Chamber and committees

In line with good practice, the security and intelligence agency would be independent of, but work extremely closely with, Scotland's single police service, Police Scotland. There is already a long track record of close co-operation between the UK security services and the police in Scotland and this would continue to be the case with the security and intelligence agency.

That close co-operation with agencies such as Police Scotland, other law enforcement bodies and the Scottish Government would help the security and intelligence agency, and the Scottish Government, to discharge their responsibilities to protect the security of Scotland, its citizens and its interests.

As indicated in Scotland’s Future, the exact size of a security and intelligence agency will be determined by the risks and threats that Scotland face. In the early years we will make a significant level of investment in appropriately resourcing the agency.

Ensuring that Scotland is secure will be the primary responsibility of the Scottish Government, and the investment made in the agency, and our approach to recruitment and retention, will reflect that.

An independent Scotland will be able to take a strategic approach to national security, underpinned by effective planning and investment across government. This will ensure appropriate responses to a range of identified threats.

Police Scotland currently investigates serious organised crime in Scotland and liaise with the National Crime Agency as required. As indicated in Scotland's Future, it will be in the interests of all agencies involved in combatting serious organised crime to continue this practical co-operation following independence.

Independence offers an opportunity to build a new model for security and intelligence, which is fit for the 21st century and which provides a proportionate means of ensuring Scotland's national security. Setting up a new agency and government structure will allow us to do things differently, unconstrained by historical structures and precedent, and avoiding any barriers between different agencies or departments. Ensuring that Scotland is secure will be the primary responsibility of the Scottish Government, and an independent Scotland will be able to take a strategic approach to national security, underpinned by effective planning and investment made across government will reflect that.

Scotland has a substantial existing capital stake in intelligence assets from our investment in the UK intelligence infrastructure. We would expect this investment to be recognised in the arrangements that are agreed with the UK as part of the independence settlement.

As set out in Scotland’s Future, the units of the Scottish army will carry on the names, identities and traditions of Scotland’s regiments, including those lost in the defence reorganisation of 2006.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-21076 on 22 May 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The transition to independence provides a significant opportunity to improve and invest in public service delivery in Scotland.

Scottish taxpayers already contribute to UK expenditure on reserved functions. The elected government of an independent Scotland will have control over all public expenditure in Scotland and will be able to take spending decisions which reflect the priorities and needs of a Scottish security vetting service.

The size of the one off investment in systems and processes as a result of the transition to independence will be a small proportion of an independent Scotland’s total budget. Further information is available on page 345 of Scotland’s Future –Your Guide to an Independent Scotland.

The Scottish Government wrote to the Scottish Police Authority on 13 March 2014 to confirm that they were content for budgetary planning purposes for policing to include estimates of anticipated receipts from the proceeds of crime within revenue budgets for 2014-15 and 2015-16.

The Scottish Government has not currently allocated any money seized under the proceeds of crime legislation to support the budget of Police Scotland or the Scottish Police Authority in 2014-15 or 2015-16.

The criteria for allocation of money seized under proceeds of crime legislation were agreed by the Serious Organised Crime Task Force and are; (1) additional funding for CashBack for Communities; (2) funding to Police Scotland and the Crown Office for enhanced recovery of Proceeds of Crime Act receipts; and (3) other projects, which may include community projects.

The Task Force agreed that, should additional proceeds of crime funding become available, it will advise Scottish Ministers on the options of how to allocate the money; options may include proposals from Police Scotland and other stakeholders for community-based projects.