- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 11 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding reports that Professor Alexis Jay's comments on grooming gang inquiries were misrepresented during a debate on the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill on 16 September 2025, on what date Ministers or officials first reviewed concerns raised about the accuracy of comments made about her views.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42117 on 11 December 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.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many farmers in the North East Scotland region have applied for the Future Farming Investment Scheme this year, including how many of those were unsuccessful.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 December 2025
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance 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.
Answer
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.
In accordance with relevant legislation, including UK GDPR and UK Employment Law, SPS already undertakes a broad range of suitability and vetting checks on those who apply to work for SPS. These include right to work in the UK, criminal conviction checks and a range of vetting procedures which are undertaken against SPS systems and information sources to assess suitability for employment.
SPS’s pre-employment checks exceed the minimum requirements under the UK Government Baseline Personnel Security Standards, which set the standards for employment within the UK Civil Service.
SPS continually assesses the suitability of its recruitment practices to identify and respond to emerging risks. Where necessary, steps are taken to mitigate these as part of our commitment to maintaining the safety and security of our prisons.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance 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.
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
Whilst SPS do not require prison officer applicants to complete a specific English language proficiency test as part of its recruitment process; verbal, written and comprehension skills are tested thoroughly throughout this operational recruitment process.
All applicants must successfully undergo and pass a comprehensive period of testing which includes a situational judgement test, cognitive ability test, a group and written exercise (for Residential Officer applicants only), and then finally a values-based job interview.
All offers of employment will however be subject to successful completion of all pre-employment checks, which include enhanced disclosure and right to work in the UK checks.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance 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.
Answer
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 or serving employees who have been removed, dismissed or prevented from taking up post due to security concerns.
SPS is only in a position to provide full year data from 2022 due to changes in reporting and recording processes.
Calendar Year | Number of affected candidates/employees | Number of SPS Employees as of 31 March | Number of external job applications received |
2022 | 8 | 4589 | 6967 |
2023 | 11 | 4562 | 9614 |
2024 | 10 | 4962 | 12754 |
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance 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.
Answer
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 below table sets out the number of prospective employees who have failed pre-employment checks in each of the last 5 full years across all SPS job roles.
Calendar Year | Number of candidates who have failed SPS pre-employment checks | Number of external job applications received |
2020 | 47 | 8468 |
2021 | 49 | 7396 |
2022 | 43 | 6967 |
2023 | 74 | 9614 |
2024 | 124 | 12754 |
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance 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.
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42112 on 8 December 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.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance 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.
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
SPS recognise the impact that any restriction of regime can have on those in our care, and that is why all restrictions are applied to support a safe and secure environment for both staff and prisoners.
Regime restrictions are often spontaneous in nature and implemented as a last resort, they can however, on occasion, result in the temporary closure or reduced capacity in some work parties. On extremely rare occasions, access to education services may be affected, this however would never be the norm.
In all instances SPS ensure that all decisions are compliant with the Prison and Young Offenders Rules (Scotland) 2011 and do not limit family contact, either through an in person visit or via contact using in cell telephones.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance 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.
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42112 on 8 December 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.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance 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.
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
SPS recognise the impact that any restriction of regime can have on those in our care, and that is why all restrictions are applied to support a safe and secure environment for both staff and prisoners.
Rather than using quantitative measures such as thresholds, Governors in Charge make a determination based on local factors such as prison stability and staffing levels.
Due to the often-spontaneous nature of regime restrictions, SPS do not routinely formally record instances of regime restrictions, length of restriction or specific reason for restrictions.
In all instances SPS ensure that all decisions are compliant with the Prison and Young Offenders Rules (Scotland) 2011 and do not limit family contact, either through an in person visit or via contact using in cell telephones.
