Concerns about Threat to Operational Independence of Single Police Force

That the Parliament is deeply concerned about the manner in which, it believes, the operational independence of the Police Service of Scotland is being undermined; is alarmed by what it considers are unwarranted proposals put forward by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), especially those recently announced by its chair, Vic Emery, for it to take direct management and control over the finance and human resources functions of the single service; believes that control of such functions is vital to the operational independence of a chief constable and is therefore concerned by the SPA’s announcement as it believes that this directly challenges the will of the Parliament and the intentions in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, which included that the single police force would be independent of the SPA and the Scottish Government; understands that the role of the SPA, in tandem with the Scottish Government, is to deliver an effective system of governance and accountability; is disappointed that, despite what it understands have been repeated reassurances, that a democratic element of accountability and governance would be delivered in place of a Scottish police commission, there has been no indication of an ad-hoc parliamentary committee being constituted to oversee the development of the structure of the new service and the important relationships between the new service, the SPA, the Scottish Government and other organisations in the early years to ensure that the spirit of the Parliament’s intention is respected; is deeply concerned about what it understands is the growing disquiet caused by the SPA’s proposals, and calls on the Scottish Government to respond and take action to curb what it believes is this threat to the operational independence of the new single force.