Tag: new report

Scottish Parliament is not working, IPPR Scotland says in new report

Former high profile MSPs told the think tank in a series of “exit interviews” that the parliament is not living up to its consensus-building potential, contributing to key targets being missed.

It is not just the public who are deeply frustrated and disillusioned with the way politics and policymaking are working in Holyrood, new research from IPPR Scotland has found.

MSPs themselves have been feeling the same malaise, with a record number of them having chosen not to stand for re-election at this year’s Scottish parliamentary election.

In a series of detailed “exit interviews”, MSPs from across the political spectrum – including former backbenchers and senior cabinet figures – told researchers that the parliament has been underperforming. The findings come at a time of declining trust in politics and growing frustration with the way democratic institutions function. Voter turnout fell dramatically at the 2026 election and various polls showed voters felt Scotland was headed in the wrong direction.  

The Scottish parliament was designed to bring competing ideas together to find productive compromise. But interviewees described a shift towards shallow partisanship, with MSPs increasingly falling back on party lines and formulaic debates where politicians speak past each other.

This disconnect between the parliament’s consensus-building design and adversarial politics undermines the quality of scrutiny and legislation.

The problems show up in the way parliamentary committees operate. When the parliament was set up in 1999, committees were imagined as spaces for sustained, collaborative discussions, allowing MSPs the time to develop subject expertise and contribute meaningfully to policy matters.  

But interviewees said members pay little attention to one another, and serious engagement with the substance of issues is all too rare.

Researchers found that:

  • Short committee tenures are limiting the development of expertise. The median time MSPs serve on committees has hovered around one-and-a-half to two years, compared with five-year parliamentary terms. This restricts their ability to develop the kind of subject expertise that longer tenure would provide.  
  • Instead of interactive discussions, MSPs increasingly resort to monologues. In the first parliamentary session, a committee member spoke an average of 117 words before another member spoke. By the sixth session, this had doubled to 232 words.  

This affects the process of legislation making. Committees were intended to scrutinise legislation in detail, drawing on members’ expertise, expert witnesses and detailed evidence. But MSPs said debate has shifted to the final stages of legislation with poorly thought through amendments introduced at the last minute.

The researchers’ analysis of parliamentary data backs this up. In the first session (1999-2003), final-stage debates were about half as long as committee discussions. By the sixth, (2021-2026) the pattern had reversed, with final debates longer than committee stages.

IPPR Scotland has argued that the parliament needs to strengthen its consensus-building mechanisms, both to build trust with the electorate and because the challenges the country faces need long-term policies with widespread buy-in.  

The think tank recommends that reforms to parliament be designed by a new Citizens’ Commission on Scotland’s Democracy, giving citizens a formal role in reviewing and reporting on the functioning of Scottish democracy through citizens’ assemblies and juries.

Dave Hawkey, senior research fellow at IPPR Scotland, said: “Scotland faces formidable challenges, from cutting emissions and mitigating the impacts of climate crisis to managing the ageing population and reducing inequality.

“Solving each of these will need bold and far-reaching policy, including ideas from every corner of Scottish society.

“Low trust in politics is a major barrier to building the consensus we need to successfully guide Scotland through these changing times. Concretely, if citizens lack trust in politics, they will not agree to pay the taxes we need to fix our shared problems.”

Anonymous MSP1 said: “If you go as a minister to be interrogated by the opposition or backbenchers, the greatest disappointment is always how rubbish their questions are because they’re all sitting on their phones, you get to their shot, they ask a pre-prepared question.

“It’s either political or general most of the time. And then they go back to scrolling on Twitter.”  

Anonymous MSP2 said: “You have legislation that grows arms and bells and whistles. [During recent debates] I was thinking: I cannot believe we’re actually accepting or agreeing to this amendment that, in one line, will give somebody a headline but will cause a huge tail end of policy issues.”  

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RoSPA: Preventing Future Fatalities by Optimising Road Crash Data

Every road death is one too many. Preventing future fatalities starts with understanding why collisions happen.

Our NEW report explores how improving the way road collision data is collected, shared and used can help identify risks earlier, target interventions more effectively, and ultimately save lives.

Better data means better decisions. Better decisions mean safer roads.

Read the report here⤵️

https://www.rospa.com/…/preventing-future-fatalities-by…

#RoadSafety

#VisionZero

Independent Age: Total take up of state support would reduce pensioner poverty by 15% 

Would also save the NHS and social care services over half-a-billion pounds

  • Research shows that 100% take up of key benefits would cut numbers of pensioners in poverty by 280,000
  • Due to health impacts, full take-up would also save the NHS and social care services in England £790 million a year
  • Independent Age recommends the UK Government publish a take-up strategy for financial entitlements to ensure all older people are receiving everything they should be

New research from national charity Independent Age shows that full take-up of three key financial entitlements could lift 280,000 older people out of poverty across the UK, reducing pensioner poverty by 15%. 

This includes Pension Credit, pensioner Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction. The analysis was carried out by the research agency Public First.

The report released today, entitled ‘The only way is up: The impact of improved entitlement take-up on pensioner poverty and healthcare spending’ also shows that increasing take-up of these entitlements to 100% could help improve older people’s health, leading to a reduction in health and social care public spending by up to a colossal £790 million a year in England. 

Independent Age is calling on the UK Government to publish an all-entitlements take-up strategy for the UK. This should include a strong commitment and targets to increase take-up. 

The number of older people in poverty in the UK is rising, with around 1.7 million in relative poverty in 2024/25, which is an increase of 200,000 compared to the year before. Another one million live close to the poverty line. 

Despite this, the charity says that too many eligible older people are missing out on money set aside for them. Over one in three (38%) of those eligible for Pension Credit are not receiving it, and around 230,000 older households are missing out on Housing Benefit. 

Official take-up figures of Council Tax Reduction are not produced, however the report analysis indicates that over a million pensioner households could be missing out on this vital support. 

The organisation is also calling for the Pensions Commission to agree on what an adequate income in later life looks like, and the UK Government to commit to ensuring everyone receives this. 

Concerningly, full take up would also provide an additional 770,000 older people with more vital income, but they would still remain in poverty, indicating that financial entitlements and the State Pension alone is not always adequate to live on.

Joanna Elson CBE, Chief Executive of Independent Age said: “Our social security system was designed as a safety net for all of us but the evidence is clear, it is failing older people in poverty. Money that has been set aside is not reaching the older people who need it and at a time with increasing costs, the impact of this is devastating. 

“Through our helpline, we hear often from older people who are having to skip meals or only wash once a week to make ends meet. This is unacceptable. 

“Older people on a low income have been left to struggle for too long. That’s why we urgently need a strategy to ensure everyone receives the support they are entitled to and an agreement on what an adequate income looks like in later life for all of us as we age.

“With the upcoming changes in leadership, this is a golden opportunity for the UK Government to reverse the worsening picture of poverty in later life.”

Independent Age’s report found that three groups especially benefitted from increased take-up of these entitlements. These were: older people living alone, older renters and those on the old State Pension. This is due to a combination of likely higher initial costs such as housing or energy, and a lower income.

Valerie’s Story

Valerie, 68, from the Isle of Wight

“Once the rent was paid, along with Council Tax – more than £150 a month even with the single person discount – there wasn’t enough left. I had to cut back on everything. I lived on £1 meals from Iceland because they were cheap and filling, even though I knew they weren’t very nutritious.

I relied on a local community pantry where £5 bought roughly £15 of food. I couldn’t afford to put the heating on. My house is all electric and it was simply too expensive. I spent winters wrapped in blankets, drinking cups of instant soup to keep warm, and sometimes slept downstairs so I didn’t have to walk through cold rooms at night.”

Valerie called Independent Age and, while she wasn’t eligible for Pension Credit, an adviser supported her to start receiving Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction, which she hadn’t previously been aware of.

After starting to receive these entitlements, Valerie described the impact this had on her life: 

“Life is so much better now. I still budget carefully, but I’m not living on my credit card anymore. I can buy fresh vegetables, cook proper meals and freeze portions so food lasts longer.

“I can travel to the mainland to see family, and I enjoy the things that matter to me, such as going to the local theatre and being part of the choir.

“I called the Independent Age Helpline at a time in my life when I didn’t know where to turn. The support I received has made a dramatic difference to my daily life. I nearly didn’t make that call – but I’m so glad I did.

“Before that call, I was surviving day to day. Now, I feel like I’m living again.”

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Older Scots risk being trapped in poverty, warns charity 

  • Annual financial wellbeing index shows little to no progress for pensioners in poverty across Scotland.
  • Numbers of older people on a low income cutting back on food and energy remain worryingly high.
  • Independent Age calls for political action to prevent a generation left in poverty.

Independent Age’s second annual index into older people’s financial wellbeing in Scotland shows little progress on key indicators of pensioner poverty.

The ‘Older People’s Economic Wellbeing Index: Scotland 2026’, commissioned by the national older people’s financial hardship charity and conducted by the Diffley Partnership is a nationally representative poll of 1,800 people aged 66 and over. The research is repeated annually to track trends over time, and this is the second year that the research has been conducted.

The 2026 Index shows that one in five older people in Scotland have a household income of less than £15,000 a year. Of this group:

  • more than 1 in 2 have skipped meals.
  • 8 in 10 have cut back on heating.
  • almost half have housing costs that are, or are becoming, unaffordable.

UK and Scottish Government statistics show that 130,000, or one in eight, older people in Scotland are currently living in poverty.

Morgan Vine, Director of Policy and Influencing at Independent Age said: “Action on pensioner poverty is at risk of stalling, with a generation of older people left trapped in poverty and making dangerous cutbacks as a result. 

“Our latest Index shows that, in many areas, little progress has been made in the last year, including older people still feeling unrepresented by politicians, being weighed down by mounting costs, and not feeling their incomes and the financial support available is enough.

“With an ageing population it is vital that politicians across the political spectrum recognise the need for dedicated and sustained action to ensure older people living on a low income can live a decent and dignified life.

“This is a golden opportunity for the new Scottish Government to act now, to change the picture and create a much more positive reality for all of us as we age.”

Independent Age is calling for the introduction of a Pensioner Poverty Strategy to coordinate efforts to drive down poverty among pensioners.

The Index looks at five research areas: income and financial wellbeing, costs and cutbacks, housing, quality of life and political representation.

Income and financial wellbeing

Just one in 20 (6%) of all older people were confident that the State Pension would be enough to cover basic living expenses in the future.

Awareness of most social security payments has remained mostly static since 2025.  Of all the people on a low income of under £15,000 a year, 1 in 5 are not aware of Pension Credit (19%), and the number is the similar for Housing Benefit (20%). One in eight are not aware of Council Tax Reduction (14%).

Only around half (54%) of older people agreed that they were confident they were receiving all the financial support they were entitled to, and less than half (45%) agreed they were confident they know how to apply for the financial benefits they were entitled to.

Costs and cutbacks

Eight in ten (77%) older people on a low income said that they have cut back on heating, and more than a third say they cannot afford to keep their home warm. More than half have skipped meals.

Significant proportions of older people across all incomes are also worried about energy usage. 21% cannot afford to keep their home warm enough, 26% are not content with the energy efficiency of their home, 29% say their current energy bills are not affordable and 13% are not confident they can meet the cost of their energy over the next 12 months.

Housing 

More than 1 in 4 older people are living in a home that is becoming, or is, unaffordable to them. The housing affordability picture is considerably worse for older people on a low income than the general older population, with almost half (48%) saying their housing costs are, or are becoming, unaffordable.

Political representation

Most older people in Scotland do not feel well represented by political bodies and representatives. This generally has remained unchanged since the 2025 Index, where feelings of lack of political representation were high. One significant decline in feeling has been towards the UK Government. These have eroded particularly strongly – this research wave shows a five-percentage-point increase in the proportion who say the UK Government do not represent them (‘not very’ or ‘not at all’).

Recommendations

Independent Age recommends:

  • All political parties commit to working cross-party to address pensioner poverty.
  • The Programme for Government commits to introducing:
    • a national Pensioner Poverty Strategy. 
    • a Warm Homes Programme for older people, to reduce energy bills through improving energy efficiency.
  • The Scottish Government’s Benefit Uptake Strategy refresh takes a holistic approach to maximising the income of older people by taking action to improve take-up of devolved and reserved entitlements.
  • Improving the social security system and support available to older people in Scotland. 
  • The Scottish Government guarantee the right to a secure and affordable home, by improving access to, and increasing funding for, Discretionary Housing Payments and building the affordable social homes older people need.
  • An Older People’s Commissioner for Scotland is created.
  • The UK Government ensures reserved social security payments are set at an adequate rate.
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Edinburgh’s literary life is worth £50.9m a year – but its real value is broader than economics alone

  • Literature contributes £50.9m annually to Edinburgh’s economy
  • Publishing generates £19.3m, reflecting the UK’s strongest literary cluster outside London
  • 140 million+ books by contemporary Edinburgh-based authors sold globally (650m+ including Harry Potter)
  • 1.6 million annual visits to Edinburgh’s public libraries
  • 61% of visitors cite culture and history as a key motivation for visiting the city
  • 59% of residents say arts and culture make a positive difference to their lives

Two decades after Edinburgh became the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, a new report has set out to measure the impact of literature in the city today.

The independent study, commissioned by Edinburgh City of Literature Trust and carried out by BOP Consulting, finds that literature contributes £50.9m a year to Edinburgh’s economy. Publishing alone accounts for £19.3m, supporting a concentration of literary businesses that mark the city out as an engine of publishing in the UK.

The report also highlights the wider role literature plays across the city, both in its international profile and in everyday life.

Edinburgh is home to a dense network of writers, publishers, booksellers and festivals. More than 140 million books by contemporary Edinburgh-based authors have been sold worldwide, rising to over 650 million when the global phenomenon of Harry Potter is included.

Alongside this international reach, literary activity remains closely rooted in the city itself. Each year, Edinburgh’s public libraries welcome more than 1.6 million visits, while the city’s literary landscape is sustained by a dense network of organisations, events and activity taking place throughout the year. 

More than 50 book launches and “meet the author” events take place each month, alongside a programme of festivals that together welcome over 250,000 audiences annually.

The report identifies this activity as part of a wider literary ecosystem that supports participation, learning and shared cultural life.

It highlights the role of libraries, festivals, publishers, bookshops and grassroots organisations in creating opportunities for engagement at all levels, from large-scale international events to local, community-based activity.

It also finds that 59% of Edinburgh residents believe arts and culture make a positive difference to their lives – significantly higher than the Scottish average of 47%.

And similarly, 63% of Edinburgh respondents agree that culture and the arts make a positive difference to their local community (versus 51% Scottish average).

Literature also plays a role in the city’s appeal to visitors. The report notes that 61% of visitors cite culture and history as a key motivation for coming to Edinburgh, with literary tourism contributing to the broader visitor economy through festivals, heritage sites and wider cultural activity.

The study describes Edinburgh’s literary sector as a dense and interconnected network spanning major institutions, independent publishers, festivals, libraries and grassroots organisations.

It highlights the concentration of activity across the city, with the majority of Scotland’s publishers based in or operating from Edinburgh, alongside a mix of large-scale organisations such as Scottish Book Trust and the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and a wide network of smaller businesses and freelance practitioners.

This infrastructure supports activity across the full lifecycle of literature, from education and research through to publishing, live events and retail.

The report notes that Edinburgh hosts more than 50 university courses in literature and creative writing, alongside an active programme of events and opportunities for writers and audiences at all stages.

Alongside these strengths, the study identifies a number of external pressures affecting the sector.

These include rising operating costs, a contracting funding environment, and challenges around ensuring participation extends beyond established audiences.

It also points to opportunities to improve coordination and visibility across the city’s literary offer, including the potential for a more centralised approach to information-sharing and sector collaboration.

In response, Edinburgh City of Literature Trust is developing a programme of activity focused on strengthening connections across the sector, broadening participation and improving access to literary opportunities.

This includes

  • improving its digital platforms to better serve its literary stakeholders and wider public including a space for city-wide calendar of events and a digital map linked to an in-depth guide
  • working with libraries and partners to reach across every area of the city with new projects that ensure everyone in Edinburgh feels connected to our story
  • fostering increased collaboration across the sector and co-chairing a new strategic steering group with the city’s Lord Provost, the Edinburgh Literature Forum to build a long-term strategic plan for the City of Literature
  • and securing a literary hub for writers, creatives and communities to use all year round.

Dr Harriet MacMillan, Director of Edinburgh City of Literature Trust, said:
“Literature is fundamental to Edinburgh. It is not a ‘nice to have’ – it is central to how we understand, imagine and shape our city.

“We are fortunate to have extraordinary cultural assets, and we should celebrate our thriving, vibrant literary ecosystem – but we cannot take it for granted. There are real challenges ahead; meeting those challenges will require greater investment and stronger collaboration across the sector.

“Since becoming the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature in 2004, we have led internationally – but leadership demands that we keep evolving. Our focus now must be on expanding opportunity and ensuring that literature is not only protected, but experienced and enjoyed by everyone who lives, works in, and visits Edinburgh.”

Harnessing Edinburgh Makar Michael Pedersen’s Be more, Edinburgh, his poem marking 20 years as UNESCO City of Literature, the organisation wants to hear from anyone keen to get involved in helping Edinburgh’s stories to continue to inspire, connect and flourish.

You can find othe report here: https://cityofliterature.com/new-report-evaluating-the-impact-of-literature-in-edinburgh-published-today/

Scotland’s councils face HALF BILLION budget gap

Funding for councils is failing to keep pace with rising costs and demand despite a small real terms increase in funding.

Councils’ revenue funding from the Scottish Government has gone up by two per cent. However, much of it is used to cover existing commitments such as teachers’ pay increases. Overall, Scotland’s councils face managing a budget gap of around £529 million for their 2026/27 daily operating costs – around three per cent of their revenue funding. Capital funding is down by 15 per cent.

That means councils will have to borrow more to build houses and other infrastructure, which heightens long-term financial risk.

Every local authority increased council tax by an average of 7.7 per cent for 2026/27, which should raise an extra £248 million. Councils expect to bring in around £1.2 billion from fees and other charges, such as for leisure centres and some refuse services. They are also planning to make savings of £180 million – around 1 per cent of councils’ total revenue budget. But these savings will have to increasingly affect services people rely on.

Social care makes up a high proportion of council spending and increasing demand for these services is putting major pressure on local budgets.

Anticipated reductions in Scottish Government funding over the medium term are expected to intensify these pressures and increase the risk of councils becoming financially unsustainable.

Derek Yule, a member of the Accounts Commission, said: “As things stand, councils will continue to face increasing financial pressures unless they stop, reduce, or significantly redesign services.

“Savings options are limited and will have to increasingly focus on changes to services people rely on. That makes it essential that councils talk to their communities about the difficult decisions they are facing.”

COSLA has responded to the Accounts Commission report on Local Government budgets 2026/27.

Read the full comment from Cllr Ricky Bell, COSLA Resources Spokesperson here:

https://ow.ly/yjh550ZaknP

VOCAL highlights the growing cost of unpaid caring across Edinburgh and the Lothians

This Carers Week, local charity VOCAL (Voice of Carers Across Lothian) is calling for greater recognition of, and practical support for, unpaid carers, as new evidence shows caring is pushing too many people into poverty.

Unpaid carers are often managing higher household costs, cutting back on paid work, and spending more on fuel, transport, food and equipment. For many, the cost of living crisis comes on top of the cost of caring, creating intense pressure on family finances and wellbeing. VOCAL says demand for financial wellbeing support continues to rise locally.

VOCAL brought carers, staff and partner organisations together at its Cost of Unpaid Caring event to explore the causes of carer poverty and the changes needed locally and nationally.

Their report, launched on 8 June, highlights several key drivers of hardship, including the extra costs of disability and care, loss of income for working carers, difficulty accessing adequate social security, social care charges, legal costs such as Power of Attorney, and growing food insecurity.

Rosie McLoughlin, VOCAL CEO, said: “The value of unpaid care in Edinburgh alone is estimated at over 1 billion pounds but many carers provide this care at real personal and financial cost.

“This latest report shows that carer poverty is being driven by a combination of rising living costs, lost income, inadequate support and systems that are too hard to navigate. During Carers Week, we are calling for change so that taking on a caring role does not mean being pushed into poverty.”

VOCAL is calling for practical action at every level:

  • A national hardship fund to support carers with the unexpected costs of caring
  • Increased social security support for carers nationally
  • Power of Attorney costs to be covered for carers
  • An end to unfair social care charging
  • More in-depth research on the Minimum Income Standard to understand the costs of caring and rollout of the Minimum Income Guarantee
  • Encouraging all employers to improve their carer policies, advocate for better social care services, and offer paid carer’s leave
  • Carers Act Funding to be allocated to crisis-prevention
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Carers Week is here – read and share our new report!

CARERS WEEK IS HERE!

To To kick-start the week, we’ve launched our Building Carer Friendly Communities report, making the case for action across the UK to improve recognition and support for unpaid carers.

Carer friendly communities are places, spaces, services and community groups where unpaid carers are recognised, understood and valued. They make support part of everyday life, ensuring carers get the opportunities and help they need.

While many communities are committed to supporting carers, this is not always the case. Concerningly, our new research found that nearly half (44%) of carers do not feel their role is understood or valued by their community.

When communities are not carer friendly, the impact can be significant. More than a third (36%) of current and former carers who felt that organisations or services were not carer friendly said this had affected their physical or mental health.

Our new report sets out the action needed by the Government and by communities across the UK to help make a lasting difference to the lives of unpaid carers. 

Read the full report and our recommendations for change.

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Almost half of cigarettes smoked in the UK are illicit, says new report

New independent analysis by KPMG – commissioned by Philip Morris International – has revealed that almost half of cigarettes almost half of cigarettes consumed in the UK in 2025 were illicit. Of the total cigarette consumption in the UK, 13% of cigarettes are purchased abroad legally, whereas 32.3% are counterfeit or contraband. 

The findings show that illicit consumption rose by 1.5 billion cigarettes in 2025 (vs. 2024), making it the second-largest illegal market in Europe, behind France, for illicit cigarette consumption by volume.  

Two new trends have been identified by Philip Morris Limited as significant contributing factors to the boom in the UK’s illicit market over the past year: the rise of ‘front’ shops – retail outlets set up by organised criminal gangs (OCG), and the rise in factories manufacturing illegal cigarettes within the UK.  

Smuggled and fake brands are typically imported from Turkey, Poland and Belarus, plus free trade zones in the Middle East, as identified by Philip Morris International However, last year, the report noted how factories were moving ever westward on the continent, towards their key markets of France and the UK. 

In the past 12 months this has moved a step further, with a number of high-profile raids of large factories within the UK itself. Each year, these factories were producing hundreds of millions of cigarettes between them, designed to flood the UK market.  

The Europe-wide report estimates that more than 10 billion illicit were consumed in the UK in 2025, equating to more than £4.46 billion in lost tax revenue for vital public services. This money could fund over 95,000 new police officers. 

On the streets of the UK, there has been an explosion in the number of ‘front’ shops selling illicit cigarettes and vapes posing as low-grade grocers, vape shops, candy shops, barbers or mobile phone retailers. 

Reports4 show gangs running the stores are terrorising communities and also profiting from street drugs, human trafficking, cybercrime, fraud and money laundering. They have waged a war of intimidation against legitimate UK shopkeepers, threatening their livelihoods and, in some cases, even their personal safety.  

Philip Morris Limited, the UK affiliate of Philip Morris International, is calling on the government to take urgent action to tackle illicit tobacco and nicotine products, warning that the illegal market for cigarettes is growing exponentially, even as overall cigarette consumption continues to decline.  

Peter Nixon, Managing Director at Philip Morris Limited, said: “This should be a major wake-up call for the government; poorly resourced enforcement is depriving the UK of almost £4.5 billion a year. 

“The past few years have been a boon time for organised crime gangs who are selling illicit cigarettes and vapes with impunity, ruining our high streets and communities. 

Catherine Goger, Illicit Trade Prevention Manager at Philip Morris Limited, commented: “In our fight against these ‘front’ shops, we have expanded our undercover teams who gather evidence and intelligence in communities across the UK. 

“To drive illicit products off our high streets, the government needs to introduce a robust licencing scheme as soon as possible.” 

Rise in serious cases strengthens need for criminal justice reform

The Scottish Government and its partners have made progress in cutting the criminal courts backlog and modernising justice services – but risks remain to delivering much needed reforms.

There were around 13,268 outstanding scheduled trials at the end of 2025/26 – around a third of the number of the backlog’s peak in 2022. However, a rise in complex cases, such as historic sexual abuse and organised crime, has led to high levels of backlogs for courts dealing with the most serious issues. Outstanding scheduled High Court trials rose to 1,002 at the end of 2025/26 – almost three times pre-pandemic levels. This is creating pressures across the system.

The Scottish Government has published a delivery plan for modernising the criminal justice system. There has been mixed progress with projects designed to improve efficiency, with some delayed or still to start. There has also been limited evaluation and public reporting on progress, making it difficult to know what impact projects are having.

The Scottish Government and its partners have improved how they engage with people who use court services. But services users are not actively involved in work to make the system more efficient.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “Criminal court business has changed significantly. The overall number of outstanding trials has reduced considerably since 2022. But the rise in serious, resource-intensive cases in recent years is impacting on the High Court backlog and the wider justice system.

“The Scottish Government and its partners have set out how efficiencies will be delivered. But their planned modernisation projects must be supported by more robust delivery arrangements, clarity on the resources required, and effective collaboration.”