Scotland’s prison population yesterday reached a record high of 7497, with young offenders and those on remand accounting for the bulk of the latest increase.

An investigation has been launched into allegations of “inappropriate practice” at a residential school. The inquiry at Oakbank School in Aberdeen was sparked by a complaint from a member of staff.

Closing nursery schools will not be enough to ease Edinburgh City Council’s financial shortfall, it emerged yesterday.

Private care home providers in Aberdeen last night accused the council of putting dementia sufferers “in jeopardy” by refusing to reinstate essential funding.

Thousands of people in Scotland could be paying for their healthcare when the NHS should be footing the bill, a BBC investigation has found. Health Ombudsman Eric Drake said the

Three of NHS Scotland’s Special Health Boards are to retain their HQ functions in Edinburgh in order to free up more than £20m for investment in frontline services, Shona Robison has announced.

Edinburgh’s health and social care leader Paul Edie has been formally nominated to represent the local authority on the Lothian health board. Each of the four councils in the NHS Lothian have one member on the board, which spends £1 billion every year on services.

A leading homeless charity has called for disused homes across Scotland to be brought back into use to help reduce housing waiting lists. Shelter Scotland made the call at a conference which focused on the private renting market.

Glasgow is leading the way in the care of runaway children. A new report shows most other local authorities across Scotland are failing to provide support services for some of the country’s most vulnerable youngsters.

A Scot at the centre of a £35m illicit drugs-smuggling operation will be sentenced in the United States this week.