I thank the Lord Advocate for making such a full statement this afternoon. It is only right, given the notoriety not only of the case but of the judgment, that she, as the country's foremost law officer, should come before Parliament to answer our questions.

Before I ask my questions, I say, on behalf of my Liberal Democrat colleagues, that we remember in our thoughts today the families of Christine Eadie and Helen Scott. Our thoughts are with them.

I also place on record our appreciation of the work that has been done by Lothian and Borders Police officers and other law enforcement officers and officials, who have stuck doggedly to their task over many years.

The case also reminds us that our criminal justice system is based on the key premise that any of us, when accused of a crime, is deemed innocent until proven guilty. The job of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is to build and present the case beyond reasonable doubt. Given Lord Clarke's judgment, it is clear that the service failed to do so.

Can the Lord Advocate tell us what inquiries are under way in the Crown Office and whether there is any independent element to those inquiries? Does she believe that any purpose would be served by the holding of a public inquiry or any other form of wider inquiry not only into this case but in relation to some of the comments that my colleagues have made, with which I associate myself? On the basis of her examination of the case so far, what lessons, if any, can we learn and what changes might she be able to suggest to the Scottish Government?