Youth Justice

As an amendment to motion S3M-02204 in the name of Fergus Ewing (Youth Justice), after “around” insert “ notes with concern the failure of the previous administration to reduce persistent young offending by 10% and recognises the increasing drain on time and resources that offence referrals are having on the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA); recommends that an increase in disposals available to SCRA, such as an extension of drug treatment and testing orders, would enable it to intervene more effectively; recognises that the sending of 14 and 15-year-old persistent young offenders to youth courts would allow children’s panels to concentrate more on referrals for non-offence grounds.”