Chamber and committees

The Retail Crime Taskforce was established following the launch of Police Scotland's action plan to tackle retail crime in March 2025. Operating under four key objectives – Prevent, Pursue, Protect, and Prepare – the Taskforce focuses on stopping people from becoming offenders, bringing perpetrators to justice, strengthening protections for retailers, and developing direct reporting systems.

The Taskforce works alongside the Scottish Government in the Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE), a Police Scotland-led initiative that brings together retail groups and partners to tackle a range of acquisitive crimes including theft and housebreaking. Scottish Government has committed funding of £3 million in 2026-27 and in each of the following two years to support this work.

The Scottish Government and industry partners receive updates on the progress of the retail crime taskforce. The most recent update in July 2026 provided a summary of the results delivered in the first year of the taskforce.

In total the RCTF recorded over 16,044 results across all KPI recorded activities in its first year of operation. This includes:

• 5,760 Shoplifting Charges/Detections
• 1,542 Intelligence Logs Submitted
• 648 Retail Worker Offence Charges
• 1,330 Arrests Made
• 3,151 Suspects Identified by RCTF
• 41 Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) Identified
• 268 Electronic Briefings Disseminated
• 128 Disruptions Against OCGs

Over the past year there has been a focus on medication assisted treatment (MAT) in prison settings and Public Health Scotland(PHS)have had extensive engagement with NHS healthcare staff and the Scottish Prison Service.

Prison officers play a vital role in our justice system, helping to ensure our prisons are safe, secure and stable environments for all that live and work there. Unlike other uniformed groups, prison officers do not have a dedicated pension scheme as they are members of the Civil Service pension scheme which is a reserved matter for the UK Government.

The Scottish Government has strongly supported the position of the Prison Officers Association that the retirement age of prison officers be brought into line with armed forces, police, and firefighters who retire at 60. This reflects the operational environment and physical demands associated with the role which can be particularly challenging.

SPS provide support to staff to remain at work and in meaningful employment when they cannot undertake their full contractual role, including workplace adjustments and redeployment to alternative roles across the organisation. Every effort will be made to accommodate requests for a change or adjustment where the request is evidence based.

Prison officers play a vital role in our justice system, helping to ensure our prisons are safe, secure and stable environments for all that live and work there. Unlike other uniformed groups, prison officers do not have a dedicated pension scheme as they are members of the Civil Service pension scheme which is a reserved matter for the UK Government.

The Scottish Government has strongly supported the position of the Prison Officers’ Association that the retirement age of prison officers be brought into line with armed forces, police, and firefighters who retire at 60. This reflects the operational environment and physical demands associated with the role which can be particularly challenging.

On 10 September 2026, I wrote to Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon John Healey MP urging him to give this matter urgent attention.

Transport Scotland officials have required ScotRail through Scottish Rail Holdings to work at pace to rectify any issues experienced by passengers upon release of the new ScotRail app in order to minimise disruption, and to reflect any lessons learned in any future initiatives.

Any testing of the ScotRail app prior to its launch was done by ScotRail and the retail platform provider, SilverRail. The member may wish to contact ScotRail for this information.

The Scottish Government remains committed to establishing a National Oversight Mechanism (NOM) for deaths in custody. Officials are working with HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS) to establish an initial prison-focused model, following the former Cabinet Secretary for Justice’s commissioning of HMIPS earlier this year. Work is progressing on a phased test-of-change basis, with governance and staffing arrangements currently being finalised.

The NOM will draw on findings from Fatal Accident Inquiries, internal reviews and wider scrutiny activity to identify systemic issues, promote learning and improve accountability. By tracking recommendations, monitoring progress against agreed actions and reporting on recurring themes and areas of concern, the NOM will help ensure that lessons identified through FAIs are considered, implemented and embedded across the system.

A draft Code of Practice on investigative functions under section 57 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 was prepared and is being adjusted following earlier consultation with statutory consultees, the public, and internal review within COPFS.

Before the Code can be finalised and laid before the Scottish Parliament, I must further consult the statutorily mandated consultees on the final draft. Thereafter, the draft Code will be issued for public consultation.

The aim is to complete the remaining consultation and publication process by early 2027. That timeframe will be kept under review in light of responses to the consultation required, and any amendments required to the draft Code as a result.

As announced by the First Minister in Parliament on 3 September 2025, the Scottish Government pledged £400,000 to establish the Gaza HOPES Field Readiness Hub.

This money was provided to Kids Operating Room in two payments. £337,680 was provided on 05 December 2025. The remaining £62,320 was paid on 25 February 2026.

The Field Readiness Hub has been built and is fully operational at Kids Operating Room's Global Centre of Operations. It is being used to design, test and refine modular healthcare infrastructure before deployment. The Hub replicates clinical environments, including a consultation room, imaging/isolation space, recovery area, maternity theatre and paediatric theatre.

The Hub's original purpose was to support preparation for a modular hospital in Gaza, however the current situation in Gaza has meant deployment has not been achieved at this point. Kids Operating Room are exploring multiple deployment options and potential sites, while maintaining readiness so it can respond when conditions allow.

Since the Hub was established, Kids Operating Room has secured funding and partner support for related projects in the West Bank, demonstrating the wider value of the initial investment. For example, in August 2026 a new dedicated paediatric operating theatre has officially opened at Al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron - the first of an initial three permanent children's surgical theatres that KidsOR will be delivering across the West Bank.

The water and sewerage charges exemption scheme is funded by the general non-household customer base through an uplift in their water and sewerage charges. To ensure that the scheme does not result in unfair competition with the small businesses who are part of funding the scheme, charities operating a retail outlet, such as a café or charity shop, are not eligible.

The Principles which apply to charges, including the terms of the exemption scheme, have been set for the 2021-27 period and there is no ability to deviate from the criteria within this period. Following a public consultation in January 2026, the terms of the exemption scheme for 2027-33 will be confirmed when Ministers publish the Principles of Charging this Autumn.