MSPs want more funding for Scotland's 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, says 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 says 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 the police and fire services, upgrading the prison estate and 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.”