Chamber and committees

Social Security Scotland recognises that clients have complex and varied accessibility needs for communicating with us. Clients have told us that they require a choice in how we communicate with them. For example, some clients may prefer to engage with us through paper-based communications and some clients may prefer digital communications to allow them to use assistive technology.

All of our applications can be made online, on paper, over the phone or face to face with our Local Services team. Clients can contact us to discuss their circumstances and payments by phone, face to face or via webchat. Communications are sent to clients by letter, email and SMS.

Plans are in place to expand the use of email and SMS as a communication channel as initial testing in this area has proven that this is something that clients want and need. The approach to how clients' communication preferences are captured is being carefully considered to ensure that digital communications are available to those clients who would benefit from this without excluding those for whom digital communications are not accessible.

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

The use of common good funds (CGF) within Scottish prisons aligns with the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) and is governed via the SPS Financial Policy and Guidance Manual.

The SPS Financial Policy Guidance Manual itself details accountability, sources of income and approved areas of expenditure on the use of the CGF.

Compliance with this guidance is mandatory and only Governors in Charge (GICs) are authorised to approve expenditure, which must benefit all, or groups, of prisoners within their establishment.

Information on the number of incidents involving illegal drugs in schools is not held centrally. The recorded crime official statistics include data on crimes of drug supply and drug possession, however this does not specify the type of location where the crime occurred.

The Scottish Government is committed to strengthening the involvement of parents and carers as we reform the education system, which is why we provided £60,310 of funding to the Scottish Assembly of Parents and Carers in 2024-25. We welcome the publication of this report and encourage all local authorities to meet their statutory duties to promote the involvement of parents, carers and families in their child’s learning as set out in the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006.

We continue to listen and work with stakeholders to ensure this engagement is further strengthened, which will remain a central focus of our work.

FSS’ people strategy 2022 - 2026, defines their priorities around four key pillars including the Employee Experience. FSS has been committed to employee health and wellbeing and was a Healthy Working Lives Gold award holder. FSS’ Healthy Working lives group aims to maximise the benefits for staff by providing high quality advice. resources and signposting a range of health and wellbeing topics that focus on helping people to feel good and function well. FSS has invested in training and has a bank of trained mental health first aiders who are available to support staff. FSS also offers access to an Employee Assistance Service (EAS) which offers 24-hour helpline and counselling support including, emotional, financial and relationship support. FSS employees can be referred to Occupational Health service for advice and support if they are at work or returning from a period of long-term sickness absence.

Regardless of the technology used to produce food, the food business operator must abide by the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 on general food law and the hygiene requirements, Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs of animal origin. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) provides guidance on the general food safety and hygiene requirements, which includes the need for a food safety management system based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles, guidance on the specific rules covering products of animal origin, if they apply depending on the nature of the food. Also, if the food falls within one of the Regulated Products categories, then there is free online guidance to support businesses in applying for the appropriate type of authorisation.

Since 2016, all media training for Ministers or civil servants has been provided by Scottish Government Communications Division staff at no additional cost.

In relation to the Coronavirus specific emergency early release process in May 2020, there were 348 individuals released early. This represented around 5% of the overall prison population at that time, which was 7,128 on 1 May 2020.

In relation to the emergency early release process in June and July 2024, there were 477 individuals released early, this amounted to around 6% of the overall prison population at that time, which was 8,232 on 21 June 2024.

In May 2020, it was necessary and proportionate to quickly reduce the prison population to a level that would enable the SPS and health services to maintain the public health measures within Scottish prisons to combat the Coronavirus pandemic.

In June and July 2024, it was deemed necessary and proportionate to quickly reduce the prison population, in response to a sharp and sudden rise in the prison population in the preceding months, in order to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of those working and living in Scottish Prisons, as well as ensuring that Scottish Prisons could continue to function safely.

Emergency release regulations have been utilised twice within the last five years (May 2020 & June/July 2024), and on both occasions the same conditions of release were applied for individuals granted emergency early release, as would have been applied at their original scheduled liberation date.

The individuals released in both emergency early release processes were serving short-term prison sentences, and were approaching the end of those short-term sentences. Individuals serving short-term sentences are not routinely subject to additional monitoring of any kind following their release from custody at their earliest date of liberation, and therefore were not subject to such monitoring as part of the two early release processes.

Individuals whose sentence included orders requiring post-release supervision and monitoring requirements were automatically excluded from early release on both occasions.

The Scottish Government currently provides over £3.4 million total in annual funding for the provision of voluntary throughcare to Shine and New Routes Public Social Partnerships (PSPs).