Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government works in close partnership with stakeholders to tackle hatred and prejudice in all of its forms to ensure proportionate responses to a broad spectrum of threat, including through the ongoing delivery of Scotland’s Hate Crime Strategy. We maintain well-established relationships with our faith and belief communities, which are strengthened by regular and meaningful engagement at both ministerial and official level.

The ways people can be radicalised are continuously evolving, and we recognise that there is no single pathway or single set of factors. That is why we must remain alert and flexible to ensure our wider efforts, across multiple policy areas, build inclusive communities that are resistant to radicalisation and equipped to challenge extremist narratives. We continue to work with national and local partners to build trust and resilience.

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.

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.

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 complexity of large scale data centre developments, and interplay across reserved and devolved policy areas, makes discussions with UK Government across a range of areas particularly important. To this end, the Scottish Government has met with UK Government counterparts across HM Treasury (HMT), Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

In respect of a co-ordinated framework, we have, together with the UK and Welsh Governments, jointly commissioned NESO to produce a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) for Great Britain. The SSEP will spatially optimise a specified volume of flexible data centre demand (1-2GW). This will indicate where opportunities for energy system benefits exist, such as co-location of renewables and data centres, supporting the development of government policy on the spatial location of data centre demand. The Regional Energy Strategic Plan for Scotland will further enable the coordinated development of the energy system across multiple vectors.

I have asked Linda Pollock, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS do not directly capture this information, any formal diagnosis and/or data may be recorded by NHS, as since 2011 healthcare within our prisons has been the responsibility of NHS since 2011. SPS do however recognise the importance of supporting neurodivergence within our population, and our officers are well experienced in supporting a range of needs including neurodivergence within our prisons.

SPS processes on admission help identify individual needs, however they do rely on the individual to self-declare. Additionally, our learning provider, PeoplePlus, carry out initial screening to determine additional needs or supports which will feed into the catalogue of support offered to the individual either through, NHS, education or more generally within the prison setting.

I have asked Linda Pollock, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS are acutely aware of the threat presented to all contraband entering our establishments and we continue to prioritise the health and wellbeing of those both living and working in our prisons.

Technological and tactical measures such as intelligence led interventions, trace detection equipment and strengthened window grilles form part of a compendium of options that can be utilised to mitigate identified threats.

SPS will continue to work closely with Police Scotland and other partners across the UK and Europe to share best practice and learning to prevent illicit items including alcohol, drugs, weapons and mobile phones from entering our prisons.

In line with the requirements of Section 16 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the Scottish Government discloses to the Scottish Parliament the number and total cost of employing special advisers on an annual basis. The latest report, pertaining to the financial year 2025-26, was published on 7 July 2026. I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01557 on 7 July 2026. 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.