Cabinet Secretary for Justice
Kenny MacAskill
World Health Organisation Violence Prevention Conference
Tulliallan, Fife
July 17, 2007
On behalf of the Scottish Government I would like to welcome you all to Scotland and to the Scottish Police College here at Tulliallan for this third World Health Organisation Violence Prevention Milestones conference.
I know many of you have travelled a great distance to be here and I hope you have the chance to see more of our beautiful country before you return home. The College and its grounds provide a relaxed setting for what I am sure will be a fascinating and productive discussion over the next three days.
Many of you will have seen reports in the media about the recent terrorist outrage at Glasgow Airport. Thankfully no lives were lost in this despicable attack.
However, this was a wake up call for us all - no nation is immune from what are now truly global challenges. Borders are not recognised by those who wish to perpetrate these atrocities. In a global world, we require common solutions to a shared problem.
And there are a great many problems, whether social or cultural, whether in relation to health, justice or education, where cooperation would be beneficial. Violence is clearly one of these problems.
The opportunity offered by a common problem, however, is the possibility of a shared and therefore stronger solution. That is what this event seeks to achieve.
We are all here to listen and learn from each other - to share experiences and expertise - and this is something strengthened by the breadth and depth of truly international knowledge I see in this room.
The fact that this conference is being held in Scotland, I believe, recognises Scotland's role as a strong and committed partner in the WHO's global alliance for violence prevention. The Scottish Government wishes Scotland to take responsibility for its own problems but equally to accept its share of responsibility for tackling common global problems.
Let me be clear, despite discredited reports to the contrary, I do not believe Scotland is fundamentally a violent country. Scotland is no war zone. However there are very real problems to be tackled, not least the high levels of alcohol fuelled violence in our homes and on our streets, and the longstanding issue of knife crime.
In Scotland the mix of drink and violence creates a lethal cocktail. Years ago Scotland prided itself on the three R's - reading, writing and arithmetic. Now sadly too much of our land is afflicted by the three D's - drink, drugs and deprivation.
Their impact causes a profound pessimism - a sense that nothing will ever change. This pessimism must be challenged.
As the WHO's World Report on Violence and Health makes clear: violence is preventable, not inevitable.
We need to make these words real, not just for practitioners in the police or local government or health service but for the communities we serve. We know this will not be easy - changing culture never is. There is a long road to travel but the journey has begun.
At the heart of this effort in Scotland is the national Violence Reduction Unit led by John Carnochan and Karyn McCluskey. They are inspirational figures and what they have achieved has already made Scotland a better place. I commend them for that. They have convinced us of the importance of prevention in tackling violence.
For years violence was seen as purely a criminal justice issue and it is no surprise therefore that things were not getting any better. The VRU's high profile support for the public health approach to violence, first set out by the WHO - to seeing violence as an issue for health and education services as well as justice - has transformed much of our thinking. This is why Scotland can be proud of its role in the WHO's violence alliance - we are one of the nations leading the way.
I believe that the focus on prevention and tackling the causes of violence is the right one. Of course, we must always ensure that there is robust enforcement and that those who offend are properly punished, but until we challenge the causes of crime as much as crime itself we will not change things for the better.
Violence is a complex problem and its causes are many. Too much of the debate is based on anecdote - we need to fully understand what the problem is, where it is and how we deal with it. On this I agree with the WHO's recommendations on data collection and research. That is why I have asked my officials to look at how well we understand the problem and assess what more can be done.
I am encouraged by initiatives such as the injury surveillance pilot work underway across Scotland and in particular the plan to introduce an efficient and comprehensive electronic surveillance system across a whole NHS Board area. This will help us understand the true scale of the problem.
For only once we understand the problem, can we tackle it effectively.
Prevention, then, is at the heart of our approach. This is long-term and difficult work. Whether it is earlier and more effective interventions for those already at risk of offending, or more universal interventions aimed at those in their early years, we will be looking to ensure that problems are addressed at root. I know that there are some excellent presentations and workshops over the next three days that will set out the challenges and opportunities in relation to that agenda. Those present from the Scottish Government will be listening carefully and will seek to integrate good practice from around the world into our policy work.
Of the many issues facing Scottish society - one of the most serious is central to this debate. And that issue is the abuse of alcohol.
Scotland has a long and proud history as one of Europe's most ancient nations. We are proud of our contributions internationally, whether in medicine, engineering or other disciplines. Yet there is another side to our international reputation. As the Scottish novelist Carl McDougall has pointed out, while the Inuit people have 30 words for snow, we Scots have at least 30 words for being drunk. Being able to drink every other country under the table is not something to be proud of.
Let's be clear, this Government is not Prohibitionist. Alcohol is part of our culture. Our pubs and clubs are there to be enjoyed. We are rightly proud of our whisky and distilling industry. Some of you may have sampled some already and for others the opportunity, I understand, will be available at a whisky tasting tonight. Enjoy!
But we cannot go on as we are. A bevvy culture. As we call it in Scotland, has grown up where alcohol is not there to be savoured but simply slugged back as quickly as possible, fuelling carnage and crime.
Domestic violence. Random assaults. General loutish behaviour. The impact is there for all to see. On the streets, in police stations or hospital emergency departments.
The statistics are stark. Seven out of 10 of those accused of murder in Scotland had been drinking or on drugs. Nearly half of Scotland's 7,000 prisoners say they were drunk at the time they committed their offence.
We are located only a few miles from the site of the battle of Bannockburn and in the lee of the Wallace Monument. Symbols of Scotland's fight for nationhood against an enemy from without. Now we face a battle against an enemy from within - alcohol abuse.
This time it is not Edward the Hammer of the Scots but the Scots themselves hammering the bottle that is the threat. Our Health Service faces being overrun, our economy undermined and our society devastated by the abuse of alcohol.
Action must be taken. Already our Government has indicated a need to tackle irresponsible promotion in off-sales and the availability of alcohol to minors. However, we now need to take it further to tackle the excuse of alcohol in criminal offending.
High Court judgements since the 1980s have made clear in common law that alcohol should not be regarded as a mitigating factor in crimes.
Yet drink and disorder still appear together in the dock as partners in crime.
The time is now right to review whether that message from the High Court is being heard clearly enough and consistently enough by those coming in front of all parts of the criminal justice system.
I have asked my officials to look at the current position and to report back to me on how we can use a future Criminal Justice Bill to make a clear statement in law that being drunk will simply not be accepted in our courts as an excuse for bad behaviour.
The old excuse 'that it was the drink that did it' is still trotted out far too often in Scotland. NO, it wasn't the drink that did it; it was you that did it. This is now accepted with drink driving. Get behind the wheel of a car while drunk and you will face severe consequences. Being drunk is no excuse. The same should apply whether you assault your wife, attack a passer by for no reason or behave in a loutish or ignorant manner. The excuses have to stop.
Drunk offenders should expect a sobering experience every time they appear in our courts.
These are some of the issues for Scotland. They are likely to be issues for you in your own countries and I would hope this event will move us all one step closer to solving them once and for all. Unfortunately I cannot stay to participate in all the events over the next couple of days - in fact I am due at a meeting of the Scottish Cabinet later this afternoon. However, the programme looks fascinating and I will ensure that my officials brief me on outcomes.
So Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you enjoy your stay in Scotland. Please enjoy a taste of our national drink tonight but take heed from someone who is still being reminded of past indiscretions - enjoy our national drink but enjoy it in moderation!
Let me wish you all the very best in your endeavours not just this week but on your return home.
Thank you.