News / Police and fire centralised
SCOTLAND’S police and fire services are to be centralised under single national authorities, despite the opposition from rural areas.
On Tuesday justice minister Kenny MacAskill published the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill, which will establish the Police Service of Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Speaking in Galashiels, Mr MacAskill the changes will save £1.7 billion over 15 years.
The minister tried to assure sceptics that the link with local communities would not be severed by the new arrangement.
He said that local authorities would have to approve plans for their areas, giving more councillors a say in the way services are run locally than at present where a handful of councillors attend regional boards meetings.
“There will be a stronger connection between communities and their local police and fire and rescue services, with designated local senior officers and a statutory duty on both services to provide proper local provision,” he said.
“I expect to see the local commander and local senior officer coming before the council to explain and answer questions about police and fire services in the area.
“Our services will be independent, with no operational control from ministers but subject to parliamentary scrutiny. And our new services will be nothing without the skills and talents the workforce. Staff will transfer to the new services on the same terms and conditions.”
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