Scottish Liberal Democrat Justice spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP has called on the Finance Secretary to come to Holyrood and explain budget changes that could see the Scottish Government receive up to £30m from Police cash reserves.

In a written answer to an SNP MSP last week, John Swinney MSP revealed that between £20m and £30m of police funding is set to revert to the Scottish Government.

We know that the economic and social cost of offending and reoffending is immense, and we pour so many resources into picking up the pieces. Lives are ruined, communities are blighted and potential is lost.

Considering those who are in our criminal justice system, we can see that we have failed to get to grips with the underlying problems-mental health problems, a history of abuse, addiction, poverty, exclusion from education and being in the care system. We know what lies behind the chaotic lives that lead to prison. Worse, we also know what makes a difference. Reoffending rates remain stubbornly high, however.

Liberal Democrats want safer communities, people brought to justice when they offend and robust community justice schemes. We also believe that everyone deserves a chance to get back on track. A robust but compassionate targeted community justice system that is flexible enough to respond to individual needs will benefit everyone in Scotland.

I agree with the cabinet secretary that the status quo is clearly not an option. The Angiolini and Audit Scotland reports both highlighted serious shortcomings in the operation of the community justice system, and the Justice Committee has seen clear evidence of failings in the system. The Angiolini report had some frank words to say about the lack of leadership up until now. For sure, it will take strong and sustained leadership, both nationally and locally, to make a difference.

Audit Scotland found a mismatch between the services that are provided and what we know works in tackling reoffending. It found that access to and availability of services varies significantly throughout Scotland. While CJAs have been successful in bringing people together, Audit Scotland reported that the way in which they were set up and the inflexible funding arrangements that are in place have limited their effectiveness. Audit Scotland concludes that funding for community justice services is particularly inflexible and does not encourage reductions in reoffending. Only a small amount of funding is currently available for local discretion, and the funding is based largely on historical activity.

The CJAs report to ministers and have regional budgets to dispense to local authorities, but they also have little discretion and a lack of clear governance arrangements. I acknowledge that good work is going on, but I cannot legitimately argue that what we have at the moment is the right model.

I agree with the Labour Party that although it is good to have an exploratory debate on this complex issue, it would be useful if we could come back to it once we have all had the opportunity to review the consultation responses.

Faced with the fact that a number of the other agencies involved-the Scottish Court Service, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the Scottish Prison Service and now the police-operate nationally, some might be tempted to say that we should also have a national community justice organisation. I am instinctively uncomfortable about that option. Like it or not, a complex web of societal interactions need to come together to prevent reoffending and ensure that community justice disposals provide both punishment and alternatives. A national agency-possibly remote and bureaucratic-is unlikely to be able to maximise those connections.

Audit Scotland made much in its report of the number of people round the table at CJA meetings. In fact, we need everyone working together. The real problem at the moment is that no one has the proper clout to bring about the change that is needed.

Criminal justice social work is rightly part of the local government family. We need to develop and build on those close links between criminal justice services, social work, education, drug and alcohol services, disability services and of course the third sector. Those connections have meant that there has been progress on tackling the root causes of crime. I am concerned that removing criminal justice social work from the local authority family would be expensive and disruptive and might lead to the loss of integration with other local services.

On the other hand, disbanding the CJAs completely and returning responsibility to our 32 separate local authorities will not address the current problems of poor integration and postcode-based justice services. What we need is a structure that facilitates a tailored, community-based response, while ensuring that a much more rigorous approach is taken to the standard of service that we should expect to see throughout Scotland. I am probably with Christine Grahame on this issue. None of the three options outlined in the consultation document seems quite to fit the bill. I suspect that the answer lies in a hybrid form of them.

It seems at this stage that the best way forward would be to reform the CJAs by ensuring that they have the right-indeed the responsibility-to plan, co-ordinate and monitor services in their area. Clearer governance, proper control of budgets and building on what is good in CJAs is likely to bring about change most effectively. However, there also needs to be a national strategy-one that sets standards and ensures equality of access to services, especially in relation to specific groups such as sex offenders, young offenders and women prisoners. Leadership needs to be provided nationally to champion all the change that needs to come about. It might be that a federation of the CJAs working in tandem with the Government could drive that forward; if necessary, we could have joint commissioning of regional specialisms at the same time. However, if we are to reduce reoffending drastically, at the heart of it all has to be local, community-based solutions.

Over and over again at the Justice Committee we have heard how patchy throughcare is for short-term prisoners because there is no statutory provision for them, yet we know that those prisoners are most at risk of reoffending. I genuinely urge the cabinet secretary to use this opportunity, this year, to extend statutory throughcare to all prisoners. He would have our support for that.

Recent research by the Prison Reform Trust concluded that it is important for offenders to take responsibility for their own resettlement. Right now, there is no dialogue with or involvement of offenders or ex-offenders. We want that to change.

Although the Liberal Democrats are open to further discussion on the best way forward, we are clear that there must be improvements in how community justice services are funded, how performance is measured and how services for offenders are planned, designed and managed.

North East politicians, business people and those who had not been involved in campaigning before have launched the Better Together in Aberdeenshire, the campaign to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom.

The public meeting at the Hopeville Social Club in Inverurie was attended by 160 people from across Aberdeenshire. North East Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Alison McInnes said it gave people the chance to learn more about the Better Together campaign and hear why Scotland should remain a strong part of the United Kingdom.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Alison McInnes said today that farmers and food producers in the North East will be delighted that there will be a new ombudsman to protect them in their dealings with the major supermarkets.

The Groceries Code Adjudicator Act was passed last week and will create a new body with the power to name and shame or impose fines upon the 10 largest supermarkets if they mistreat their suppliers.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Alison McInnes has welcomed the announcement that ScotRail will shortly roll-out free wi-fi on its trains between Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

The Managing Director of ScotRail, Steve Montgomery, confirmed earlier today that wi-fi will be live on 59 of its trains, including those travelling from Edinburgh to Dundee and Aberdeen, by the end of the year.

Commenting as the Sheriffs' Association warn that SNP plans to close Sheriff Court across Scotland are "fundamentally flawed", Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP said: "This is a stark warning from people at the heart of the matter.

"However past experience tells us Kenny MacAskill pays little heed to the legitimate concerns of the professionals in our justice system.

Commenting on new research from the Scottish Social Attitudes survey which shows women are less likely to support independence, Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Alison McInnes said: "The latest poll shows that the SNP are making no headway, despite their recent charm offensive.

"Women have a key role to play in the independence debate, but when they pose tough questions they deserve straight answers.

"This group of voters is demonstrating it will take more than vague promises of jam tomorrow to secure their votes."

Commenting as the Scottish Government publishes its response to recommendations made by Professor Andrew Coyle on Scotland's prison visiting committees, Scottish Liberal Democrat Alison McInnes MSP said: "After a few false starts these proposals are a sensible way forward.

" Professor Coyle's proposals keep what was good about local prison visiting committees, chiefly the involvement of local lay people, and improves their independence.

Liberal Democrat MSP Alison McInnes is calling on North East people to take care in the sun and not put themselves at risk of skin cancer.

Mrs McInnes was speaking following publication of new research to mark Sun Awareness Week, which begins on Monday 6 May.

The North East MSP said: "Many people wrongly think that because we are so far north that the sun cannot cause skin cancer. That is not the case. It is not just on holiday in the Mediterranean or wherever that can lead to problems. Sunscreen can be as necessary in Scotland too.

North East Liberal Democrat MSP Alison McInnes is calling on retailers to stop promoting toys as being for boys only or girls only, and to let children choose for themselves.

Mrs McInnes was speaking after lodging a motion in the Scottish Parliament supporting a national on-line petition to toy retailers.