Chamber and committees

Throughout the debate, we have heard from members across the chamber about the sheer importance of the role that policing plays in our society. We have rightly heard about officers’ bravery, selflessness and commitment to keeping us, our friends, our family and our neighbours safe, but we have also heard how brutally undervalued they are. It is hard to think of a job in modern Scotland that is more dangerous and less rewarded and appreciated than that of a police officer.

Some reasons for that are not necessarily the fault of the Scottish Government alone. Police officers operate in a dangerous world, where people are less respectful and more prepared to take dangerous action against them. In addition, crime is evolving, and the range of threats that the police and the people they protect face is growing at an alarming rate. Liam McArthur spoke about the increasing complexity of crimes and the need for urgent action. Liam Kerr cited the statistics on the rise of serious crime. Recorded crime has gone up by 2 per cent, violent crime has gone up by 3 per cent and sexual crime has gone up by 7 per cent. Claire Baker spoke about the issue of retail crime.

However, many of the challenges that police officers face are a direct consequence of the Scottish Government’s choices—its present choices and those that it has made over many years. It seems a very long time ago that the Scottish National Party, as a party of Government, committed to recruiting an extra 1,000 police officers on the street—a decision that it came to after being persuaded by the Scottish Conservatives. The latest statistics show that that work has been undone, as the number of extra officers on the front line has dwindled back down to an unacceptably low level, and things are projected to only get worse. Douglas Ross highlighted the fact that the SNP amendment seeks to delete the line in the motion that says that the Parliament

“regrets … cuts to police officer numbers”.

The SNP is staying silent about the cuts.

Jo Farrell, the chief constable, told ministers exactly what she needed from the recent budget in order just to keep the show on the road. Instead, the Scottish Government delivered significantly less than that. It has been warned that that move will lead to even more job cuts at Police Scotland.

We could certainly cut the waste in the Scottish Government. The chief constable asked for a figure that would enable Police Scotland just to stand still, but the figure in the budget is £15 million short of that. It did not even get that.

Throughout the debate, we have heard from members across the chamber about the sheer importance of the role that policing plays in our society. We have rightly heard about officers’ bravery, selflessness and commitment to keeping us, our friends, our family and our neighbours safe, but we have also heard how brutally undervalued they are. It is hard to think of a job in modern Scotland that is more dangerous and less rewarded and appreciated than that of a police officer.

Some reasons for that are not necessarily the fault of the Scottish Government alone. Police officers operate in a dangerous world, where people are less respectful and more prepared to take dangerous action against them. In addition, crime is evolving, and the range of threats that the police and the people they protect face is growing at an alarming rate. Liam McArthur spoke about the increasing complexity of crimes and the need for urgent action. Liam Kerr cited the statistics on the rise of serious crime. Recorded crime has gone up by 2 per cent, violent crime has gone up by 3 per cent and sexual crime has gone up by 7 per cent. Claire Baker spoke about the issue of retail crime.

However, many of the challenges that police officers face are a direct consequence of the Scottish Government’s choices—its present choices and those that it has made over many years. It seems a very long time ago that the Scottish National Party, as a party of Government, committed to recruiting an extra 1,000 police officers on the street—a decision that it came to after being persuaded by the Scottish Conservatives. The latest statistics show that that work has been undone, as the number of extra officers on the front line has dwindled back down to an unacceptably low level, and things are projected to only get worse. Douglas Ross highlighted the fact that the SNP amendment seeks to delete the line in the motion that says that the Parliament

“regrets … cuts to police officer numbers”.

The SNP is staying silent about the cuts.

Jo Farrell, the chief constable, told ministers exactly what she needed from the recent budget in order just to keep the show on the road. Instead, the Scottish Government delivered significantly less than that. It has been warned that that move will lead to even more job cuts at Police Scotland.

We could certainly cut the waste in the Scottish Government. The chief constable asked for a figure that would enable Police Scotland just to stand still, but the figure in the budget is £15 million short of that. It did not even get that.

It is not just the officers who have felt the brunt. The Police Scotland estate is also being subjected to a fundraising fire sale, as Davy Russell mentioned in his contribution. All over Scotland, local stations are closing, which is resulting in the disappearance of a police presence in towns and villages that have enjoyed having strong local officers for generations, and the buildings that are left over are in dire need of repair. It is a disgrace that police officers are expected to operate from such despicable environments, especially at the end, or in the middle, of unbearably gruelling shifts on the front line.

As the motion suggests, community policing is being deliberately and relentlessly eroded. That means that impressionable young people who might be on the fence when it comes to getting involved in offending have fewer positive role models nearby who might just talk them out of a life of crime. Officers who might have been able to build positive relationships in sometimes challenging communities are simply not there any more. Pauline McNeill spoke of the increase in young people carrying knives, which is a huge concern.

The SNP’s inexplicable destruction of our police force has no winners. It leaves officers ill-equipped, underprepared and overburdened, which puts them at an unacceptable risk on the front line and leaves them more vulnerable to ill health, both physical and mental. Ultimately, it leaves communities exposed to criminals in a world in which crime is becoming less predictable and more devastating. After almost two decades of negligence, officers and the people they are charged with protecting deserve more.

Good morning. Do you anticipate there being a need for additional in-year resource funding during the rest of this financial year or in 2026-27? Given your previous answer, it sounds as though you think that there will be a need for that. Could you expand on your response?

Thank you.

The committee definitely needs to look at that a bit further.

During our pre-budget scrutiny, the COPFS explained that the requested uplift in resource funding would allow it to focus on two priorities: dealing with the consequences of the disruption to the courts following Covid-19, and making progress with and demonstrating the benefits of reform. You mentioned three priorities in your opening statement rather than two.

Are the costs of the additional business cases that you are progressing included in the £15.6 million, or how much—