Resources Committee (13 February 2025)

The formal minute of the public items of business will be available at the meeting scheduled for 13 March 2025. This will also be published on the SPA’s website. A full recording of the public items of business taken at this meeting can be accessed here.

Main Items of Business

Financial Monitoring, planning and oversight
• Q3 Financial Monitoring report
• 2025/26 Budget Update and forward planning

Benefits and Oversight of Change
• Q3 Transformational Benefits Tracker
• Q3 Change Portfolio Oversight Report

Business Case Scrutiny & Oversight
• Body Worn Video Update
• Body Worn Video Change Request

Procurement & Contract Awards
• Procurement Standing Orders – verbal update

Estates
• Lease Renewal of Ayr Police Station, Newton House, Ayr
• Lease for Fettes Fleet Workshop Replacement

Key Issues Raised

Q3 Financial Monitoring Report
Revenue
• The Committee recognised the continuing effort towards a balanced revenue budget which remains the forecast. The significant risks will continue to be managed closely in the coming weeks.
Capital
• Members focused on the continued risk that the capital budget is not fully used in the current financial year. Discussions also focused on Best Value considerations to seek assurance that spend is in line with strategic objectives and provides value for taxpayers.
• Police Scotland explained the daily capital monitoring being undertaken with finance and business leads.

2025/26 Budget Update and forward planning
• The committee discussed the draft budget and planning assumptions in detail. There remain significant risks related to the funding for increased employers National Insurance contributions.
• A key area of assurance that will be sought by this committee is whether the budget plans are aligned to the 3 Year Business Police Plan and Workforce Planning.
• The Committee welcomed an assurance that the work of the Capital Planning Task Force will support budget planning. This group is focused on the deliverability of the capital plan and addressing the barriers to capital spending.

Benefits and Oversight of Change

• The Committee is aware of continued efforts to improve benefits reporting and oversight of change reporting. Members reiterated the need for this committee to be able to understand what efficiencies have been created and utilised, how this impacts on the organisation and any interdependencies.
• It was agreed that future reporting to the committee would provide details of any projects where there has been significant variance from what was approved in the Business Case.

Procurement
• Following the annual review of the Police Scotland Procurement Standing Orders, Members heard that no changes are necessary and the document remains fit for purpose.
• An area of focus going forward for this Committee will oversight of work to build capacity in the procurement team.

Business Cases
Body Worn Video Update
• Members received assurance that the project remains on track for the Spring ‘go-live’ date with no current concerns in terms of delivery against milestones.
• The Committee was pleased to hear that end-to-end testing has been completed and formal sign off is expected to take place by the end of February.
• Beyond the 2025 roll-out, Members sought and received assurance that any officer deployed to the policing of the Commonwealth Games 2026 will be equipped with Body Worn Video.

Estates
• The Committee approved proposals for 2 leases.
• While Members sought assurance that both proposals were able to evidence appropriate due diligence and demonstrate value for money, Members were concerned that the approach to partnership working was not as effective as it could be. It was agreed that a Lessons Learned report would be considered at a future meeting to identify where ways of working and collaboration with partners could be improved.

Conclusions/ Actions Reached
Approvals
• 2024/25 Budget revisions - budget virements for additional Scottish Government funding and allocating overtime contingency.
• Changes to the Body Worn Video project from the approved Full Business Case for additional time, delay in benefit realisation and net reduction in costs.
• Approval of leases for Ayr Police Station and a replacement Fleet Workshop.

Conclusions
• Estates Lessons Learned report to be considered so that the Committee can understand if the principals of co-location and collaboration are working in practice across public sector partners.