Chamber and committees

This information is not held by the Scottish Government. The number of vehicles of any type seized due to antisocial use is not held. The data we receive from Police Scotland is a simple count of the number and type of crimes and offences recorded. We do not hold further details as to whether any of these involved quad bikes or off-road motorcycles.

Police Scotland may be able to provide this data upon request.

The Scottish Government commissioned an Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour which discussed this topic. Its report is available on the Scottish Government website: https://www.gov.scot/publications/report-independent-working-group-antisocial-behaviour/pages/23/. The Group noted that attention must be focused on addressing the broader societal factors that contribute to antisocial behaviour across all age groups, such as poverty.

I have overall responsibility for Life Sciences policy and delivery, as part of my wider remit for economic policy, including business, industry, manufacturing support and entrepreneurship.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of the Life Sciences sector as a key driver of economic growth, innovation, and improved health outcomes, as reflected in Scotland’s Life Sciences Strategy and its associated delivery plan.

The Community Needs Assessments (CNAs) for the Cowal and Rosneath were published on 11 September 2024. Further CNAs are currently in progress and are expected to be completed by the end of this year. These cover the following:

1.Coll, Colonsay, Iona, Kerrera, Lismore, Mull and Tiree

2.Outer Hebrides, Small Isles, Skye and Raasay

The intention is to commence work on the remaining CNAs in the Clyde and Hebrides during 2026 subject to agreed staff and budget resource.

I deplore any instances of disorder and vandalism and would urge any business affected by such behaviour to report it to Police Scotland.

We are aware of collaborative approaches being adopted by partners including a number of local authorities and Police Scotland to address issues in town centres and other communities.

The Scottish Government supports these efforts through record funding for local government and Police Scotland, helping to ensure that local agencies have the resources they need to respond to community concerns and support businesses affected by crime and antisocial behaviour.

The Scottish Government continues to have discussions with Police Scotland about the illegal use of off-road vehicles. These discussions respect the principle that operational policing including deployment of resources is a matter for the Chief Constable acting independently.

In particular, the Scottish Government has been working collaboratively with Police Scotland to explore legislative change, in line with our manifesto. This builds on work underway to review the secondary legislation governing the retention, disposal and recovery fees for vehicles seized under devolved powers.

The Scottish Government’s assessment of changes in classroom behaviour since 2020 is primarily informed by the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR), which provides robust, nationally representative evidence on behaviour in Scottish schools.

BISSR is externally commissioned research and has been undertaken in five waves to date: 2006, 2009, 2012, 2016 and 2023. This programme of research provides the Scottish Government with a robust evidence base to understand changes in pupil behaviour and to inform the development of policy and practice.

The Scottish Government has provided record funding to local authorities for 2026–27. It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on antisocial behaviour, on the basis of local needs and priorities.

The Scottish Government complements this with specific national community safety interventions, for example, record funding for Phase 7 of CashBack for Communities, which supports diversionary activities for young people across Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on complaints recorded by Police Scotland.

The number of complaints recorded by local authorities concerning antisocial behaviour is also not held by the Scottish Government.

Under section 1 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 local authorities and Police Scotland are under a legal duty to maintain a strategy to tackle antisocial behaviour in their area. This enables a partnership approach that can take account of emerging trends and comparators.

The First Minister has appointed a leaner Cabinet and ministerial team to enable greater co-ordination and effectiveness with a clear focus on long-term outcomes, underpinned by collaboration across Government.

That approach will facilitate joint working between the myself and the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Energy to unlock the economic opportunities that energy brings, accelerate delivery and ensure the people of Scotland benefit.