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Reform of the Police and Fire and Rescue Services
2:04 pm

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Photo of Kenny MacAskill

Kenny MacAskill (Scottish National Party)

We do not support the proposed elected commissioners, which all ranks of the police service uniformly oppose. We do not seek to replicate that proposal.

That said, I welcome and agree with John Lamont's point that the nub of the debate on the police is accountability and fears of centralisation. How do we ensure that areas do not lose services? How do we prevent power from going to the centre and retain it at the grass roots? The deputy chief constable whom I mentioned has contributed significantly to the debate. As has been mentioned, opportunities exist in relation to the fire service, which could be replicated, as the deputy chief constable has said. Local authorities could have their own police and fire boards, of which every councillor could be a member. That would allow every councillor to have an influence, unlike the current position, in which seven out of eight of our councillors are not members of such boards.

John Lamont is correct to flag up that the issue is accountability. We accept that there is a strong case for one force and that the understandable doubts that remain will have to be overcome. We know that legitimacy would otherwise be given to other options.

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