Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government and Education Scotland have provided funding in 2022 and 2023 to support Scottish Games Week, which included an Education Symposium.

The Scottish Government provided £49,425 in 2022 and £40,000 in 2023.

Education Scotland provided £7500 funding for the Scottish Games Week Education Symposium in 2023.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35250 on 5 March 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

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

SPS are pleased that His Majesties Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland, recognised that HMP Dumfries is a well-run prison and performs well against their standards.

Prior to the inspection a CCTV replacement and upgrade programme was already agreed as part of the establishment maintenance programme.

A contractor has now been appointed and will replace and/or upgrade existing systems, introducing CCTV coverage into areas that do not currently have it such as D and E Halls and the respective exercise yards. This work is expected to begin in Autumn 2025 and is expected to take approximately 8 months to complete.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) will be reviewed as soon as this process is complete and will supersede existing SOPs that are in place to monitor exercise yards.

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

SPS are pleased that His Majesties Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland, recognised that HMP Dumfries is a well-run prison and performs well against their standards.

In 2022 work started on the new SPS development and learning strategy, now called "Learning for a Better Future”. The strategy will be implemented across all SPS sites on 1 August 2025 and aims to utilise an enhanced screening process, to support and identify the specific needs of learners, and allow establishments to design Annual Learning Plans (ALP) which deliver a range of qualifications and opportunities appropriate to their specific needs.

The strategy and individual ALPs will help to identify ways for establishments to enhance engagement and participation in learning opportunities both in and out with the traditional classroom setting.

Artificial grass pitches play an important role in the delivery of sport and physical activity across Scotland, helping the nation to lead more active, healthy lives. Well maintained artificial pitches allow for year-round, intensive use and can provide significantly more playing hours than traditional grass pitches.

sportscotland, our national agency for sport, are part of the UK Artificial Grass Pitch forum monitoring work on the long-term viability of these products. sportscotland continue to engage with educational bodies and key partners across the sporting sector in the development of synthetic pitches and surfaces.

Although it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage their school estate, sportscotland continue to engage with educational bodies and key partners in the development of synthetic pitches and surfaces.

The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland is an independent organisation established to safeguard the rights and welfare of patients under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. Reports of visits along with any recommendations are published by the Commission to ensure standards of care are maintained and enhanced and that human rights are respected.

The MWC has a duty to visit people who are receiving care under mental health and incapacity legislation. The purpose of these visits is to hear directly from the person receiving care and treatment whether they feel their rights are being respected.

There are limits to the MWC’s scope and powers. While they visit individuals and provide recommendations to boards, they do not carry out inspections or audits of services and they do not have powers to enforce their recommendations.

Scottish Ministers have commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland and MWC to undertake a programme of joint visits to all three mental health adolescent inpatient units and the National Child Inpatient Unit, with a focus on care quality, patient safety, and patient experience. We will work with scrutiny bodies to determine the best way to implement wider recommendations following the Independent Mental Health Scrutiny and Assurance Evidence Review.

Artificial grass pitches play an important role in the delivery of sport and physical activity across Scotland, helping the nation to lead more active, healthy lives. Well maintained artificial pitches allow for year-round, intensive use and can provide significantly more playing hours than traditional grass pitches.

sportscotland, our national agency for sport, are part of the UK Artificial Grass Pitch forum monitoring work on the long-term viability of these products. sportscotland, continue to engage with sporting bodies, educational bodies and key partners across the sporting sector in the development of synthetic pitches and surfaces.

There are already alternatives on the market such as cork, corn husks and olive pits amongst others. St Andrews University has already installed a full-size 3G pitch with cork infill, and there is research and development continuing across the industry with more products in the market. Glasgow Life is also planning to trial the use of biodegradable corn as an alternative to 3G rubber crumb on two five-a-side courts at Glasgow Green – with further developments potentially taking place across the city.

The information requested is not held centrally. Decisions on whether or not to grant bail are for the independent courts based on the individual facts and circumstances of each case. As set out in the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, in any given case, bail may, subject to very limited exceptions, only be refused where the court determines there is good reason to do so having regard to a list of specific grounds and the wider public interest.

The bail reforms in Part 1 of the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023 will be brought into force on 14 May 2025. This includes a new duty on the court to state the grounds on which it determines that there is good reason for refusing bail in accordance with the new bail test and have those grounds added to the record of proceedings. This will help improve understanding over time regarding the use of remand.

Local authorities are obliged by law to offer advice and assistance to people who are at risk or who are experiencing homelessness, and temporary accommodation if it is needed.

The Scottish Government expects all organisations to comply with the full range of legislation that applies to them, including health and safety legislation. Given the breadth of legislative requirements that there may be across different sectors, it is not feasible for us to list every specific regulation that may be relevant to a particular body’s type of work or premises.

The Scottish Government has not contacted public sector organisations to clarify health and safety workplace regulations regarding the use of single-sex toilets and we have no plans to do so. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 make provision on sanitary conveniences in the workplace. These regulations are a reserved matter. The Health and Safety Executive have issued guidance and an approved Code of Practice on the 1992 Regulations: Workplace health, safety and welfare - L24.