Chamber and committees

The McManus review of additional support for learning published in March, set out six high level and far reaching recommendations to address the evolving ASN systems challenge. The first step in implementing the recommendations will be the publication of a timeline and route map in relation to the national staged intervention model (recommendation 1 of the McManus report) and the associated 100 days commitment. Beyond that it is envisaged that the McManus report will be delivered in stages across the Parliamentary term.

The Scottish Government has identified a need to amend the law in relation to standing for election and holding office as a councillor ahead of next May’s local government elections. While the law was changed on 1 August 2025 to permit foreign nationals with limited leave to remain to stand as councillors, we have identified a gap in the provisions which mean this did not apply to Commonwealth citizens with limited leave to remain. This is contrary to the aim of the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill, which was passed unanimously on 17 December 2024. I therefore plan to introduce a short Bill in September to give Parliament the opportunity to remedy this issue in time for next year’s local authority elections.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01001 on 24 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01001 on 24 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01001 on 24 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01001 on 24 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01001 on 24 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01001 on 24 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01001 on 24 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

This answer covers the ten questions that you have tabled on cuckooing.

The Scottish Government has not had any discussions directly with social landlords on cuckooing. However, the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT), which I chair, involves a wide range of agencies who come together to consider the threat and risk of serious organised crime. SOCT members use every means at their disposal to disrupt serious organised crime, including cuckooing and associated county lines activity. Membership of the SOCT includes Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, CoSLA, the National Crime Agency, and SOLACE.

In terms of awareness raising, the Scottish Government published practitioner guidance on criminal exploitation on behalf of the SOCT in 2023. The guidance was developed to support a shared understanding of criminal exploitation, which includes county lines and cuckooing. It helps professionals identify and support those at risk from being exploited by serious organised crime groups.

The guidance is available to all front-line workers such as social workers, Police Scotland, NHS, and education and third sector staff who come into regular contact with children and vulnerable adults.

Following publication of the guidance, the SOCT held a criminal exploitation awareness raising event in 2024 for practitioners and leaders within social work, education, health and other sectors. The aims of the event included raising awareness of criminal exploitation, including the practitioners guidance, and promoting multi-agency working between and across organisations to ensure better outcomes for young people and adults on the cusp of serious organised crime.

Cuckooing is not currently a criminal offence, therefore the Scottish Government holds no data on the prevalence of cuckooing. The Scottish Government worked closely with the Home Office on the Crime and Policing Act 2026, which will see the introduction of a new criminal offence for cuckooing once the provisions come into force. The offence will criminalise the control over another person's property without their consent for the purposes of enabling it to be used in connection with criminality. The use of this offence will allow for data to be collected on cuckooing in future.

Scotland’s refreshed Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy, published in July 2025, recognises cuckooing as a form of criminal exploitation. The new offence in the Crime and Policing Act will provide law enforcement partners with another option to consider when disrupting the activities of perpetrators who take over vulnerable individuals homes for the purposes of committing criminality.

The Scottish Government funds a number of services that support victims of cuckooing. These include:

• The Victim-Centred Approach Fund (VCAF), which has awarded over £75m to victims' organisations for the period 2022-2027 as part of the Scottish Government's commitment to putting victims at the heart of the justice system.
• In addition, the Victim Surcharge Fund, established in 2019, has provided over £3.4m in awards to 27 victim support organisations. The organisations can use this funding to provide practical help to victims, and the Fund has helped more than 10,000 people affected by crime.
• The Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (TARA) and Migrant Help, who will receive more than £3.5m in 2026-27 to provide support and assistance to adult victims of trafficking and exploitation.

Lastly, the Adult Support and Protection (ASP) Act 2007 places a duty on councils to make inquiries about a person's well-being, property or financial affairs if it knows or believes that the person is an adult at risk, and that it might need to intervene in order to protect the person's well-being, property or financial affairs. The Act provides a multi-agency framework for intervention and support for adults at risk of harm. It provides measures to identify and to provide support and protection for those individuals who are vulnerable to being harmed whether as a result of their own or someone else's conduct.

All ASP referrals warrant a carefully considered and measured response, and should be acted upon as a source of information that may or may not be presented as evidence at a later stage.