the first place.”
“The First Minister might be able to explain where those tens of millions of pounds of public money are when he has a briefing note in front of him, but how does he expect the public, the organisations that rely on it and those who scrutinise the Government to do the same? The First Minister: I think that transparency and clarity were in my original answer; the budget remains as originally published at £270.5 million. I understand the importance of the issue and the significance that Mr Whittle attaches to all of that, but I simply make the observation that it is interesting that Mr Whittle is interested in the budget of £270.5 million for mental health support, but he was not interested enough to vote for the budget when it came to Parliament.”
“The budget remains as originally published at £270.5 million. Brian Whittle: I thank the First Minister for that answer, but the situation speaks to a wider problem across health and social care, namely that it is verging on impossible to follow the path from a Scottish Government spending commitment to the front-line support that it is intended to provide. Audit Scotland and the Fraser of Allander Institute have repeatedly warned that the complex and convoluted methods that are used by the Scottish Government are barriers to effective public scrutiny, and now organisations that are directly impacted by that funding are seemingly unable to determine how or even if the money that was promised will reach them. As Scotland’s Mental Health Partnership has said, transparency is essential.”
“I make the plea today—and I have made it on many other occasions—for the Labour Government to recognise the absolute imperative of eradicating child poverty, take the measures to lift the two-child cap and enable the Scottish Government to use the resources that we are using on that to mitigate another Westminster decision that is bad for Scotland. Mental Health Budget 5.”
“With a record 4.5 million children living in poverty under the Labour Government, plans to introduce a tapered system are nowhere near good enough. Will the First Minister join me in calling for the UK Government to reconsider that short-sighted proposal and instead follow the Scottish Government’s lead, dump the cap and dump the so-called rape clause? The First Minister: I very much associate myself with the comments that Clare Adamson made. The Scottish Government is taking measures that are resulting in a reduction in child poverty in Scotland, but all the estimates show that, as a consequence of the actions of the Labour Government, particularly in welfare reform, there is likely to be a rise in child poverty across the rest of the UK, and, of course, across the rest of the UK, the level of child poverty is already rising.”
“I have seen the press speculation to which Ms Adamson refers. It is important that the UK Government lets us know as soon as possible about any plans that it might have because, as Ms Adamson will know, the Scottish Government is pressing ahead with our measures to abolish the two-child limit, which should have been undertaken as one of the first acts of the Labour Government. The Scottish Fiscal Commission estimates that 43,000 children in Scotland will benefit from the Scottish Government’s two-child limit payment, and Scottish Government modelling shows that 20,000 children will be kept out of relative poverty as a result. Clare Adamson: In hearing the murmurings, I was not surprised to find out that Labour is now back-pedalling on its plans.”
“I then went to the main island in Shetland and saw a colossal wind farm—the Viking Energy project—that is not delivering the right level of benefit to the community, nor is it eradicating fuel poverty. People in Shetland are living cheek by jowl with one of the largest wind farms in Europe while paying the highest fuel bills and living in fuel poverty. The powers to arrest that do not rest in this Parliament. They rest with the UK Government. I am determined—and I am very keen to work with Mr Cole-Hamilton—to get those powers here so that we can do something about it for the people of Shetland and the people of west Edinburgh. Two-child Benefit Cap (Proposed Replacement) 4.”
“It is one of the examples of the constitutional point that I make. I am very sympathetic to the member’s point, but I cannot exercise powers that I am not legally entitled to exercise. That is one of the limitations of the constitutional arrangements. I am absolutely with Mr Cole-Hamilton in wanting to use the energy wealth of Scotland, which is absolutely beyond dispute—we all agree about that—and I am absolutely with him on the desire to eradicate fuel poverty. In the summer, I spent some time on the island of Yell in Shetland, where I saw an excellent example of a community wind farm that is creating real benefit in the locality and is owned by the community. Such models can be delivered where there is community ownership, and the Scottish Government enabled that development to be undertaken on Yell.”
“Those technologies are ready to go and they are at the heart of Liberal Democrats’ realistic plan to halve household energy bills by 2035. John Swinney’s own independent advisers now say that his Government is extremely unlikely to meet its fuel poverty target. They found people catching hypothermia in their own homes, missing meals to top up the meter and burning their own floorboards as fuel. The Scottish Government’s consultation on the amount that energy companies give back closed six months ago, but nothing has changed. Under Liberal Democrat proposals, there are millions of pounds out there that could warm homes across Scotland. When will the First Minister change those rules? The First Minister: The existing arrangements, which are specified by the United Kingdom Government, are non-mandatory. As a consequence, there is a limit.”
“The issue of community benefits arising out of wind farm developments is regulated by the United Kingdom Government, and we have been pressing for some time to mandate community benefits from mature onshore renewables technologies and to create greater benefit for communities, particularly in relation to the reduction of fuel bills. I am sympathetic to his point, but it is an issue that the Government has pressed the UK Government on, and we will continue to do so. Alex Cole-Hamilton: The First Minister cannot dodge this entirely. Some of it lies with his Government, too. Yesterday, I was in north Edinburgh with Ed Davey and Councillor Sanne Dijkstra-Downie and we met Edinburgh College apprentices who are being trained for good green jobs installing home insulation, solar panels and heat pumps.”
“First, I thank Mr Cole-Hamilton for his words, as I thanked Mr Sarwar for his, on the situation in Gaza. I also associate myself with his remarks about Menzies Campbell, Lord Campbell of Pittenweem. I was warmly and fondly welcomed into the House of Commons by Ming Campbell in 1997 and I enjoyed far too many uproariously funny conversations with Ming and his late wife, Elspeth, who were always wonderful company. I convey to the Liberal Democrats, as I have conveyed privately, my appreciation and sympathy as they wrestle with the loss of a giant of the Liberal Democrat movement. On the substantive question on renewable energy, I have a lot of sympathy with Mr Cole- Hamilton’s point.”
“I recognise that the level of drug deaths is far, far too high. In the past year, we have seen a 13 per cent decrease in the number of such deaths in Scotland, but we must maintain absolute vigilance and focus to ensure that we continue to make progress. Finally, on the issue of criminal justice, our prison system is absolutely full of individuals, many of whom have been imprisoned because of their drug-related activity, so it is quite simply wrong for Mr Sarwar to suggest that people are not being brought to justice for their criminal activity. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Mr Sarwar! The First Minister: That will remain the focused priority of the Scottish Government. Renewable Energy (Community Benefit) 3.”
“Is it not the case that we will never get to grips with Scotland’s drug deaths emergency while he and the SNP stay in charge? The First Minister: The Government has taken a focused approach, over a number of years, to addressing the issue of drugs in our society, and a number of significant steps have been taken. I have put on the record the issues concerning the expansion of rehabilitation placements, and the fact that the progress that we committed to is being achieved. We have supported the delivery of the first safer consumption room. Based on the evidence that is available to us, we know that the Thistle has saved lives as a consequence of that intervention. We have expanded the roll-out of naloxone, which is resulting in a significant reduction of death and injury to individuals who use drugs.”
“Anas Sarwar: There is no justification—none— for hundreds of drug dealers walking free because of the incompetence of this Scottish National Party Government. There is no justification at all. This Government has lost control: 607 lives have been lost in just six months, which is one every seven hours; 573 drug supply charges have gone unpunished; and there is still not enough access to treatment or residential rehab for those who want to recover. The truth is that John Swinney’s approach is failing both victims and communities. Dealers slip through the cracks, people die while they wait for help, and families lose loved ones and are left without hope. It has been six years since the Government declared an emergency, but Scotland still leads Europe on the figures for drug deaths. John Swinney has abandoned both justice and recovery.”
“As the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs reported to Parliament last Thursday, our prisons are incredibly congested, in many cases with individuals who have been convicted and sentenced for long periods of time as a consequence of their drug-related activities. Our prison system and the Scottish Prison Service are wrestling admirably with the congestion that is caused by the many people involved in the organised crime that underpins the drug issues. I know that the Crown and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service are working incredibly hard, and in an incredibly focused way, to ensure that those who perpetrate illegal drug activity in our society are brought to justice, and that many of them are.”
“People selling poison to their communities are being given the green light to destroy lives because John Swinney and his tired Government cannot run a court system that sends drug dealers to prison. I reiterate that 573 drug- dealing charges have simply been dropped. Can John Swinney understand why people will be so angry when they learn that, despite one life being lost to drugs every seven hours in Scotland, hundreds of drug dealers are walking free? The First Minister: The issues with the court service are an effect of the situation that developed during the Covid pandemic, when a backlog of cases had to be addressed. The court service worked—and is still working—incredibly hard to erode the backlog that we have been wrestling with, and significant work has been undertaken. I will look at other data.”
“I assure Mr Sarwar, first, of the importance of that endeavour and, secondly, of the practical steps that have been taken to implement the commitments that we have given, and that we will continue to implement. Anas Sarwar: The promises have not been fulfilled, and the families who have been left behind deserve justice, not excuses. Shamefully, new figures show that, in the past three years, 573 charges of drug dealing had to be dropped because the cases were time barred before reaching court. Hundreds of people who were accused of drug dealing simply walked free. They evaded justice not because they were found innocent but because of the Government’s incompetence.”