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At 31 March 2017 there were 133 fully appointed, and a further 16 provisionally appointed independent prison monitors (appointed following interview, subject to disclosure, references and completion of core training).

Neither prisons nor prisoners are routinely made aware of the times and dates that Independent Prison Monitors will be attending prisons. Prisoners are informed of the following through information about monitoring at Induction, in leaflets and in posters:

IPMs attend prisons every week.

Prisoners can ask to see an Independent Prison Monitor by:

Calling the Freephone number

Putting a request form in the request box

Direct approach

The optimum number of independent prison monitors is dependent on the experience and availability of IPMs in each prison which can vary significantly. There is therefore no set quota by which to measure vacancies.

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons has drawn up detailed Guidance on Monitoring for Independent Prison Monitoring which has been reviewed and signed-off by the Prison Monitoring Advisory Group.

In addition to this independent prison monitors receive core HMIPS monitoring training, core SPS training (comprising personal protection training, suicide risk management, key training and local induction), Human Rights training and in-role training by the prison monitoring co-ordinator and other more experienced independent prison monitors. Separate local training is also arranged on the basis of local teams’ needs.

During the period 31 August 2015 to 31 December 2016 84 per cent of all visits were rota visits. 16 per cent were additional visits.

Focus groups with prisoners have been undertaken nationally and locally as part of prison-based awareness raising work.

Information point checks are undertaken on a regular basis to ensure leaflets, posters and request forms are available to prisoners.

The Prison Monitoring Advisory Group has met seven times.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with a range of stakeholders regarding the integration of the British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland. Details of Ministerial meetings and correspondence have previously been released under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act and are available on the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Justice/policies/police-fire-rescue/police-scotland/BTP/FoIResponses

The Scottish Government has also published responses to a 2016 consultation on this subject, which include those from a wide range of relevant stakeholders. There are no plans to publish minutes or notes of relevant Ministerial meetings.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-08288 on 3 April 2017

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-08288 on 3 April 2017.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx