Item 5 is feedback from the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing on its meeting of 21 June. Following the oral report, members will have the opportunity to make brief comments and ask questions. I refer members to paper 4, which is the clerk’s note.
When the sub-committee met on 21 June, we took evidence on Police Scotland’s digital, data and information and communication technology strategy, and we took further evidence on Police Scotland’s use of digital triage systems, which are also known as cyberkiosks. The sub-committee took evidence from Kenneth Hogg, interim chief officer at the Scottish Police Authority, and, from Police Scotland, David Page, deputy chief officer; Martin Low, acting director of ICT; James Gray, chief financial officer; and Detective Chief Superintendent Gerry McLean, head of organised crime and counter-terrorism.
The sub-committee heard that the scale of and investment in the ICT strategy are much bigger than for the previous i6 programme, and that the SPA board will consider the strategy again in the autumn, when there will be more detail and greater clarity about costs.
The sub-committee considered the level and detail of scrutiny that the SPA undertook before investing in cyberkiosks with a view to introducing them throughout Scotland. It is fair to record that we were disappointed that no impact assessments were undertaken before the two trials of cyberkiosks, or as part of consideration of extending use of cyberkiosks. However, we were assured that Police Scotland is compiling privacy impact and data assessments and that they are en route to the sub-committee for scrutiny.
The sub-committee also considered its work programme and agreed to write to the SPA and Police Scotland about their joint decision not to make ex gratia payments to the four officers who were affected by the counter-corruption unit investigation. The sub-committee will meet again on 13 September. I am happy to answer members’ questions.
I have a brief comment, which I made at the sub-committee’s meeting. The scale of investment means that the programme will be one of the largest information technology projects to be undertaken in the public sector in Scotland and, indeed, in the UK. Given that, and the issues in the past, the programme merits further scrutiny by the sub-committee, and this committee might want to consider whether we need at least to keep a watching brief on the programme, if not to scrutinise it more.
The committee is to undertake post-legislative scrutiny of how the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 has operated in the past six years. I have no doubt that in that scrutiny a lot of issues will come up, including IT investment. The sub-committee was certainly more than a little concerned about scrutiny of the proposals and about whether the cart was being put before the horse. Given the contract’s value, which Daniel Johnson referred to, we need to keep a watching brief.
As there are no more comments, that concludes the public part of the meeting. Our next meeting, which will be after the summer recess, is scheduled for Thursday 6 September, when the committee will hold its rescheduled meeting with the Secretary of State for Scotland on Brexit and justice matters. I wish all members, clerks and other staff a relaxing and stress-free recess.
12:04 Meeting continued in private until 12:45.Previous
Subordinate Legislation