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 the quarterly and annual report 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 https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

I refer the member to the information about Outcome 3 of the Action plan provided in the answer to S6W-40887 on 17 October 2025 which sets out the progress.

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.

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.

Restorative Justice Expenditure

We continue to fund and work in partnership with teams in Community Justice Scotland and the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice to develop and promote restorative justice (RJ) services across Scotland.

We also seek input on a regular basis from a wide range of organisations through the Restorative Justice Stakeholder Group – which meets three times a year - to identify priorities and actions.

Activity has included:

• Carrying out a National Training Needs Analysis
• Production of an online training module by Community Justice Scotland
• Initial model for delivery proposed and tested
• Options Appraisal carried out by Community Justice Scotland, building on learning from the testing of the proposed model (involving consultation with stakeholders)
• Policy and Practice Framework developed to support RJ facilitators
• Creation of a RJ protocol with the Scottish Prison Service to use restorative practices in prison establishments where appropriate to do so
• Outreach work in local authority areas to raise awareness of RJ and supporting partners to develop local RJ services
• Building networks with national and international RJ academics and practitioners to develop good practice in Scotland
• Conducting research to help develop a model for Scotland
• Feasibility study to develop an online directory of RJ services

Additionally, over the last 18 months, support has been provided to identify and run test cases. The report setting out the learning from these will help inform next steps and priorities.

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

I would also refer the member to the answers given to S6W-40887 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 https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Information about activity undertaken to support and develop restorative justice (RJ) services can be found in quarterly and annual reports published by Community Justice Scotland.

Examples of the outcomes and actions achieved to date include:

Outcome 1 - Restorative Justice is available across Scotland

• Baseline survey carried out in 2018 to establish current provision of services
• Hub and Spoke model developed (2020)
• Training and model tested for delivery of RJ in sensitive cases (2021-2023)
• Options Appraisal produced by Community Justice Scotland (CJS) (learning from testing of Hub and Spoke model) (2024)
• RJ test cases identified, funded and, where feasible, taken forward, with report on findings due to be published soon (ongoing)
• Engagement activity undertaken with individual local authorities, victim support organisations and other services such as Scottish Prison Service (2024-25)
• Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice survey carried out and shared with stakeholders - Capturing the Organisation and Delivery of Restorative Justice across Scotland, designed toidentify strengths and gaps in RJ service provision for under 18s and identify test cases (2025)
• Policy and Practice Framework developed with partners and stakeholders to build on existing published guidance and provide more detailed information for facilitators (Ongoing – due to be published 2025)
• RJ Stakeholder Group established (2020); membership and remit refreshed (2024); last met in June 2025.
• RJ development forum established in 2025 bringing local leaders together to learn from others and develop RJ in their own area

Outcome 2 - High quality restorative justice services are delivered by trained facilitators

• National RJ Training Needs Analysis commissioned and completed (2022)
• Research into risk mitigation measures commissioned and completed (2022)
• Training material developed and tested for facilitating sensitive cases (2023)
• Training module produced by CJS (2024)

Outcome 3 – There is strong public awareness and understanding of Restorative Justice in Scotland

• Ipsos Mori telephone survey carried out (2020)
• RJ animation developed and produced (2020)
• Free to use Flickr photo album created showing RJ practices (updated 2024)
• Communications brief developed and agreed with RJ Stakeholder Group (2021)
• Work in schools including:
• “The views of school pupils on the use of Restorative Justice in Scotland” (2022) where school children were asked about their awareness, understanding, and attitudes toward restorative justice
• “Key Messages from Children and Young People about Restorative Justice,” (2023) groups from Drumchapel High School and youth groups contributed their views on how RJ should be carried out.
• Mapping of existing practices with under-18s across Scotland (2025) to identify strengths and gaps
• Two workshops at George Watson’s College in Edinburgh (2023 and due 2025) delivered as part of a Crime and Justice Conference for Advanced Higher Modern Studies students from schools across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
• Funding provided to SACRO for development of RJ Forum website (2021)
• Restorative Voices – Seen and Heard exhibition developed and delivered as part of Scottish Mental Health Festival (2024)
• RJ Stakeholder Group chaired by Scottish Government meets three times a year

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 prosecution of knife crime is an independent operational matter for COPFS.

The cost of repair work on the A90 between St Ann’s and Keithock junctions near Brechin is not available. This is because expenditure is not recorded for specific sections of the trunk road. Instead, costs are collated and reported as a total spend for the A90 as a whole. The following table shows the expenditure breakdown for the A90 as a whole for the years 2015-2025.