5. To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice last met the chief executive of the Scottish Court Service and what was discussed. (S4O-02406)

I meet the chief executive of the Scottish Court Service regularly. The last formal meeting was on 26 March, when I was given an update on SCS plans.

In the past three financial years, offenders in Scotland have received a staggering 450,000 warning letters for defaulting on their fines. On top of that, 200,000 court citations and 90,000 arrest warrants were issued for non-payment between 2009 and 2012 and, in my constituency, three offenders have amassed nearly 100 unpaid fines among them. Does the cabinet secretary accept that those figures show a serious weakness in our justice system? What is he going to do to address this serious problem?

I read Mr McNeil’s press release prior to his question and can only indicate the following response: 89 per cent of the value of sheriff court fines imposed between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2012 has been paid or is on track to be paid. This Government, through the Court Service is delivering. Changes have been made to improve the system that we inherited from our predecessors—for example, by allowing earnings to be arrested and people’s caravans, cars and so on to be taken—and fine enforcement officers are delivering.

Much more could be done on, for example, court closures and enforcement if the Court Service had access to funds and was not facing cuts from the coalition Government south of the border, and I find it surprising that Mr McNeil prefers a system in which many of these fines, amounting to millions of pounds, routinely go to the Treasury in London instead of being available for justice here in Scotland. Perhaps the member should consider that.