Justice Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Official Report 462KB pdf

Justice Sub-Committee on Policing (Report Back)

Item 4 is feedback from the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing on its meeting of 8 February 2018. Following the verbal report, there will be an opportunity for brief comments or questions, should members have any. I refer members to paper 3, which is a note by the clerk, and I invite John Finnie to provide feedback.

The Justice Sub-Committee on Policing met on 8 February, when we took evidence from HM inspectorate of constabulary in Scotland on its report, “Strategic Review of Undercover Policing in Scotland”. We took evidence from Michael Matheson, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice; Derek Penman, HM chief inspector of constabulary; and Stephen Whitelock, who was the lead inspector on the review.

We also considered our work programme and agreed the following: to keep under review the evidence that we have heard on undercover policing; to invite written evidence from the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Federation and Unison Scotland in relation to Police Scotland’s on-going review of custody provision; and to undertake further work on the financial management and leadership of Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority. We also agreed to write to the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee to seek an update on any future work that it might have planned on the finance and governance issues relating to Police Scotland and the SPA. Finally, we agreed to write to the SPA to seek clarification on issues relating to its board. The sub-committee will next meet this coming Thursday, when we will hold an evidence session on Durham Constabulary’s reports on Police Scotland’s counter-corruption unit.

Thank you for that. As there are no comments or questions from members, we will move into private session. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 27 February, when our main business will be consideration at stage 2 of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Repeal) (Scotland) Bill and the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Bill.