Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. I have asked Police Scotland to write to you on this matter.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. I have asked Police Scotland to write to you on this matter.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with the UK Government to disrupt organised crime groups involved in the illicit drugs trade and the misery it causes to individuals and communities. As I explained in my answer to Parliamentary Question S6W-32543 on 10 January 2025, we had previously promoted a Legislative Consent Memorandum in the Scottish Parliament in relation to the provisions in the previous UK Government’s Criminal Justice Bill creating a new offence of importing, making, adapting, supplying or offering to supply a relevant article for use in serious crime. This offence would have included pill presses in addition to other articles but the legislation fell due to the change of administration.

My officials are continuing to engage with the Home Office to explore the potential for this offence, and others that disrupt aspects of the illicit drug trade such as cuckooing, to be taken forward in one of the bills that will be introduced in early 2025. In the event that such legislation is brought forward, we will give careful consideration to the possibility of extending such measures to Scotland.

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 the question S6W-32496 on 10 January 2025. 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 the question S6W-32496 on 10 January 2025. 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 have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

During seven weeks of training, new prison officers receive training on a range of strategies and interventions designed to support those in our care, this includes a dedicated learning outcome on the effects of alcohol use.

SPS Health and College teams are also conducting a scoping exercise which will help further identify Officer needs when supporting those in our care. This exercise will shape delivery of future training and will incorporate the newly published Mental Health and Alcohol & Drug strategies.

The powers of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) to review alleged miscarriages of justice are provided for in the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (1995 Act).

There is no limitation within the 1995 Act on the SCCRC investigating evidence provided to it during a previously reviewed case with any decision to investigate evidence provided to it during a previously reviewed case being an independent matter for the SCCRC.

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) statistics are published annually with latest data covering the 2022-23 academic year - https://www.gov.scot/publications/education-maintenance-allowances-2022-23/

Information broken down by local authority area, back to 2006-07, can be found in the supporting documents area of the publication, within the ‘Spend’ and ‘Age’ background tables.

Whilst EMA was introduced in academic year 2004-05, data prior to 2006-07 is not included in the above publication as EMA in 2004-05 and 2005-06 did not cover all 16 to 18 year olds and therefore is not comparable. Historic data can be accessed on the Scottish Government archived website:

2004-05 - https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20170831150034/http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2005/11/02112052/20531

2005-06 - https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20170717072945/http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2006/11/13100200/0

The sanctions that may be applied where a person is found to have misled the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) and the means by which allegations that a person may have done so would be investigated would depend on the facts and circumstances of the particular case.

The purpose of the SCCRC is to investigate alleged miscarriages of justice. Where a person seeks to deliberately mislead the SCCRC when carrying out an investigation into an alleged miscarriage of justice, they may potentially be committing the offence of attempting to pervert the course of justice or defeat the ends of justice.

The SCCRC have a power at section 194H of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 to request precognition under oath. Where a person knowingly gives false information under oath, they may be liable to be prosecuted for perjury.

As common law offences, the maximum penalty for offences of perjury, attempting to defeat the ends of justice or pervert the course of justice is up to life imprisonment, limited only by the sentencing power of the court in which the offender is sentenced.

Where the SCCRC believe that a person may have committed a criminal offence, it is a matter for the SCCRC to consider what action to take and this could include reporting this to the police for investigation.

Scottish Government does not collect information on the number of children and young people home educated in Scotland.