Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S7W-03405

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what business cases it has received from Police Scotland and/or the Scottish Police Authority regarding increasing police officer numbers.

Question reference: S7W-03404

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority regarding increasing police officer numbers.

Question reference: S7W-02925

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, at the latest count, how many prison officers were (a) available for operational duties, (b) on modified duties and (c) signed off as sick or on other long-term leave.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and has responsibility for operation of prisons including staffing.

As confirmed in the recent letter to the Criminal Justice Committee, as of 3 September 2026, SPS employed 4009 operational (frontline) staff, equating to 3797.09 full-time equivalent (FTE) posts.

(a) 3442.18 FTE Operational staff were available for duty.

(b) SPS does not currently record information on the number of Prison Officers undertaking roles with reasonable adjustments or restricted duties. SPS is reviewing its workforce data arrangements to consider how this information could be captured and reported in the future.

(c) 354.91 FTE prison officers were unavailable for operational duty. This includes absences due to sickness, parental leave, suspension, special leave, other authorised absences, and staff temporarily undertaking non-frontline roles.

Question reference: S7W-02922

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Prison Officers' Association Scotland report, Crisis Point Reached, what discussions it has had with the Scottish Prison Service regarding (a) ending online interviews during the prison officer recruitment process and (b) increasing training for new prison officers.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and has responsibility for operation of prisons including staffing.

SPS has committed to review the end to end recruitment and selection process for Prison Officer roles. This work has commenced and will be delivered to support continuous improvement and ensure recruitment processes remain effective and fit for purpose.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02875 on 17 September 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.

Question reference: S7W-02928

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many times in each of the last five years the agreed prison officer staffing complement has not been met across the prison estate.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and has responsibility for operation of prisons including staffing:

The Prison Officer staffing complement refers to the total number of Prison Officer posts across the Scottish Prison Service (SPS).

SPS does not record the number of occasions on which staffing complements are not met, as staffing levels fluctuate throughout the year and differ between establishments.

Based on staffing levels at the end of each financial year, Prison Officer numbers were below the agreed complement in two of the last five years. Over the most recent two-year period, the average vacancy rate was 0%.

Question reference: S7W-02924

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Prison Officers' Association Scotland report, Crisis Point Reached, which noted that the number of staff departures recorded by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) as "Normal Resignations" doubled between 2015 and 2023, what discussions it has had with SPS regarding staff retention.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and has responsibility for operation of prisons including staffing.

SPS has recruited record numbers of Prison Officers in recent years to support prison estate expansion, including HMP Stirling and HMP Kilmarnock, and address increasing prisoner numbers and complexity. Targeted attraction and engagement activities have also increased workforce diversity.

For 2025-26, the turnover rate across SPS was 7.7%, which represented a 1% reduction on the previous year (2024-25). SPS has also experienced a significant reduction in leavers from prison officer roles in the early part of this financial year in comparison to previous years.

SPS monitors staff retention through regular workforce planning discussions. The Workforce Planning Management Group reviews turnover trends, reasons for leaving, and actions to improve retention, informed by workforce data and employee feedback.

Question reference: S7W-02920

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many times in each of the last 10 years each prison has had to operate under a restricted regime.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and has responsibility for the operation of prisons.

The information requested is not recorded by SPS.

As SPS continues to face significant overcrowding and population pressures, restricted regimes may be necessary at times to ensure the safe and effective operation of prisons.

SPS does not use fixed numerical thresholds when implementing restricted regimes. Decisions are taken locally, based on daily dynamic assessments of safety and operational capacity. Governors also consider the stability of the establishment and staffing levels to ensure that statutory rights and essential services are prioritised.

Where a full regime cannot be delivered safely, restrictions may be applied to purposeful activities to ensure that key legal entitlements, including access to open air, meals and visits, continue to be met.

Question reference: S7W-02921

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in commissioning an independent review of the culture of the Scottish Prison Service.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and has responsibility for operation of prisons including staffing:

SPS commissioned an independent review of organisational culture in November 2024 and, following a competitive tender exercise, appointed CROWE to undertake the review. During 2025, CROWE carried out site visits and engaged with staff, senior leaders and individuals in custody. SPS received the final report in March 2026. The report has been shared with senior leaders and engagement sessions are being undertaken to discuss the findings and recommendations ahead of its wider communication to staff and publication on our external website.

Question reference: S7W-02888

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what funding and resources are being provided to deliver comprehensive, trauma-informed neurodivergence training to all prison officers.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and has responsibility for operation of prisons including staffing.

Resources currently available to prison officers include Trauma Informed Practice training, access to NHS Education for Scotland’s Developing Your Trauma Skilled Practice online modules, and trauma-informed practice content delivered through the Officer Foundation Programme. The costs associated with developing and delivering these resources are incorporated within the overall SPS training budget.

Question reference: S7W-02887

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is implementing to protect prison staff and their families from intimidation, coercion and corrupting influences by serious organised crime groups.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and has responsibility for operation of prisons including staffing.

The safety of all those who live and work in Scotland’s prisons is a key priority for SPS and this government.

SPS has a range of measures in place to support the safety of people working in prisons. These include robust recruitment and vetting processes, close partnership working with Police Scotland, mandatory professional boundaries training for all Prison Officers and a comprehensive Anti-Corruption Policy. Staff are supported to identify and report concerns through confidential reporting processes, with all concerns thoroughly investigated.

SPS is also introducing Body Worn Video Cameras (BWVCs), with implementation currently being rolled out across all establishments. The use of BWVCs will help enhance the safe and secure running of prisons across the estate, supporting both staff safety and any criminal investigations where appropriate.