Chamber and committees

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.

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.

Decisions on how resources are deployed, including the operation of contact, command and control services, are matters for the Chief Constable, reflecting the operational independence of policing. Police Scotland has been very clear that 101 is a non-emergency number and callers are advised of other means by which they can contact the service while on hold.

The Scottish Government is providing record funding of over £1.7 billion for policing in 2026–27, giving Police Scotland the resources it needs to maintain a resilient and responsive service, including the 101 service.

We expect that investment to support effective and accessible services for the public, and to ensure communities continue to receive the prompt and reliable policing response they deserve.

The Scottish Government’s Criminal Proceedings in Scotland database does not hold information on the specific type of watercraft involved in charges prosecuted under Loch Lomond Byelaws.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service were able to manually search relevant case records and confirmed that as of 8 July 2026 the previous position (as outlined in the answer to S6W-15977 on 28 March 2023) remains. Specifically, a total of three people have been prosecuted for offences involving a jet ski under Loch Lomond Byelaws 2013 B3.5(1)&3.17 - Knowingly/recklessly/negligently navigate and behaviour of vessel (where vessel involved is a jet ski). Of these, one was convicted. 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.

The Scottish Government has had no specific discussions with the UK Government regarding extending eligibility for the Youth Guarantee or the Jobs Guarantee to unemployed people aged over 24.

Employment support is a shared area of interest across reserved and devolved responsibilities, and Scottish Government officials engage regularly with UK Government counterparts on labour market issues and employability policy.

The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering a joined-up, person-centred employability system that supports people of all ages to progress towards and into fair, sustainable work. Through No One Left Behind, local authorities and delivery partners are empowered to provide tailored support that responds to individual circumstances, strengths and ambitions, including for people aged 25 and over who face barriers to entering, re-entering or progressing in the labour market.

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:

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:

The judgement has been issued in the litigation brought by For Women Scotland in relation to the Scottish Prison Service’s policy on the management of transgender people in custody. The Scottish Government has carefully considered the judgment and has decided not to appeal.

The Scottish Prison Service is considering the implications of the judgement and has withdrawn the previous policy while that work is undertaken.

During the course of the litigation, it was appropriate that matters relating to the case were addressed through the court process. The proceedings are still live pending the final procedural steps being taken and the Scottish Government will focus on implementing the judgment in accordance with the law.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with a wide range of organisations and stakeholders on issues relating to equality, justice and human rights. As with any stakeholder, any request for a meeting, made after the court proceedings are fully concluded, would be considered in the usual way.

The Scottish Government and relevant agencies have issued a response to the Committee and this is available on their website: https://rm.coe.int/48802c60f5.

We have already taken a number of decisive steps to help alleviate populational pressures and optimise the capacity of the existing prison estate. On 25 June, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice announced: Achieving a Sustainable Prison Population: Justice Secretary's speech - gov.scot the launch of a consultation: Prison population and penal reform - working towards a sustainable prison population: consultation - gov.scot that seeks views on a set of proposed reforms to the criminal justice system in Scotland, building on the recommendations of the Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission, Scottish Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission report: Justice That Works - gov.scot that will help to deliver a lasting and sustainable approach.

The crime codes exist to convert breaches of criminal law into useable operational data, and ultimately the Official Statistics on recorded crime in Scotland. For those codes that specifically relate to crimes committed against children under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009, the age of 15 and under is used as the Act effectively provides the age of consent in Scotland at 16 years old. The one exception to this is the Section 42 offence of sexual abuse of trust, which relates to those aged under 18. As such, the approach taken with the crime codes reflects the criminal law as agreed by the Scottish Parliament, with sexual offences committed against 16 or 17 year olds (excluding Section 42) continuing to be recorded using the relevant crime code for all adults.