Question reference: S6W-25759
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 26 February 2024
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Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 March 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether the Scottish Prison Service will commence work on the replacement of HMP Greenock in 2025-26.
Answer
The Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) are committed to modernising the prison estate to deliver a world leading custodial environment, which supports rehabilitation and a safer Scotland.
The decisions made by the UK Government to reduce capital funding in real terms year on year, alongside construction supply chain issues, labour shortages and recent high inflation means that the Scottish Government is having to make difficult decisions in terms of prioritisation of infrastructure projects. Replacing HMP Inverness and HMP Barlinnie remain the current prison infrastructure priorities and work on the replacement for HMP Greenock is unlikely to commence in 2025-26.