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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-42125

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what English language proficiency requirements are in place for operational staff at the Scottish Prison Service, and how these are assessed during the recruitment process.

Question reference: S6W-42122

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to strengthen the Scottish Prison Service's recruitment vetting procedures to prevent infiltration by organised crime groups.

Question reference: S6W-42124

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people recruited or staff at the Scottish Prison Service have been removed, dismissed or prevented from taking up post due to security concerns, including links to organised crime, in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-42123

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many applicants to jobs at the Scottish Prison Service have failed pre-employment vetting checks, in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-42109

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many times each prison has had a restricted regime status implemented because of (a) safety matters, (b) security issues, (c) staff shortages and (d) other incidents, broken down by type of incident, and for how many days each had this status, in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-42114

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of prisons with restricted regime status on prisoners’ access to (a) education, (b) work opportunities and (c) family contact.

Question reference: S6W-42115

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners have been held under restricted regime status for more than 22 hours per day in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-42112

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring system the Scottish Prison Service uses to track the use of restricted regime status across the prison estate.

Question reference: S6W-42113

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what internal thresholds or triggers the Scottish Prison Service uses to determine when a restricted regime status for a prison must be implemented.

Question reference: S6W-41746

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 18 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to referrals to Prevent in Scotland increasing by 42% in the last year.