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As set out in my answer to questions S5W-22749 on 2 May 2019 and S5W-19571 on 7 November 2018, we were seeking an Order under section 104 of the Scotland Act 1998 to facilitate recovery of the surcharge via deduction from benefits and bring Scotland into line with the powers that already exist in England and Wales.

The Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014 (Consequential Modification) Order 2019 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1092/signature/made subsequently came into force on 8 July 2019.

We intend to lay the Victim Surcharge (Scotland) Regulations, which will implement the surcharge, before the Scottish Parliament shortly.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

For individuals who have joined the Victim Notification Scheme, and have expressed a desire to make representations in relation to licence conditions under section 17 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003, Scottish Prison Service will write to seek their representations no less than two weeks before any decision will be taken on release. This includes prisoners who are: on Home Detention Curfew; on temporary release (but only on the first occasion that the prisoner is considered); or being considered for release by the Parole Board for Scotland.

Procurement of the roadside screening devices for implementation of the Drug Driving (Specified Limits) (Scotland) Regulations 2019 is an operational matter for Police Scotland.

However, Scottish Government officials have been in touch with Police Scotland who have advised a quantity of devices capable of testing for cannabis and cocaine have been received by Police Scotland to facilitate training of relevant officers, and more will be delivered in due course to facilitate further training. A larger batch will be delivered and distributed ahead of the 21 October 2019 implementation date. Post implementation, Police Scotland will take delivery of more devices as and when required, to ensure operational effectiveness, while minimising potential for waste, noting there is a service life for such screening devices.

Information on the number of officer deployed in ‘on the beat’ roles is not held centrally.

Police Officer Quarterly Strength Scotland (POQS) gives the total number of full-time equivalent police officers employed by Police Scotland. First published as Official Statistics in December 2008, POQS was designed to measure the implementation of the 2007 manifesto commitment to increase officer numbers by 1,000. As such, figures include all police officers appointed by the Chief Constable of Police Scotland and senior police officers appointed by the Scottish Police Authority, excluding those on career breaks.

The latest edition of POQS was published on 6 August 2019, and reports that there were 17,259 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on 30 June 2019, up 87 police officers (+0.5%) in the last year, from 30 June 2018 and up 1,025 police officers (+6.3%) from the position at 31 March 2007. In contrast, police officer numbers in England and Wales fell by around 19,000 (13.3 per cent) from March 2007 to March 2019.

Further information on POQS can be found in the Statistical Release Notes that accompany each publication, available online at the following link:

https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PublicationPoliceStrength/POQS2019Q2 .

Deployment of police officers is a matter for the Chief Constable of Police Scotland. Police Scotland publish sub-national police officer numbers on a quarterly basis in parallel with the Scottish Government’s Police Officer Quarterly Strength Statistics. A link to Police Scotland’s latest sub-national officer numbers publication, providing information on the number of police officers deployed nationally, regionally and within the 13 local policing divisions, is given below:

https://www.scotland.police.uk/assets/pdf/138327/212520/
police-scotland-officer-numbers-quarter-1-30th-june2019?view=Standard .

Temporary release is an important part of the rehabilitation process which helps the Parole Board assess whether someone is ready to be released back into the community. It is one of a number of considerations taken into account in assessing the person’s risk to the public. A rigorous risk assessment process is undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service before any offender is granted any form of unescorted leave. This involves psychological assessment, social work reports and reports on their time in prison. Home leave is an important part of the reintegration process and allows an individual to be tested on how they adapt to living in the community. Furthermore, individuals who have joined the Victim Notification Scheme, and have expressed a desire to make representations in relation to licence conditions under section 17 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003.

The Scottish Government has commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Care Inspectorate to develop Scotland-specific standards for Barnahus. Draft standards will be shared for consultation at the end of 2019 and publication of finalised standards is timetabled for summer 2020.

Our Restorative Justice Action Plan https://www.gov.scot/publications/restorative-justice-action-plan/ , published in June, sets a desired outcome of having high quality restorative justice services delivered by trained facilitators.

The Plan also sets out a suite of actions to deliver this outcome, including commissioning a national training needs analysis by Spring 2020, which will identify the skills required and the scale of the requirement for training.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

SPS has a zero tolerance approach towards violence. SPS staff are trained to recognise and respond to the precursors of violence and manage any incidents when they do occur. Violent incidents are always reported to Police Scotland.

CCTV cameras operate within all Scottish prisons to deter violence and assist in any post-incident investigations. Violence Reduction meetings also take place across Scottish prisons on a monthly basis to discuss all notable incidents, drivers, trends and preventative actions. SPS facilitates a number of national search operations to support the recovery of contraband and weapons which can lead to, or can be used in, violence.

Before any person in our care is allocated to a residential area, a Cell Sharing Risk Assessment (CSRA) must always, firstly, be conducted. The CSRA is used to inform the decision as to whether an individual is suitable to share a cell with another and reduces the risk of harm, including interpersonal violence from the outset.

The CSRA process is dynamic and records are continually updated in response to changes in circumstance which may impact upon the level of risk presented. Where any person is identified as presenting a risk to others, then this is recorded and will inform all subsequent management decisions.

SPS continues to seek understanding of the changing nature of the prison population profile and the subsequent impact on violence, particularly in relation to Serious and Organised Crime Groups (SOCGs). SPS has in place measures to prevent individuals identified as enemies from encountering each other.

Finally, in order to safely manage the increased prison population a Population Management Plan has been developed by SPS and implemented in response.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

SPS does not utilise a system of sanction and reward as a means to encourage engagement with drug treatment. SPS views problem drug use through a public health lens and adopts a therapeutic approach in dealing with the issue of drug misuse.

Prisoner healthcare is the responsibility of the NHS and addiction services in prisons are provided in line with local NHS Board strategies. All clinical addiction treatment and support is delivered by NHS Health Boards.

All individuals entering prison are assessed for healthcare needs, including addictions. Where concerns are raised in relation to substance misuse during a person’s time in SPS care, then a referral for NHS services will be made.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with Police Scotland and a range of issues are discussed.

We are protecting Police Scotland’s revenue budget during this Parliament to deliver a £100 million boost by 2021 and total Scottish Government funding for the SPA in 2019-20 is increasing by £42.3 million meaning the annual policing budget is now over £1.2 billion. We also continue to press the UK Government for a refund of the £125 million paid by Police Scotland in VAT between 2013 and 2018 – money that could be used to support transformation.

The precise allocation of resources is a matter for the Chief Constable, but Police Scotland has specialised Offender Management Units within each of its 13 territorial divisions. Currently they have access to 49 dedicated vehicles which allow them to undertake their operational duties and manage offenders.

It is not solely the responsibility of a police unit to protect the public. In Scotland, MAPPA – our Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements – brings together the Police, Local Authorities and other agencies, in partnership as the Responsible Authorities, to assess and manage the risk posed for certain categories of offender.

Police Scotland has been subject of a joint HMICS and Care Inspectorate Thematic Review of MAPPA in Scotland, which was published in 2015 and a 2017 progress report by HMICS acknowledged the progress made against the 10 recommendations in the original report.