The Criminal Justice Committee is undertaking scrutiny on the Scottish Government’s 2026-27 budget and the Scottish Spending Review.

Background

In recent years, in line with the recommendations of the Budget Process Review Group (BPRG) report, Scottish Parliament subject committees have undertaken pre-budget scrutiny, in advance of the publication of the Scottish budget. The intention is that committees will use pre-budget reports to influence the formulation of spending proposals while they are still in development.

In order to facilitate this, committees are required to publish pre-budget reports (or letters) at least six weeks prior to the Scottish budget. The date of the Scottish budget (which is normally in December) was moved to 23 January 2026 owing to the delay in the finalisation of the UK Government’s budget.

Pre-budget scrutiny 2026-27

The key focus for the Criminal Justice Committee’s pre-budget scrutiny is on the financial pressures facing organisations in the criminal justice sector and the main priorities for 2026/27.

Of particular interest to the Committee is the pressure on capital budgets and investment in policing, the fire and rescue services, prisons, courts, community justice, criminal social work and the third sector.

The Committee took evidence from key criminal justice sector stakeholders in advance of the publication of the Scottish Budget on 13 January 2026. The Committee scrutinised the budgetary needs of police, prisons, the fire service the courts and prosecution service.

Reflections on the budget proposed for 2026-27 and Scottish Spending Review

Following the publication of the 2026/27 budget and the Scottish Spending Review in January 2026, the Committee invited the police service, the prison service, the fire service the courts and the prosecution service back to set out their views on the impact the 2026/27 budget and Scottish Spending Review will have on their ability to meet the challenges facing them over the rest of the decade up to 2030.

This post-budget scrutiny is designed to help inform the Committee’s understanding of whether the budget settlement and Spending Review supports the criminal justice sector in the way in which it needs.

This will also be reflected in the Committee’s legacy report to its Session 7 successor committee. This is intended to help inform it successor of the issues it may wish to focus its budget scrutiny on going forward.