Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-42795

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 13 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any risks associated with police officers continuing in service after they would otherwise have been entitled to retire, as a result of unresolved pension issues.

The Scottish Government has not carried out any assessments in relation to these matters as the deployment and management of officers, including Human Resources matters, are operational matters for the Chief Constable. Oversight is provided by the Scottish Police Authority rather than by Scottish Ministers directly. These arrangements are in place to ensure the operational independence of Police Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-42798

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 13 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether its ministers were advised during 2025 that some police officers were unable to retire, despite meeting age or service thresholds, due to pension scheme interaction issues.

The Scottish Government has not been advised that some police officers have been unable to retire due to pension scheme issues.

I am aware of the current administrative pause on buy-back of opted out pensionable service for some police officers impacted by the McCloud Public Service Pensions Remedy. I wrote to the UK Government in February 2025 seeking a resolution through changes to the relevant UK primary legislation, however this was not agreed. I remain confident that a resolution will be found.

Question reference: S6W-42562

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of material relating to Freedom of Information request 202500493769, which states that "a delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has visited prisons in Scotland and picked up on issues around drugs and the impact on prisoners and staff", what specific concerns were raised by the CPT; what actions have been taken in response, and whether it will publish any observations CPT shared with its ministers or officials.

The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) visited Scotland in June 2025 to review the treatment and conditions of people deprived of liberty in prisons and secure care for minors. The visit assessed progress since inspections in 2018 and 2019 and included checks on police custody facilities, focusing on treatment, detention conditions, and safeguards. The CPT will publish the report in due course, and the Scottish Government will carefully consider its findings.

Question reference: S6W-42563

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent increases in pre-employment vetting failures within the Scottish Prison Service, whether it will provide a breakdown of the reasons for every vetting failure, including (a) criminal history, (b) financial vulnerabilities, (c) undisclosed associations, (d) intelligence suggesting links to organised crime, (e) failure to provide required documentation and (f) any other identified grounds, in each of the last five years.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS hold our serving staff and prospective staff to the highest of standards. While the vast majority of our staff adhere to the highest standards of conduct, SPS continue to be vigilant to any potential corruption concerns within our establishments. Maintaining the safety and security of Scotland’s prisons is and remains an absolute priority.

The following table sets out the number of prospective employees who have been prevented from taking up SPS employment. Due to differences relating to data recording, categories have been amended as follows: (a) criminal history, (b) financial vulnerabilities, (c) corruption or integrity risks, (d) association with serving or liberated prisoners, (e) failure to provide required documentation and (f) any other identified grounds. Any other identified grounds include reasons such as failed medical assessments and unsatisfactory employment history.

Calendar Year	Reason						Number of external job applications received
Calendar Year	a	b	c*	d*	e	f
2020	12				3	30	8468
2021	10					37	7396
2022	8		3	4	2	26	6967
2023	14		5	6	1	48	9614
2024	30		6	4	3	81	12754

*These figures cannot be provided prior to 2022 due to changes in reporting and recording processes.

Question reference: S6W-42564

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42124 by Angela Constance on 9 December 2025, whether it will provide a breakdown of the specific grounds that led to Scottish Prison Service staff being removed, dismissed, or blocked from taking up employment due to security concerns, including how many cases involved (a) known or suspected links to organised crime, (b) intelligence provided by Police Scotland, (c) corruption or integrity risks, (d) involvement in contraband-related activity and (e) association with serving prisoners, in each of the last three years.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS hold our serving staff and prospective staff to the highest of standards. While the vast majority of our staff adhere to the highest standards of conduct, SPS continue to be vigilant to any potential corruption concerns within our establishments. Maintaining the safety and security of Scotland’s prisons is and remains an absolute priority.

The following table sets out specific grounds that led to Scottish Prison Service staff being removed, dismissed, or blocked from taking up employment due to security concerns, including how many cases involved (a) known or suspected links to organised crime, (b) intelligence provided by Police Scotland, (c) corruption or integrity risks, (d) involvement in contraband-related activity and (e) associations with serving or liberated prisoners’ and (f) other.

Calendar Year	Reason*						Number of SPS Employees as of 31 March
Calendar Year	a	b	c	d	e	f
2022			3		4	1	4589
2023			5		6		4562
2024			6		4		4962

*Category (e) has been amended to ‘associations with serving or liberated prisoners’ and category (f) ‘other’ has been added to match data recording and to provide consistency with PQ: S6W-42124 on 9 December 2025 response.

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: S6W-42457

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that Police Scotland keeps accurate and accessible records of the governance groups and policy boards it participates in.

Question reference: S6W-42455

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland's record-keeping practices, including the absence of a list of governance groups attended, comply with the requirements of the Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011.

The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 stipulates that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland is responsible for the policing of Scotland and is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly.

These arrangements are in place to ensure that the police act independently, free from unwarranted Ministerial interference. Police Scotland’s record keeping is an operational matter for the Chief Constable who is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly.

It would therefore be inappropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on operational matters.

Question reference: S6W-42456

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent freedom of information correspondence in which Police Scotland states that it does not hold a list of the meetings staff attend, whether it will publish a list of all governance groups, boards and oversight forums that Police Scotland participates in.

Question reference: S6W-42131

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 3 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether its Fire and Rescue Unit has any formal governance board, oversight group or programme board that is responsible for strategic oversight of fire and rescue policy, and, if it does not, what the reasons are for this.

Question reference: S6W-42130

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 3 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what governance structure it has in place to ensure oversight of major procurement decisions within fire and rescue policy, including vehicle procurement and operational equipment spending.

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