Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it has been working with Police Scotland to tackle the modification of vehicles for the concealment of illicit drugs.
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 an offence for importing, making, adapting, supplying or offering to supply a relevant article for use in serious crime. This offence would have included vehicle concealments as an article of serious crime but the legislation fell due to the change of administration.
My officials are continuing to engage with the Home Office on its legislative proposals. I hope that this offence will be taken forward in one of the bills that will be introduced in early 2025.
Police Scotland will be also be kept informed as soon as any legislation is developed.