Chamber and committees

The management of the Police Scotland’s estate, including assessments of the condition of its buildings, is an operational matter for the Chief Constable under the oversight of the Scottish Police Authority.

The Scottish Government welcome’s Police Scotland’s commitment to providing a safe environment for officers, staff and the public.

Management of the Police Scotland estate, including contingency plans in the event that any of Police Scotland’s buildings are deemed unsafe, is an operational matter for the Chief Constable under the oversight of the Scottish Police Authority.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40058 on 16 September 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 question S6W-40057 on 16 September 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.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of visible policing for public confidence. However, perceptions of community safety are shaped by a range of factors, including falling levels of crime, local police engagement, and broader community support.

Crime in Scotland has fallen significantly under this administration.

Scotland is a safer place since this government took office. Recorded crime remains below the position immediately prior to the pandemic (2019-20), and is down 39% since 2006-07.

The proportion of adults who were a victim of violent and property crime has also fallen from one-in-five (20.4%) in 2008-09 to one-in-eight (12.1%) in 2023-24 and the Scottish Crime & Justice Survey (2023-24) showed more people feel safe walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark increasing from 66% in 2008-09 to 75% in 2023-24. Over the same time period the proportion of adults who thought violence between groups of individuals or gangs was common in their area fell from 26% to 13%.

The Scottish Government have increased police funding year on year since 2016-17, investing more than £14.6bn since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013. In 2025-26, we will increase the police funding to £1.64 billion , an increase of £90 million on 2024-25, to support police capacity and capability.

Our investment in policing enabled Police Scotland to take on more recruits last financial year than at any time since 2013, with further intakes planned throughout 2025. The latest official statistics show there were 16,427 full time equivalent police officers at 30 June 2025.

Police Scotland also has a healthy recruitment pipeline having welcomed around 1,500 new officers since the beginning of 2024 including a further 136 new recruits on 1 September 2025.

Specific Police Scotland officer number statistics by division, can be found by following the link.

The Scottish Government meets regularly with the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) to discuss housing and homelessness issues and with local authorities on the importance of fulfilling their statutory duties. The Scottish Government’s approach is to work collaboratively with partners to address the acute pressures in housing and homelessness.

In its assessment of systemic failure, the SHR identified three major strategic challenges in providing homelessness services: the significant numbers of people in temporary accommodation; maintaining a sufficient supply of appropriate temporary accommodation; and ensuring access to the number of permanent homes that are needed.

The Scottish Government’s housing emergency action plan published on 2 September sets out a suite of actions to help address the challenges identified by the SHR. The plan commits to up to £4.9 billion over the next four years for the delivery of affordable and social homes. It ensures that £808 million will be available for affordable homes in Scotland this year, which includes £80 million for councils to acquire family homes now to relieve pressure. This fund will help to replenish temporary accommodation stock that has been converted to permanent homes. We are also funding a pilot private sector leasing scheme to reduce the use of unsuitable temporary accommodation, which will support local authorities to comply with their statutory homelessness duties.

It is the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) role to monitor the institutional landscape, to ensure sustainable and coherent provision, and to engage with institutions as needed. The Scottish Government and the SFC are in regular discussions on issues affecting the sector.

The college sector currently faces a number of high-level pressures and the Scottish Government acknowledges the extremely challenging operating environment in which they continue to deliver services.

In recognition of colleges’ vital role in our economy and wider society, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) allocations provide a 2.6% sector increase in teaching funding for 2025-26 compared to last year, and no college has had a reduction in teaching funding in 2025-26 when compared with 2024-25.

An increase of almost 5% in capital maintenance funding is helping colleges further invest in student’s learning experiences.

The Scottish Government is also working collaboratively with the SFC and Colleges Scotland through the Tripartite Alignment Group to identify and implement flexibilities to support colleges. To date, the Group has created the conditions to improve the financial sustainability of the sector with the introduction of the SFC’s College Transformation Framework, and the new asset disposals process; and is supporting colleges to maximise commercial income.

While colleges are responsible for their own operational matters, such as their campus footprint, they must consider the needs of the people, region, and the communities they serve. This includes students and staff, for whom I recognise this is a worrying time.

As Forth Valley College’s campus in Alloa plays a vital role in providing access to services for the people in that community, Ministers are keen that everything possible is done to keep the campus open.

Forth Valley College’s campus in Alloa plays a vital role in providing access to services for the people in that community, and everything possible must be done to keep the campus open.

The Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) have identified a route by which some funding could be used this financial year to support urgent feasibility studies to inform the SFC’s forthcoming College Infrastructure Investment Plan.

The Scottish Government and the SFC will continue to engage with Forth Valley College throughout this process to find a way to support the College decide on the best future for the campus.