Tag: pre-budget scrutiny

Reform of criminal justice sector too slow amid growing financial pressures, say Holyrood Committee

The wholesale reform of the criminal justice sector required to tackle increasing financial pressures has been too slow, say the Criminal Justice Committee.

The findings are part of the Committee’s pre-budget scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s budget for 2025/26.

The Committee say organisations across the sector have said they are looking for increases in their resource funding and significant investments in capital budgets for 2025/26 but there is ‘a stark gap’ between what these organisations say they need for 2025/26 and what they may be given.

The Committee say that the wholesale reform of the sector which is required can only be achieved by adopting a new strategy, moving away from short term fixes of a few years or a single parliamentary term. It recommends that the Scottish Government explores moving to a system of multi-year funding cycles to help aid this reform.

Whilst a range of current reform work is welcomed, such as the pilot of the Summary Case Management system, there are other areas where progress on reform has been too slow.

The Committee again highlight the inefficiencies and wasted cost of citing police officers to attend courts, only for them not be called, and the time that the officers spend on calls with vulnerable people experiencing poor mental health due to a lack of wider support services.

The Committee welcome in-year investments by the Scottish Government in various parts of the criminal justice system, but call for increased transparency about these payments to ensure adequate scrutiny.

Issues around underestimating the costs of implementing new legislation impacting the sector are also highlighted in the report. The Committee call for financial memorandums to be as accurate as possible and say proposed legislation must be accompanied by appropriate resources.

The Criminal Justice Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said: “Right across the sector we are seeing increasing cost pressures, and it’s clear there is a stark gap between what these organisations say they need for 2025/26 and what they may be given.

“Last year we emphasised the need for change in how the Scottish Government fund and support the justice sector and that the status quo could not continue. However, progress still needs to be made to implement the wholesale reform required, which takes the long-term view.

“The evidence we have gathered has made clear that multi-year funding could be hugely beneficial for the sector, help them manage resources and plan for the future, and we’re calling for the Scottish Government to explore this route further.”

‘Stark and Deeply Concerning’: MSPs say more funding must be found for the justice sector

The Scottish Government must ensure more funding is provided for the justice sector in this year’s budget otherwise the sector could face severe cuts to services and staff numbers, say the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee.

The Committee’s pre-budget scrutiny was primarily focused on the proposed flat-cash settlement for the justice sector set out in the Scottish Government’s Resource Spending Review framework (RSR).

Independent research by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) suggested that if current inflationary pressures persist, this settlement would represent a significant reduction in spending across the justice sector, with resource spending falling in real terms by £102 million, or 3.6%.

The Committee’s report highlights extensive evidence gathered from across the sector outlining deeply concerning scenarios of depleted services and cuts to staff numbers, should the figures outlined in the RSR come to fruition.

The Committee say budgets for capital investment in the emergency services, prisons and courts have invariably been less than requested in recent years and that worryingly, the pressures on public spending and the high rate of inflation, mean budgets for day-to-day running costs are at risk too.

Maintaining current staffing levels in our police and fire services, upgrading the prison estate or investing in efforts to improve the prosecution of sex offences could all be under threat if no further funding is provided.

Criminal Justice Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said: “As a Committee we recognise the huge financial pressure facing government budgets, however the evidence we have taken during this year’s pre-budget scrutiny is stark and deeply concerning.

“We have heard from across the criminal justice sector of potentially severe cuts to services and hefty reductions in police and fire service staff numbers if these funding cuts were to come to fruition,

“Although we welcome the commitment from the Justice Secretary that there will be no cuts to police staff numbers, we want to see this recognised through a suitable budget settlement.

“We understand the difficult decisions facing the Scottish Government in this year’s budget but it is essential that criminal justice services receive appropriate funding and a greater settlement than that proposed in the Resource Spending Review, and that any extra resources do more than simply get swallowed up by increased pay awards.

“Otherwise, there is a substantial risk of services in the justice system being downgraded to unacceptable levels and drastic cuts to staff numbers.”

Read the report