Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government (SG) is committed to implementing all elements of the Bail and Release (Scotland) Act 2023 (“the 2023 Act”).

The SG has already commenced various sections of the 2023 Act. This includes all of Part 1 which relates to bail and bail decision making, which came into effect on 14 May 2025.

Part 2 Section 11 (Emergency Early Release) and Section 14 (Prescribed Victim Support Organisations were brought into force on 26 May 2024, and Section 15 (Reporting on the operation of Part 2: Release) has also all been commenced.

The implementation of Part 2 of the Act is progressing, with commencement of further elements planned in the coming year. The remaining sections of the 2023 Act are being commenced at different times, with the timeline being influenced by multiple factors, and notably the required resource and readiness across our delivery partners in the justice sector. Work is already underway on work to develop throughcare standards (section 13), with stakeholder engagement planned from November 2025 and public consultation in summer 2026.

Development of measures to implement s8 (release on specific days) and s9 (release on licence) have been delayed due to other priority developments in prisons legislation, but will be implemented as soon as is practicable. Implementation of s10 (Review of Parole Board directions and recommendations) will be incorporated into wider work on parole that is currently underway .

The Scottish Government recognises the significant contribution Torness nuclear power station has made to Scotland’s energy system and to the East Lothian economy over several decades.

The Scottish Government position remains - new nuclear under current technologies, which includes small modular reactors, is very expensive and takes decades to deliver, creating a legacy of radioactive waste which is difficult and costly to manage. Instead, we are focussed on supporting growth and creating jobs by capitalising on Scotland’s immense renewable energy capacity rather than expensive new nuclear.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40569 on 29 September 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.

The Scottish Government has no plans to engage with the UK Government regarding the UK-US nuclear power partnership, as we do not support the building of any nuclear power stations under current technologies.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40567 on 29 September 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 meet regularly with the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), where we discuss a range of issues which affect their members. At our meeting on 19 December 2024, the SPF raised concerns about the condition of buildings in the Police Scotland estate, and we discussed the Police Scotland Estates Masterplan.

Management of the Police Scotland estate, including assessments of the condition of its buildings, is an operational matter for the Chief Constable under the oversight of the Scottish Police Authority. The Scottish Government supports Police Scotland’s commitment to providing a safe environment for officers, staff and the public, and notes that Ayr police station moved from old and outdated premises to a new modern location in May 2023.

We are investing a record £1.64 billion in policing in 2025-26. This includes £70 million of capital funding for investment in police assets, including the police estate.

The Scottish Government has not itself carried out any economic modelling regarding the economic impact of nuclear in Scotland. The Scottish Government position remains that new nuclear under current technologies is very expensive and takes decades to deliver, creating a legacy of radioactive waste which is difficult and costly to manage. Instead, we are focussed on supporting growth and creating jobs by capitalising on Scotland’s immense renewable energy capacity rather than expensive new nuclear.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40561 on 29 September 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 refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40561 on 29 September 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.