Lothian and Borders Police (Meetings)

Justice and Law Officers – in the Scottish Parliament at 3:11 pm on 5 May 2010.

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Photo of Kenny MacAskill Kenny MacAskill Scottish National Party

I met Chief Constable David Strang on 12 April at the latest meeting of the Scottish policing board, where a number of issues of importance to policing in Scotland were discussed. I will be meeting him for a private discussion, as I mentioned to Mr Baker, later this month.

Photo of Rhona Brankin Rhona Brankin Labour

When the cabinet secretary had his meeting, did he discuss the prospect of voluntary redundancy being offered to members of Lothian and Borders Police's 1,400-strong civilian staff, who support front-line officers? Many of them work in the force's communications centre at Bilston Glen in my constituency. Is the situation not a direct consequence of cuts to the Lothian and Borders Police budget imposed by the Scottish National Party Government? As cutting civilian staff means that police officers will have to come off the beat to do the jobs of the civilian staff, surely the SNP pledge on police numbers is now exposed as utterly meaningless.

Photo of Kenny MacAskill Kenny MacAskill Scottish National Party

There are no cuts to the police budget. Ms Brankin should know that. Equally, any operational decisions involving Bilston—I have visited the control centre there—are matters for the chief constable, for which he will be held to account by the police board convener. Indeed, I will meet the police board conveners shortly.

I reiterate that Lothian and Borders Police does excellent work. That is why we have the lowest homicide rate in the city of Edinburgh—indeed, in the whole of Lothian and Borders—for 20 years. We also have the lowest recorded crime rate in Scotland for a generation.