Police and Fire Reform

The Scottish Government will bring forward legislation to create a single Scottish Police Service and a Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, merging the existing area forces.

Although the government has still to publish a consultation document seeking views on how the single services will work in detail, the bill is one of the SNP administration’s flagship pieces of legislation.

Ministers say the move will lead to a “safer and stronger Scotland”, with the justice secretary Kenny MacAskill set to spell out more details today.

The government also hopes the move will lead to savings in public finance, although the exact figures are not yet clear.

Despite the creation of single police and fire services for Scotland, ministers insist that the reform will improve local services and strengthen links with communities by creating “a strong formal relationship between each of our 32 councils and the services”.

The Scottish Government says the reforms are in accordance with the principles set out by the Christie Commission, a body set up by the SNP government to look at public-sector reform.