Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-42125

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what English language proficiency requirements are in place for operational staff at the Scottish Prison Service, and how these are assessed during the recruitment process.

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

Whilst SPS do not require prison officer applicants to complete a specific English language proficiency test as part of its recruitment process; verbal, written and comprehension skills are tested thoroughly throughout this operational recruitment process.

All applicants must successfully undergo and pass a comprehensive period of testing which includes a situational judgement test, cognitive ability test, a group and written exercise (for Residential Officer applicants only), and then finally a values-based job interview.

All offers of employment will however be subject to successful completion of all pre-employment checks, which include enhanced disclosure and right to work in the UK checks.

Question reference: S6W-42113

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what internal thresholds or triggers the Scottish Prison Service uses to determine when a restricted regime status for a prison must be implemented.

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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42112 on 8 December 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.

Question reference: S6W-42112

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring system the Scottish Prison Service uses to track the use of restricted regime status across the prison estate.

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

SPS recognise the impact that any restriction of regime can have on those in our care, and that is why all restrictions are applied to support a safe and secure environment for both staff and prisoners.

Rather than using quantitative measures such as thresholds, Governors in Charge make a determination based on local factors such as prison stability and staffing levels.

Due to the often-spontaneous nature of regime restrictions, SPS do not routinely formally record instances of regime restrictions, length of restriction or specific reason for restrictions.

In all instances SPS ensure that all decisions are compliant with the Prison and Young Offenders Rules (Scotland) 2011 and do not limit family contact, either through an in person visit or via contact using in cell telephones.

Question reference: S6W-42114

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of prisons with restricted regime status on prisoners’ access to (a) education, (b) work opportunities and (c) family contact.

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

SPS recognise the impact that any restriction of regime can have on those in our care, and that is why all restrictions are applied to support a safe and secure environment for both staff and prisoners.

Regime restrictions are often spontaneous in nature and implemented as a last resort, they can however, on occasion, result in the temporary closure or reduced capacity in some work parties. On extremely rare occasions, access to education services may be affected, this however would never be the norm.

In all instances SPS ensure that all decisions are compliant with the Prison and Young Offenders Rules (Scotland) 2011 and do not limit family contact, either through an in person visit or via contact using in cell telephones.

Question reference: S6W-42109

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many times each prison has had a restricted regime status implemented because of (a) safety matters, (b) security issues, (c) staff shortages and (d) other incidents, broken down by type of incident, and for how many days each had this status, in each of the last five years.

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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42112 on 8 December 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.

Question reference: S6W-42115

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners have been held under restricted regime status for more than 22 hours per day in each of the last five years.

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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42112 on 8 December 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.

Question reference: S6W-41874

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Victims and Community Safety last attended a meeting of the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group.

Question reference: S6W-41873

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise last attended a meeting of the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group.

Ministers are not members of the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group and therefore do not attend meetings. However, Ministers are regularly informed on the Group’s discussions and the Minister for Victims and Community Safety and I met with the co-chairs of the Group in October 2025 where we were provided with an update on its priorities, work to date and considerations on group-based child sexual abuse. The Group most recently met on 25 November 2025 and minutes of this meeting will be published on the Scottish Government’s website: https://www.gov.scot/groups/national-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-strategic-group/

Question reference: S6W-41872

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs last attended a meeting of the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group.

Question reference: S6O-05234

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently published Independent Review of Creative Scotland.

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