Update

Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill

The Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee is currently considering Stage 1 of the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) Bill. The Committee is taking evidence from key stakeholders and the public to gather view on the changes proposed to the complaints and conduct system.

The Bill was developed in response to recommendations made by Lady Elish Angiolini’s 2020 Independent Review of complaints handling, investigations and misconduct in relation to policing.

The Bill proposes a number of changes including requiring the police to have a code of ethics; changes relating to the handling of police conduct, increasing the functions of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner and introducing an advisory board for the Commissioner.

The Authority set out its views about the Bill in response to a Scottish Government consultation in December 2023. This was supported by an additional written submission in the same month.

A request for additional information to aid the committee’s considerations in relation to the oversight of the Authority’s Complaints and Conduct Committee and an update against Lady Elish Angiolini’s recommendations was responded to in early May. This has been published on the Authority’s website.

The Authority has been invited to attend and give evidence to the Criminal Justice Committee on Wednesday 22 May 2024. Fiona McQueen, Vice Chair, Katharina Kasper, Chair of our Complaints and Conduct Committee and Robin Johnston, Head of Legal will attend to represent the Authority.

Parliamentary Correspondence

On 19 April 2024, the Authority received a request from the Criminal Justice Committee for about the Authority’s oversight of health and safety arrangements and of covert policing. I responded on behalf of the Authority on 4 May and this has been published on the Authority’s website. A report on Covert Policing Assurance is tabled for discussion at the Authority’s meeting (item 10).

HMICS Strategic Review of the Scottish Police Authority

The Authority has now received a draft of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland’s (HMICS) Strategic Review of the Scottish Police Authority. The aim of this review is to assess the state, efficiency and effectiveness of the Authority in fulfilling our core role and meeting statutory obligations.

This strategic review took a proportionate format of validated self-evaluation process following the more detailed thematic review conducted in 2019. Analysis of documentation, interviews and observations also supported the review.

The Corporate team is reviewing the draft report for any matters of factual accuracy. The report requires to be laid by HMICS in Parliament before publication.

I want to extend my thanks to HMICS’s Review team and the Authority’s Corporate team who have supported this work.

Deputy Chief Officer

On Wednesday 1 May 2024, I confirmed that David Page, former Deputy Chief Officer, had left Police Scotland after eight years’ service.

Mr Page exited the organisation under terms consistent with the current approved Voluntary Redundancy/Voluntary Early Retirement Scheme.

Mental Health, Policing and Vulnerability

I reported at the last meeting of the Authority on work underway to deliver a series of local workshops with NHS Boards on identifying of local good practice which could be shared nationally. All three workshops have concluded and learning from these will inform next steps and a series of partnership commitments being coordinated through the Mental Health Distress and Policing Partnership Delivery group. Aligned to this work, Authority Member Fiona McQueen and Authority staff participated in the third of a series of Mental Health Unscheduled Care workshops in Tulliallan on Tuesday 7 May 2024. This work will develop a range of options, using identified local good practice, for implementing consistent principles across Scotland for responding to the needs of those in mental health distress.