Implications

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The Home Office have been granted approval to continue the Programme by the UK Government Major Projects Review Group. The approval is conditional upon the delivery of a Programme Business Case. This is expected to be available for review in later 2023 and progress through governance in early 2024. Until this Business Case is provided, the whole costs for ESN, to account for the programme changes, will not be known. Therefore, it is difficult to fully assess costs for ESN. However, financial oversight of the Programme remains strong through engagement with Scottish Government and Police Scotland Finance Department.

Costs for ESN fall into two main areas:

Core Costs – representing those costs necessary to create, maintain and manage the network that will be managed centrally for user organisations, such as Police Scotland;

Non-Core Costs – representing the costs of connecting to and using the network, including device purchases, connection, data and call charges.

The Scottish Government is responsible for the provision of core costs to the Home Office.  Currently, Scottish Government also provide funding to Police Scotland and the other Scottish services to cover non-core costs associated with the transition to ESN. This is subject to the annual spending review as these funds are sourced from the overall Scottish Government grant and their competing priorities.

Competition and Markets Authority Investigation - Airwave

In April 2023 the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), published a report concluding that Motorola, which operates the Airwave network, appears to be able to charge the Home Office (which represents the emergency services) prices well above competitive levels, resulting in higher costs. The CMA has therefore outlined a set of proposed changes to limit the price that Motorola can charge to a level that would apply in a well-functioning, competitive market.  The impact of the CMA’s decision on the Home Office and other Airwave user organisations for payments already made and for those due in the future until transition to ESN is under assessment.

PERSONNEL IMPLICATIONS

The resource profile attached to the project is detailed in paragraph 2.1 above.  The future resourcing needs of the project will be kept under review once the Full Business Case is approved and an increase in activity is required to support transition.

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no legal (including procurement) issues directly for Police Scotland at this time.  Related issues referenced in this report are being managed by the Programme with updates provided to Police Scotland as necessary.

REPUTATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no reputational implications for Police Scotland at this time.  Despite the delays, Airwave will remain an available and resilient system until transition to ESN.  The system will continue to be supported by the supplier to ensure critical operational communications is maintained.