Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for ��˿�� to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-40890

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with relevant stakeholders to promote restorative justice.

Information about Scottish Government engagement with relevant stakeholders on activity undertaken to support and develop restorative justice services - can be found in published by Community Justice Scotland.

I would also refer the member to the answers given to and S6W-40888 on 17 October 2025.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-40886

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the implementation of its 2019 Restorative Justice Action Plan.

The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on achieving the actions and outcomes set out in the 2019 Restorative Justice Action Plan. Many of the people involved – including stakeholders, support organisations (e.g. Victim Support Scotland, Scottish Women’s Aid, etc), partners within local government, and officials had to pivot and focus on emerging and critical issues. The same people were also involved in supporting the justice system to recover once restrictions started to relax.

However, with the hard work and support of stakeholders and partners involved, progress was made on developing and testing restorative justice services, despite the restrictions and challenges. Details on this are provided in the answer to S6W-40887 on 17 October 2025.

More information is available in published by Community Justice Scotland and the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-40884

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to the principles of its 2019 Restorative Justice Action Plan, and whether it will update the plan.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the vision of having restorative justice (RJ) available across Scotland to all those who wish to access it, and at a time that is appropriate to the people and case involved.

Test cases have been funded over the last 18 months. The findings from these cases will add to the option appraisal work already carried out and will be used to inform next steps and priorities.

The Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice is organising a restorative Justice workshop in November 2025, with a focus on the use of RJ that involves children and young people. Key stakeholders are invited, and the outputs from this workshop will also be used to identify priorities and next steps in developing the vision for RJ in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-40888

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed Restorative Justice Champions Network has been established, and whether it will confirm its remit.

Community Justice Scotland and the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice have set up and chair the Restorative Justice Development Forum, which meets bi-monthly. The first meeting of this forum took place on 6 May 2025. The remit of this forum is the exchange of knowledge practice regarding the development of RJ for those in a leadership role from both statutory and voluntary sectors across Scotland in their local areas.

Question reference: S6W-40889

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with its national restorative justice communications strategy.

Question reference: S6W-40882

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to promote restorative justice (a) in each financial year since 2019-20 and (b) since April 2025.

Question reference: S6O-04998

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the agriculture minister has had with the justice secretary regarding support for farmers in relation to rural crime.

Question reference: S6W-40388

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that eight prison officers were attacked with boiling water in the last year.

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

SPS has a zero-tolerance approach to violence towards staff and has support mechanisms in place to assist prison officers who have been affected by it. Incidents of criminality are reported to Police Scotland and SPS will actively seek prosecution.

While people in prisons do have access to kettles, these will be removed from individuals if it is considered a risk to the safety of themselves or others.

Question reference: S6W-40387

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether all prisoners should have access to kettles, including those designated as "High Supervision".

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

The safety and security of all those who work, reside and visit our establishments is of the utmost importance.

All individuals in prison are provided access to a kettle within their accommodation, except in cases where medical or security considerations necessitate its removal. Such decisions are made following an appropriate risk assessment and in accordance with established procedures.

Question reference: S6W-40455

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that it has abandoned its zero tolerance policy on knife crime.

In 2016, Scottish Government legislation came into force that increased the maximum sentence for weapons possession from four years to five years. The average length of custodial sentence for weapons possession in 2022-23 was 332 days; this compares with 218 days in 2007-08 and represents an increase of 52%.

The investigation of knife crime is an independent operational matter for Police Scotland. The prosecution of knife crime is an independent operational matter for COPFS. Sentencing in any given case is a matter for the independent court within the overall legal framework.

	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25
Total	130,388	59,456	124,235	459,240	492,039	493,458