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It is not possible to compare the current proposal with the previous one at this point. The Full Business Case is still under development and project cost estimates will be revised to reflect the impact of inflation, net zero carbon targets, plot change and updated clinical brief to align with national treatment targets.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19964 on 7 August 2023. 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 refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19963 on 7 August 2023. 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

National Treatment Centres (NTCs) require an appropriate mix of new and experienced staff to operate safely and efficiently. Management information provided by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) shows that at 31 March 2023, 98 people were employed in NTC Forth Valley. 19 are new entrants meaning they are undertaking their first role in NHS Scotland. Whilst these figures from NES are classed as management information at this stage, NES will continue to work with data providers to develop these as Official Statistics. The next step in this process will be to release these statistics within the NHS Scotland workforce publication as Experimental Statistics in December 2023. NTC workforce data will be reported every six months thereafter.

The 25-year contract for HMP Kilmarnock under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) for a privately constructed and operationally managed prison expires on 16 March 2024. The decision to bring HMP Kilmarnock into public management and ownership and not to tender for a new private contract was taken in 2021. This is in line with Scottish Government policy that prisons should be owned and managed by the public sector, which has been in place since 2007.

The average 2023-24 Band D charge in Scotland is £648 less than in England, and £463 less than in Wales. The average Band D charges in Scotland, England and Wales are available in the following table.

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

During the period April 2020 to June 2023 the total costs are assessed as £477K.

Permanent In Cell Telephony means individuals in prison can maintain purposeful family contact, including with children, which we know is important for good mental health and wellbeing, and for reducing the risk of reoffending upon return to communities. In Cell Telephony will also support SPS’ longer term ambitions for in-cell technology, with additional educational opportunities and giving those individuals in prison greater control over their own lives, again supporting reintegration into the community and reducing the risk of reoffending.

The following table outlines the opening dates set out in the 2020 NHS Recovery Plan and the current projected opening dates for National Treatment Centres without approved Full Business Cases:

The following table outlines the opening dates set out in the 2022 update to the NHS Recovery Plan and the current projected opening dates for National Treatment Centres with approved Full Business Cases:

It is not possible to compare the current proposal with the previous costs at this time. The Full Business Case for NTC-Lanarkshire is still under development and project cost estimates will be revised to reflect the impact of inflation, net zero carbon targets, plot change and updated clinical brief to align with national treatment targets.