The Police and Fire and Rescue Service are vital local services and are a key part of the local government family.
On 12 January 2011 the Cabinet Secretary for Justice announced that the Scottish Government was to go out to consultation on the Future of Policing and the Future of Fire and Rescue Services in Scotland. The consultations were launched on 10 February 2011. In each case, the consultation sets out 3 options for the future delivery of Police and Fire: the existing arrangements plus enhancements, a regional model (i.e. 3 or 4 service areas) and a single service model. During the announcement, in the consultation document and in all press coverage and meetings since, the Cabinet Secretary sets out the Scottish Government's position – that there are "compelling arguments for single service models". It is for others to provide evidence that options other than the single model option are "the best" for Scotland. The consultation period runs for 12 weeks and close on 5 May 2011.
In order to inform the COSLA position and respond to the consultation there was a number of elected member discussion sessions including the January meeting of the COSLA Community Safety Executive Group focused around reform of Police and Fire and Rescue, a further session was held on the 4th April 2011 where all Executive Group and police and fire board members were invited to participate. COSLA officers have also engaged with boards, conveners, constituent councils, police and fire and rescue professional associations and both services.
On 7 September 2011, the First Minister announced formally that his Government would legislate for single police and fire and rescue services. The First Minister stated that this reform "will protect and improve local services .... keep communities safer with more equitable access to specialist support and national capacity when and where it is needed across Scotland .... strengthen the connection between services and the communities they serve, enabling closer integration with community planning partners and delivering greater local democratic scrutiny and engagement, and achieving better outcomes for communities."
On 8 September, Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice followed up the FM's announcement with a Ministerial Statement on police and fire reform. The Scottish Government intends to introduce the Police and Fire Reform Bill early in 2012, to be passed into statute by summer 2012 with the new single police and fire services up and running by autumn 2013. Coinciding with the Cabinet Secretary's statement, a consultation paper on police and fire and rescue services reform was issued, together with outline business cases for each. The consultation closed on 2 November 2011.
The Scottish Government Consultation Paper includes draft structures and provides the Government's conclusions on the future role of Scottish Ministers, the national board ("Scottish Police Authority"), the Chief Constable, local authorities, local commanders and the Scottish Parliament. There is similar detail for Fire and Rescue. There is scope within the paper to comment on the governance and accountability at both a national and local level for both policing and fire.
At the September COSLA Leaders meeting Leaders agreed that the Community Safety and Community Wellbeing and Safety Executive Groups draft a response to the consultation and potential model that ensures Local Government's continued leading involvement in both local policing and fire.
In order to inform the response a consultation event was held, the response was discussed at the Community Safety Executive Group and approved by full COSLA Convention.
The response focuses on three key areas:
· Maintaining meaningful and influential Local Government interest in the new structures;
· Protecting local multi-agency working;
· and transition.
Below are copies of the full COSLA responses to date:
May 2011 - Police Consultation Response (Word Document - 124k)
May 2011 - Fire and Rescue Services Response (Word Document - 110k)
Nov 2011 - COSLA Final Response to "Keeping Scotland Safe and Strong" (Word Document - 139k)