To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the uplift in the Scottish Prison Service budget for 2025-26 will be spent on improving the prison estate. (S6O-04261)

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of a modern and fit-for-purpose prison estate that supports the rehabilitation and reintegration of those who are in custody back into our communities. That is why, if passed by the Parliament, the 2025-26 budget will continue to support the Scottish Prison Service’s major infrastructure improvements, namely the construction of HMP Highland and HMP Glasgow.

The SPS advises that 97.7 per cent of its anticipated capital budget for 2025-26 will be utilised on major projects, with the remainder being allocated to a developing programme of works.

Last summer, we saw the emergency release of hundreds of people in custody, as almost half of Scotland’s prisons declared red status because they were struggling to cope with overcrowding and a crumbling prison estate. Starting next month, more prisoners will be released early, which the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents has said would see the public “being put at risk.”

Given that context, when will the Government take responsibility and start coming up with solutions to overcrowding that do not—according to the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents—compromise public safety?

I hope that I have demonstrated with absolute clarity the responsibility and seriousness with which I take overcrowding in our prisons. It is not only a critical risk to the safe operation of our prisons; if we do not reform our prison system, overcrowding will have huge implications and risks for the rest of our justice system and for communities.

On the emergency release measures, whether that is the change in the release arrangements—the point of release for short-term prisoners—or the emergency release measures that we took last summer, it is important to remember that the vast Majority of the released prisoners were going to return to our communities at some point in the not-too-distant future, usually in a matter of weeks or months.

I have brought a range of proposals and changes to the chamber. I was the Cabinet secretary who sponsored the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023 and the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024, which was led by Natalie Don. There is also the work that we are doing on home detention curfew and to expand robust community justice. I wish that people would come up with solutions as well as constantly opposing the solutions that we take forward.

Will the Cabinet secretary further outline how capital funding allocated to the Scottish Prison Service in the draft budget will help to create better environments for people to live in and work in, and to aid rehabilitation, thereby reducing the risk of reoffending and supporting safer communities?

As I said in my original answer, the funding allocated to the Scottish Prison Service will be used to progress the construction of HMP Highland and HMP Glasgow. Both those projects will deliver purpose-built modern accommodation and provide a full range of opportunities to all the people who live in those prisons, and an overall net increase in design capacity of 464 places, which will, of course, reduce overcrowding substantially.

The new prisons, working collaboratively with our partners, are expected to strengthen skills and employability, improve mental health among the population in their care, create a safer working environment and improve professional development and support opportunities for staff.

The failure to improve the estate means that the Scottish Government has failed for years to provide the amount of space that is required. With the average daily prison population up 6 per cent last year, Scotland desperately needs to increase capacity to ensure that dangerous criminals are kept off the street. Rather than releasing dangerous criminals after only 40 per cent of their sentence, does the Scottish Government have a proper long-term strategy to increase the capacity of the prison estate?

In short, yes, we do. I look forward to engaging with Mr Kerr and others on issues such as the further innovation that is required in community justice services to prevent people from going into prison in the first place, when that is safe to do, and on the innovation around electronic monitoring vis-à-vis home detention curfew. There is also work on the implementation of the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Bill, so we are not short of actions on that side.

It is a shame that every time we come forward with another piece of the jigsaw to reform the system, members of the Opposition resist it strongly.

Will the Cabinet secretary provide an update on the Scottish Government’s plans for the replacement of HMP Greenock?

The Scottish Government has invested to improve the fabric of the building at Greenock, specifically to tackle areas of water ingress, and the health centre. We are absolutely committed to having buildings that meet the needs of people in the care of the prison service, but Stuart McMillan will be aware that HMP Highland and HMP Glasgow remain the key priorities for major infrastructure improvements in the prison estate. I am grateful to the member for constantly being a champion for his local prison.