Chamber and committees

Scottish Household Survey results on percentage of adults reporting that rubbish or litter lying around was very or fairly common in their neighbourhood, by year and by local authority area, are publicly available from https://www.gov.scot/publications/neighbourhoods-communities-2023-findings-scottish-household-survey/documents/ (see worksheet 2.31 in the OpenDocument Spreadsheet).

Scottish Household Survey results on percentage of adults reporting that neighbour disputes were very or fairly common in their neighbourhood, by year and by local authority area, are publicly available from https://www.gov.scot/publications/neighbourhoods-communities-2023-findings-scottish-household-survey/documents/ (see table 2.31 in the OpenDocument Spreadsheet).

Scottish Household Survey results on percentage of adults reporting that drug misuse or dealing was very or fairly common in their neighbourhood, by year and by local authority area, are publicly available from https://www.gov.scot/publications/neighbourhoods-communities-2023-findings-scottish-household-survey/documents/ (see table 2.31 in the OpenDocument Spreadsheet).

The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) found that 30% of adults in 2024-25 said that people causing a nuisance with motorised vehicles was common in their local area. As this question was first introduced to the survey in 2024-25, figures are not available for earlier years. The SCJS does not provide breakdowns by local authority as the sample is not designed to be representative at that lower geographical breakdown.

Individual portfolio areas keep their work under review to ensure continued focus on delivering the Government’s priorities.

The Programme for Government outlines our ambitions for the five years of this Parliament. This marks a new approach that strengthens the connection between priorities, delivery and outcomes. Each portfolio area contributed to the programme and will ensure effort remains focused and shaped by our wider work on strengthened strategic decision making.

The Scottish Government has had ongoing discussion with the National Records of Scotland, The National Archives, and the UK Government about the future of the Wallace Letter.

While the letter was originally intended to return to England permanently it will now go on display at Kew in 2027 as part of The National Archives’ public programme before returning to Scotland from 2028. This new loan will similarly allow for curated display in Edinburgh and potentially more widely across Scotland, working with other Scottish cultural institutions.

The Scottish Government believes the letter should be in Scotland and will engage on the matter of permanent settlement during the coming, newly negotiated loan period.

The second recommendation contained in 'Misogyny – A Human Rights Issue'; the report published by the Working Group on Misogyny and Criminal Justice' was:

2. The Working Group concluded too that legislative change is essential but insufficient to address the insidious problem of misogyny in Scotland. In addition, therefore, to the creation of a Misogyny Act, the Working Group recommends that the Scottish Government:

i. Involves all relevant stakeholders (including women’s groups and the Police Scotland) in implementation of the Misogyny Act.

ii. Provides sufficient resources for:

a. Education and training within the criminal justice system and for multi-agency support and awareness (medics, dentists, social services, educators) as well as the development of any new interventions such as awareness training required for diversions to social workers from the Procurator Fiscal).

b. Resourcing social work and other interventions, as required by prosecution policy.

c. Technology capability and police officer capacity for recording and reporting.

d. Campaigning and awareness – within public institutions, workplaces, education.

e. Learning from projects and good practice in other places and jurisdictions – e.g. Nottingham, Washington DC, France"

Many of these recommendations relate to the implementation of the proposed Misogyny Act. As such, they will be matters for consideration during the implementation of the legislation, should it be passed by Parliament.

We also recognise the importance of campaigning and awareness-raising to address misogyny more broadly. Earlier this year, we delivered a campaign aimed at boys aged 11 to 18, as well as parents and carers, to raise awareness of the scale and impact of misogyny and to encourage positive behaviours and support for those affected. Our Programme for Government includes a sustained, multi-year public health campaign to address misogynistic attitudes and violence against women and girls, alongside a range of wider measures to challenge harmful attitudes and behaviours.

We have also published a national framework for schools to support action to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and gender-based violence. Misogynistic behaviour was identified as an emerging concern in the 2023 Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research report. The publication of the Gender Based Violence in Schools Framework, developed by a working group jointly chaired by us, Rape Crisis Scotland and Zero Tolerance, demonstrates our commitment to responding to these concerns and ensuring that pupils and staff receive the support they need.

In addition, we remain committed to supporting the implementation and expansion of both the Time for Inclusive Education programme and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue's Digital Discourse Initiative in Scotland. Schools, teachers, trade unions and young people have highlighted the value of the Digital Discourse Initiative in helping educate young people about online hate and disinformation. Zero Tolerance has also contributed to the programme by supporting the development of content and case studies on misogyny and the so-called "manosphere.

As set out in my answer to question S7W-02908 on 15 September 2026, while decisions on the scheduling of individual criminal cases are a matter for the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, the long-standing statutory time limits at section 65 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 require the prioritisation of cases where an accused person has been remanded in custody prior to trial. This approach relates to an accused person having the presumption of innocence and the importance of seeking to minimise the length of time they are held in custody prior to trial.

It is important that delays in the criminal justice system are minimised insofar as possible and the statutory time limits exist to prevent unnecessary delays in criminal cases coming to trial and help the judiciary to effectively manage the progress of cases. This is particularly important in trials for offences of rape, serious sexual assault and domestic abuse where delays can impact on complainers.

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.

Management of the progress of criminal cases is an independent matter for Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and the judiciary. In individual cases, effective judicial management of the progress of a criminal case is an important element of the role of the judiciary. Where trial dates are sought to be moved by either the prosecution or the defence, the judiciary will consider carefully whether a move of date is in the interests of justice. The length of time a case waited for trial and the number of times a trial may have been moved back are relevant factors the judiciary will consider in any request to move a trial date. The judiciary must ensure the overall fairness of a trial when making decisions about moving trial dates and the Scottish Government has no direct role in such decisions.

Decisions on the scheduling of individual criminal cases are a matter for the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. It is important that delays in the criminal justice system are minimised insofar as possible and statutory time limits exist to prevent unnecessary delays in criminal cases coming to trial and help the judiciary to effectively manage the progress of cases. This is particularly important in trials for offences of rape, serious sexual assault and domestic abuse where delays can impact on complainers.

Different time limits apply depending on whether an accused is in custody or in the community and prioritise cases where an accused person has been remanded in custody prior to trial, recognising the particularly importance of minimising the length of time which an accused person who has not been convicted of a criminal offence spends in custody prior to their trial.

Section 65(1) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act) provides that in any case where an indictment has been served on a person, the trial must commence within 12 months. A stricter time limit applies where the accused has been remanded in custody prior to trial. Section 65(4) of the 1995 Act provides that where an accused has been remanded in custody prior to trial, the trial must commence within 140 days failing which the accused shall be released on bail. These time limits can all be extended by the court on a case-by-case basis. These time-limits apply to all cases and are not specific to rape or sexual offence cases.