Meeting of the Parliament Tuesday 1 May 2018 Session 5 © Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Information on the Scottish Parliament’s copyright policy can be found on the website - www.parliament.scot or by contacting Public Information on 0131 348 5000 Tuesday 1 May 2018 CONTENTS Col. TIME FOR REFLECTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 BUSINESS MOTION ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Motion moved—[Joe FitzPatrick]—and agreed to. TOPICAL QUESTION TIME ................................................................................................................................... 4 Police Scotland (“A Force in Crisis”)............................................................................................................. 4 Alcohol Pricing ............................................................................................................................................ 10 EARLY LEARNING AND CHILDCARE ................................................................................................................... 13 Statement—[Maree Todd]. The Minister for Childcare and Early Years (Maree Todd) ......................................................................... 13 COMMONWEALTH GAMES ................................................................................................................................. 23 Motion moved—[Aileen Campbell]. Amendment moved—[Brian Whittle]. Amendment moved—[David Stewart]. The Minister for Public Health and Sport (Aileen Campbell) ...................................................................... 23 Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con) ......................................................................................................... 26 David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) ............................................................................................. 29 Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) .......................................................................................................... 31 Fulton MacGregor (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) ................................................................................ 33 Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) ................................................................. 35 Alex Rowley (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) ................................................................................................ 36 Emma Harper (South Scotland) (SNP) ...................................................................................................... 37 Alexander Stewart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) ...................................................................................... 39 George Adam (Paisley) (SNP) ................................................................................................................... 40 Anas Sarwar (Glasgow) (Lab) .................................................................................................................... 42 Brian Whittle ............................................................................................................................................... 43 Aileen Campbell.......................................................................................................................................... 46 CIVIL LITIGATION (EXPENSES AND GROUP PROCEEDINGS) (SCOTLAND) BILL: STAGE 3 ..................................... 49 Motion moved—[Annabelle Ewing]. The Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs (Annabelle Ewing).................................................. 49 Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con)....................................................................................................... 52 Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) .............................................................................................. 54 John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green) ............................................................................................. 56 Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) .......................................................................................................... 58 Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) ..................................................................................... 59 Gordon Lindhurst (Lothian) (Con) ............................................................................................................... 61 Mary Fee (West Scotland) (Lab) ................................................................................................................ 62 Mairi Gougeon (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) ...................................................................................... 63 Daniel Johnson ........................................................................................................................................... 65 Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con) ................................................................................................ 67 Annabelle Ewing ......................................................................................................................................... 68 DECISION TIME ................................................................................................................................................ 72 RAPE CRISIS CENTRES AND PROSECUTIONS ..................................................................................................... 75 Motion debated—[Kezia Dugdale]. Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Lab) .................................................................................................................... 75 Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) ............................................................................................... 78 Ruth Maguire (Cunninghame South) (SNP) ............................................................................................... 80 Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con) ................................................................................................ 81 Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) .............................................................................................. 82 John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green) ............................................................................................. 84 Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) .......................................................................................................... 86 Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) ................................................................................................................ 87 Jenny Gilruth (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) .......................................................................................... 89 Maurice Corry (West Scotland) (Con) ........................................................................................................ 91 Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD) .......................................................................................... 92 Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) ................................................................................................ 94 Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP) ........................................................................................... 95 Monica Lennon (Central Scotland) (Lab) ................................................................................................... 97 The Solicitor General for Scotland (Alison Di Rollo) ................................................................................... 98 1 1 MAY 2018 2 with Christ sooner? Only one thing seems clear to me. Scottish Parliament Every day should be well-lived. What a simple truth! Still, it is worth my attention. Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a Tuesday 1 May 2018 smile to someone’s face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the [The Presiding Officer opened the meeting at little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in 14:00] this world and the life to come.” Thank you. Time for Reflection The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh): Good afternoon. The first item of business this afternoon is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader is Pastor Keith Short, who is senior pastor at St John’s church in Linlithgow. Pastor Keith Short (St John’s Church, Linlithgow): Presiding Officer, members of the Scottish Parliament, thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. I want to start with what might seem at first glance a silly story. A father was babysitting his daughter. His peace was interrupted by a violent thunderstorm with flashes of lightning and the noise of his daughter moving about her bedroom. He rushed into her room to find her standing at the open window with her arms open wide. He ran over to her, picked her up and asked whether she was frightened. “It’s all right, Daddy,” she said. “It’s just God—he’s taking photographs of me.” The idea that God, even if we believe that he exists, would be so interested in a little girl that he would take photographs of her might seem to us somewhat ridiculous. Yet I believe that that little girl understood something profound about the