Justice Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Official Report 615KB pdf

Justice Sub-Committee on Policing (Report Back)

Item 6 is feedback from the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing on its meeting of 12 September 2019. I refer members to paper 4, which was prepared by the clerks. Following the verbal report, there will be an opportunity for brief comment or questions. I invite John Finnie to provide the feedback.

As the convener says, there is a note in the papers about the most recent meeting of the sub-committee, which took place on 12 September.

We took evidence from Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority on capital funding for the police service. That forms part of the sub-committee’s pre-budget scrutiny of the 2020-21 draft budget.

Police Scotland told the sub-committee that capital investment is at the minimum required to meet health and safety standards, which means that it is

“putting Band-Aids on the estate”

instead of addressing shortfalls. It told the sub-committee that it is struggling to keep the estate, fleet and information and communications technology working. The SPA confirmed that it is likely that more police stations will need to be temporarily closed for refurbishment to address health and safety requirements.

Both the SPA and Police Scotland have made it clear to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice that the situation is not sustainable. The sub-committee heard that Police Scotland will have to reduce police officer numbers by 750 officers after Brexit pressures have passed, as that is the only way for the police service to meet its deficit reduction target and to operate within the funding provided. Reductions in police officer numbers were described as the “last resort” but are now an inevitability. There is nowhere else that savings can be made.

The sub-committee heard about the capacity creation work that Police Scotland is undertaking, which assessed how police officers could work more efficiently and effectively. The witnesses were unable to provide any details of any similar exercises undertaken for chief officers or of the number of police officers who continue to backfill staff posts.

The next meeting of the sub-committee will take place on Thursday 3 October 2019, when it will take evidence from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice on the police capital budget.

Thank you. I see that members have no questions or comments.