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-01938

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01302 by Neil Gray on 17 July 2026, what training is offered to prison officers to support neurodivergent prisoners; whether such training is compulsory, and (a) how many and (b) what proportion of current officers have completed such training.

Question reference: S7W-01301

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 22 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of people currently held on remand who are from a care experienced background.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) operates a Corporate Parenting Strategy 2024-2026 which sets out its approach to supporting care-experienced individuals, including care leavers, within custody.

SPS collects information on care leaver status for individuals aged under 26 at the point of admission, based on self-reporting. As disclosure is voluntary, individuals may choose not to provide this information or may provide inaccurate details. As a result, the figures recorded are likely to underestimate the true number of care-experienced individuals within the remand population.

As of 25 June 2026, there were 52 individuals on remand who have reported being care-experienced, and 8 individuals on remand who have historic care-experienced markers. As the remand population changes on a daily basis, this will impact upon the numbers of those in our care on remand who are care-experienced.

Question reference: S7W-01299

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 21 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the total headcount of prison officers in the Scottish Prison Service in each year since 2015.

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

The numbers of prison officers employed by SPS at the end of each financial year from 2015-16 to 2025-26 are set out in the following table:

Year	Number of Prison Officers employed by SPS
2015-16	3361
2016-17	3370
2017-18	3342
2018-19	3294
2019-20	3242
2020-21	3302
2021-22	3381
2022-23	3331
2023-24	3420
2024-25	3784
2025-26	3804

Question reference: S7W-01303

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a headcount of the number of individuals aged 65 and over who have been held (a) in custody and (b) on remand in each year since 2015.

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

The following table provides the number of people aged 65 and over who have been in prison custody in each full financial year between 2014-15 to 2025-26, this includes those who turned 65 whilst in custody.

Due to changes in data recording capabilities, we are unable to filter this data accurately to provide the figure of those over 65 on remand.

Financial Year	Total people in custody aged 65 and over*
2014-15	229
2015-16	248
2016-17	293
2017-18	307
2018-19	336
2019-20	330
2020-21	314
2021-22	353
2022-23	372
2023-24	394
2024-25	437
2025-26	474

* It should be noted that the data included presents the number of individuals, rather than periods in custody. If a period in custody extends over 31 March to 1 April, they will be counted in both years.

Question reference: S7W-01300

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many remand prisoners have not been offered a right to work, as is stipulated in The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, in each year since 2015.

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

As part of our commitment to rehabilitation and purposeful use of time SPS provide individuals in custody with access to meaningful activity, including work and education opportunities.

Although we do not collect data on the number of untried prisoners who choose not to attend work or education activities, both the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (The Nelson Mandela Rules) and The Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011, provide guidance regarding access to work and rehabilitation activities; the latter noting that both civil and/or untried prisoners are not required to work, but may choose to participate if they wish.

Question reference: S7W-01297

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many misconduct investigations have been carried out by the Scottish Prison Service in relation to prison staff in each year since 2015.

I have asked Linda Pollock, 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 continues to be vigilant to any potential misconduct concerns within our establishments. Maintaining the safety and security of Scotland’s prisons is and will remain an absolute priority.

The number of SPS staff who were subject to a gross misconduct investigation for each financial year from 2015-16 to 2025-26 is set out in the following table:

Year	Number of Prison Officers employed by SPS	Number of New Gross Misconduct Investigations	Number of Investigations as a percentage of Prison Officers
2015-16	3361	41	1.2%
2016-17	3370	50	1.5%
2017-18	3342	34	1.0%
2018-19	3294	50	1.5%
2019-20	3242	43	1.3%
2020-21	3302	37	1.1%
2021-22	3381	53	1.6%
2022-23	3331	58	1.7%
2023-24	3420	61	1.9%
2024-25	3784	64	1.7%
2025-26	3804	75	2.0%

Question reference: S7W-01296

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Prison Service staff were (a) disciplined, (b) sanctioned and (c) dismissed from their role for inappropriate relationships with prisoners in each year since 2015.

I have asked Linda Pollock, 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 continues to be vigilant to any potential corruption concerns within our establishments. Maintaining the safety and security of Scotland’s prisons is and will remain an absolute priority.

The number of SPS staff who were subject to a gross misconduct investigation, had a sanction imposed, or were dismissed for inappropriate relationships with persons in our care for each financial year from 2015-16 to 2025-26 is set out in the following table:

Year	Gross Misconduct Investigations	Sanction Imposed (not including dismissal)	Dismissal
2015-16	0	0	0
2016-17	3	0	2
2017-18	0	0	0
2018-19	2	0	0
2019-20	0	0	0
2020-21	2	0	2
2021-22	1	0	0
2022-23	1	0	1
2023-24	5	2	0
2024-25	0	0	0
2025-26	2	0	1
Total	16	2	6

Question reference: S7W-01302

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of people currently in prison who have a diagnosis of neurodivergence.

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

SPS do not directly capture this information, any formal diagnosis and/or data may be recorded by NHS, as since 2011 healthcare within our prisons has been the responsibility of NHS since 2011. SPS do however recognise the importance of supporting neurodivergence within our population, and our officers are well experienced in supporting a range of needs including neurodivergence within our prisons.

SPS processes on admission help identify individual needs, however they do rely on the individual to self-declare. Additionally, our learning provider, PeoplePlus, carry out initial screening to determine additional needs or supports which will feed into the catalogue of support offered to the individual either through, NHS, education or more generally within the prison setting.

Question reference: S7W-01298

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to prevent the smuggling of (a) alcohol, (b) drugs, (c) weapons and (d) mobile phones into prisons.

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

SPS are acutely aware of the threat presented to all contraband entering our establishments and we continue to prioritise the health and wellbeing of those both living and working in our prisons.

Technological and tactical measures such as intelligence led interventions, trace detection equipment and strengthened window grilles form part of a compendium of options that can be utilised to mitigate identified threats.

SPS will continue to work closely with Police Scotland and other partners across the UK and Europe to share best practice and learning to prevent illicit items including alcohol, drugs, weapons and mobile phones from entering our prisons.

Question reference: S7W-00987

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to support teachers and educators to deliver anti-racism education, including to ensure that they are able to do so without facing undue pressure or criticism.

In January 2025, the First Minister launched the Scottish Government anti-racism commitment, which acknowledges that racism exists within our education system, interpersonally and institutionally. This Government is committed to eradicating that racism through our anti-racist actions and policies.

We are tackling racism through the Anti-Racism in Education Programme, embedding anti-racist principles across the curriculum. We also provide funding to Education Scotland to deliver professional learning for teachers on anti-racism, including the award-winning Building Racial Literacy programme. In March 2026, the Scottish Government published a Whole School Approach to racism and racist incidents in schools, which is designed to assist school leaders, school staff, and local authorities to implement a consistent and robust whole school approach to responding to racism and racist incidents in schools.