Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 25 June 2026 [Draft]
25 Jun 2026 · S7 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Prison Population
Last night, when I was looking at the amendments, I thought, “We all pretty much want the same thing.” On hearing the contributions today, I am even more convinced that there is much more that unites us than divides us on this topic.
We all want fewer crimes to be committed. We all want our communities to be safe. We want victims and survivors to be respected, protected and heard. We want fewer people in prison because fewer crimes are committed, fewer people are held on remand and fewer people reoffend. We want more people to get community sentences. We want less-crowded prisons that are safer for inmates and prison officers and that create space for successful rehabilitation. We want less money to be spent on incarceration so that we can spend more money on things such as prevention and rehabilitation.
To that end, I hope that colleagues from across the chamber welcome the £1 billion from the Scottish Government that will be invested in Scottish prisons this year, as well as the very positive proposals that the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has set out.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Katy Clark)
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S7M-00469, in the name of Neil Gray, on achieving a sustainable prison population. I invite members who wish ...
The Cabinet Secretary for Justice (Neil Gray)
SNP
On the day after my appointment as justice secretary, I visited HMP Edinburgh to see the level of pressure that the Scottish Prison Service is facing due to ...
Stephen Kerr (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I thank the cabinet secretary for giving way. He made a point about the remand population. He is quite right that one in four members of our prison populatio...
Neil Gray
SNP
Stephen Kerr is correct. We have discussed that matter before, and I believe that the work that has been done on summary case management, which has sped up t...
Stephen Kerr
Con
Will the cabinet secretary take this opportunity to accept, with some degree of humility, that the prison capacity situation is a direct result of the neglec...
Neil Gray
SNP
I have already referenced that we are building two new prisons and that we are expanding capacity. We already have one of the highest levels of custody per h...
Pauline McNeill (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Scottish Labour welcomes the opportunity to have an early discussion on the state of the Scottish prison system. There is a lot in the amendments from the ot...
Neil Gray
SNP
I recognise Pauline McNeill’s long-standing commitment to looking at community alternatives to custody. Does she welcome what I am setting out to do in provi...
Pauline McNeill
Lab
Yes, I do. I would like an early indication of additional investment in GPS technology. Considering all that we would need to do to provide safety for commun...
Willie Rennie (Fife North East) (LD)
LD
Will the member take an intervention?
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Katy Clark)
Lab
The member cannot take an intervention, as she is already in additional time.
Pauline McNeill
Lab
I will conclude with a specific point on deaths in custody, which the Criminal Justice Committee had a brief chat about on Wednesday morning. There was a pro...
Amanda Bland (Central Scotland and Lothians West) (Reform)
Reform
I thank you, cabinet secretary, and Pauline McNeill.I am interested in your proposals. We agree that the Scottish Prison Service continues to operate in cris...
Amanda Bland (Central Scotland and Lothians West) (Reform)
Reform
I thank the cabinet secretary and Pauline McNeill.I am interested in your proposals. We agree that the Scottish Prison Service continues to operate in crisis...
Neil Gray
SNP
I should correct the statistic that I gave. It is 8,459 not 8,549. There was a typo in the speech.
Neil Gray
SNP
I should correct the statistic that I gave. It is 8,459 not 8,549. There was a typo in the speech.
Amanda Bland
Reform
So, we are looking at 106 per cent overcapacity. That is one of the highest levels ever recorded. We are all in agreement that that is unsustainable, is unsa...
Amanda Bland
Reform
So, we are looking at 106 per cent overcapacity. That is one of the highest levels ever recorded. We are all in agreement that that is unsustainable, is unsa...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Katy Clark)
Lab
I remind all members that they should always speak through the chair.15:01
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Katy Clark)
Lab
I remind all members that they should always speak through the chair.15:01
Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Green
Our prison system is not working. Like so many other institutions, including our national health service and our schools, prisons reflect the society that th...
Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Green
Our prison system is not working. Like so many other institutions, including our national health service and our schools, prisons reflect the society that th...
Mark Simpson (North East Scotland) (Reform)
Reform
Will the member take an intervention?
Mark Simpson (North East Scotland) (Reform)
Reform
Will the member take an intervention?
Maggie Chapman
Green
No, not just now.Prison reform should allow us to do the upstream work that we know will help people to avoid prison in the first place. The Scottish Governm...
Maggie Chapman
Green
No, not just now.Prison reform should allow us to do the upstream work that we know will help people to avoid prison in the first place. The Scottish Governm...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Katy Clark)
Lab
I remind members that there should be no interruptions or interventions during a first speech. To make his first speech, and to move and speak to amendment S...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Katy Clark)
Lab
I remind members that there should be no interruptions or interventions during a first speech. To make his first speech, and to move and speak to amendment S...
James Adams (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I am proud and honoured to have been elected to represent the north-east of Scotland, the area where I was born, grew up and still proudly call home. I am de...
James Adams (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I am proud and honoured to have been elected to represent the north-east of Scotland, the area where I was born, grew up and still proudly call home. I am de...