Criminal Justice Programme Board minutes: July 2024

Attendees and apologies

• Cat Dalrymple (Chair, Scottish Government (SG))
• Anna Donald (TCP 1 Senior Responsible Owner (SRO), SG)
• Denise Swanson (TCP 3 SRO, SG)
• Fiona Cameron (TCP 3 Programme Director, SG)
• Ruth McCallum (TCP 3 Programme Manager, SG)
• Amy Wilson (Head of Justice Analytical Services, SG)
• Naomi Gregg (Head of Justice Portfolio Management Office (PMO), SG)
• Karl Champion (PMO Senior Officer, SG)
• (D) Lynne Barrie (Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS))
• Patrick Campbell (Police Scotland)
• Marie-Louise Fox (Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB))
• Dene Burke (Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS))
• Mike Milligan (SCTS)
• (D) Yvonne Taylor (SCTS)
• (D) Mark Stangoe (SCTS)
• (D) Keith Gardner (Community Justice Scotland (CJS))
• Scott McLellan (Scottish Prison Service (SPS))
• Rose Munenura (SG) – agenda item three only
• Jenny Leishman (SG) – agenda item three only
• Lindsey Henderson (SG) - observer
• Rachel Miller (SG) - observer

*(D) denotes deputy

Apologies

• ACC Wendy Middleton (Police Scotland)
• Jennifer Harrower (COPFS)
• Linda Pollock (SPS)
• David Fraser (SCTS)
• Karyn McCluskey (CJS)

Items and actions

Agenda

1    Welcome and introductions 
2    Key notes and actions
3    Journey times presentation
4    Action and decision log review
5    Transformational Change Programme (TCP) 1 highlight report update
6    TCP 3 highlight report update 
7    Future of Recover, Renew, Transform (RRT) funding
8    Any other business

Welcome and introductions

The Chair opened the meeting and welcomed members and deputies to the 11th meeting of the Criminal Justice Programme Board.

Key notes and actions

The previous key notes and actions were circulated on 3 June. There were some minor amendments from members and the final version was included in the board pack sent to members on 4 July. Board members were content with the final version.

Journey times presentation 

Scottish Government (SG) colleagues presented on the key findings from the journey times bulletin published on 9 July. The bulletin is produced using data from Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) and covers the period from April 2017 to March 2024. 

The key findings from the bulletin show an increase in cases being resolved within one year of the offence date, a decrease in journey times for high court, justice of the peace court and sheriff summary court cases but an increase in journey times for sheriff solemn court cases. The main drivers for journey times in solemn courts are the COPFS report to court registration time and court registration to verdict time.

For non-historic sexual offences, the median offence to verdict time for an accused in high court has remained similar to 2022-2023 at around three years. For historic sexual offences, the median offence to verdict time for an accused in high court in 2023-2024 was just over 11 year, this is a reduction of over two years from 2022-2023.

The board discussed the extended time bars in place from the coronavirus pandemic and that these are being phased out which will help to reduce the time between the report going to COPFS and an indictment being issued. These time bars are currently in place until November 2024, however there is a decision to be taken by the Scottish Parliament about whether to extend this until November 2025.

Action and decision log review

The key actions for discussion are:

2-2105 – TCP 3 Programme Manager to engage with partners and further develop delivery roadmap to include all relevant projects. 
The first draft has been shared with this board and the Criminal Justice Board. This is an ongoing artifact that will be continuously updated and changes to this roadmap will be requested as part of the existing reporting cycle for the programme. This action will be closed.

7-2105 – TCP 3 Programme Director to engage with the Law Society and the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association to invite their view on engagement with the programme.

The board discussed the type of engagement and the potential role these organisations might take in terms of delivery of the TCPs. A key area of the lessons learned workshop held last summer was around stakeholder engagement which is something that could be looked at again to consider the broader stakeholder engagement landscape.

Action 1-0907 – TCP 1 SRO to revisit stakeholder engagement approach and look to progress this.

Action 2-0907 –SCTS to arrange a meeting with Sheriffs Principal to discuss TCP 3 programme.

8-2105 – Portfolio Management Office (PMO) to present on communications pieces at the next programme board.

The external webpage content was shared with board members via correspondence, responses are requested by close of play Wednesday 10 July. SG also informed the board that the key notes and actions for previous board meetings will be reviewed and amended for publication over the summer. Board members will have the opportunity to review/comment on these before they are published.

TCP 1 highlight report update

SG presented on the highlight report for TCP 1.

The overall RAG status for the programme remains amber, most of the projects are in definition or delivery stage but one is paused due to resource constraints.

In terms of resource, key roles have been filled and there will be a new Programme Manager and support working across both TCPs. One of the first tasks for the new programme management team will be to develop a business case for the programme.

TCP 3 highlight report update

SG presented on the highlight report for TCP 3.

The overall RAG status of the programme remains amber.

The board were updated on the individual status of each project within the programme. Uncertainty around the scope of the programme remains. Engagement with sheriffs principals is needed.

Future of Recover, Renew, Transform (RRT) funding

SG advised that there would be early budget rounds this year and there will be no possibility of uplifts for 2025-2026. There may also be some efficiency savings and there is no guarantee that an RRT fund will be available moving in to 2025-2026.

There is a clear link between RRT funding and reducing journey times (such as through the Court Recovery Programme). The latest statistics help to understand the drivers of long journey times which provides the evidence base for future funding allocations.

The proposals set out in the presentation are that:

• bids which include system impacts and implications should be developed collaboratively and overseen by this board
• a short life working group is established to develop the proposals
• a standard format for a business case should be agreed
• bids should meet the timeline for the early budget round

The board discussed the work required around the bids with no guarantee of funding and the fact that this is one-year funding which is not always compatible with programme working. There was a suggestion that an initial business proposal could be produced rather than an in depth business case. The board welcomed and agreed to the proposals set out. It is also key to consider whole system impacts on these proposals, such as the improvements in journey times resulting in more people on community disposals and potentially in custody.

Action 3-0907 – SG colleagues to establish a short life working group to develop business proposals for Recover, Renew, Transform (RRT) funding.

Any other business

The board were informed that the quarterly performance and outcomes report on the TCPs will be shared with board members ahead of the Criminal Justice Board (CJB) meeting on 25 July.

The board recorded their thanks to Fiona Cameron for all of their hard work and dedication to system collaboration and the work of the TCPs in what will be their last meeting before taking a career break.