Police from eight Scottish forces will be merged into a single unit

JUSTICE Secretary Kenny MacAskill has revealed that he did not want to merge Scotland’s eight police forces into a single national service – but believed his hand was forced by Westminister cuts.

Opposition parties warned the changes are being rushed through and could see costs rise in the long run.

MSPs last night endorsed legislation which will see the creation of a new national police force, as well as a single fire service for Scotland.

Mr MacAskill said he had not initially backed merging Scotland’s eight police forces and eight fire and rescue services into single units, but Westminster cuts had made it a “necessity”.

“I’ve always been quite clear that I actually came into situ having not been advocating for a single service, but the budget cuts (have made it) a necessity,” Mr MacAskill told MSPs yesterday.

“On that basis, on discussion with those involved in the services, we have taken the view that we should make a virtue out of a necessity.

“We have to change to be able to deal with the fundamental cuts that are coming from Westminster, but as we change we should take the opportunity to make sure that we provide the best possible service, and that we improve and enhance what already are outstanding services.”

Opponents fear too much power over policing will be placed in the hands of government ministers when the changes come into effect next April.

Labour justice spokesman Lewis Macdonald said: “There are very real concerns that this is being done in too much of a hurry. In an attempt to get early savings, we may end up with fewer savings in the long run.

“So far the Scottish Parliament has only seen outline business cases for the new services and Kenny MacAskill has been forced to admit the full business cases will not be prepared before the bill is passed. That is the wrong way round.”

Despite these concerns, Labour backed the bill. The chief officers of the new forces and chairs of their governing boards will be in place by the autumn to aid the transition.

Officials are still negotiating with the Treasury to avoid a £30 million VAT bill on the new single force, Mr MacAskill said.

He said: “While we costed reform on such a ‘worst-case scenario’, it would be a travesty if some of the potential benefits of those reforms were to be lost in this way.”

Scottish Liberal Democrats opposed the changes, with the party justice spokeswoman Alison McInnes warning it would risk the future of the services.

She said: “We have serious concerns over accountability, local control and political independence. Rather than being presented with a golden opportunity to modernise our emergency services, we are being pushed towards a centralised, politicised future that will ultimately be to the detriment of local services.”