J2/S2/06/30/M

30th Meeting, 2006 (Session 2)

 Tuesday 14 November 2006

Present:

Apologies were received from Bill Butler MSP and Michael Matheson MSP.

Also present: Fergus McNeill and Susan Wiltshire (Committee advisers)

The meeting opened at 2.06 pm.

1. Decisions to take business in private: The Committee agreed to take items 3 and 4 in private. The Committee also agreed to reflect on the main themes arising from evidence received in relation to the Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill in private at subsequent meetings.

2. Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill: The Committee took evidence from—

Neil Paterson, Director of Operations, Victim Support Scotland; and
Susan Matheson and Donald Dickie, Scottish Consortium on Crime and Criminal Justice;

and then from—

Cyrus Tata, Co-Director, Centre for Sentencing Research, The Law School, University of Strathclyde;
Richard Sparks, Professor of Criminology, Law School, University of Edinburgh; and
Bill Whyte, Director, Criminal Justice Social Work Development Centre.

3. Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill – consideration of written evidence (in private): The Committee considered the written evidence received and agreed to seek further written and oral evidence.

4. Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Bill (in private): The Committee considered the main themes arising from the evidence session, to inform the drafting of its Stage 1 report.

The meeting closed at  4.13 pm.

Tracey Hawe
Clerk to the Committee