Deacon appointed to chair Scottish Police Authority

Susan Deacon has been appointed to chair the board of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), following the resignation of Andrew Flanagan.

Mr Flanagan announced his intention to step down following criticism of his mamagement style and of a lack of openness at the body which has oversight of Police Scotland.

Professor Deacon served as an MSP from 1999 to 2007 and was Scotland’s first Cabinet Minister for Health and Community Care following devolution. She has since held a range of board positions and has contributed to governance and policy reviews in various areas of Scottish public life. She was awarded a CBE for services to business, education and public service in 2017.

She takes up post on 4 December 2017 for a four year term.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson commented on making the announcement: "I am delighted to appoint Susan Deacon to the important and high profile role of chair of the SPA. As a former parliamentarian and minister with considerable experience in high profile board posts, she will bring a fresh perspective to the governance of Scottish policing.

"While this is a challenging role, I fully expect her to bring strong leadership and relationship building skills and fully engage with the wide range of parties with an interest in policing.

"Her role will now be to work closely with the SPA board and Police Scotland’s senior leadership team to ensure the police service continues to deliver the benefits of reform."

Professor Deacon responded: "The issues facing the SPA have been well documented and there is much to be learned from what has gone before, but my focus now is on the future.

"Policing is one of our nation’s most important public services, and I look forward to working with colleagues in the SPA and in Police Scotland in addressing the challenges and opportunities ahead.

"The SPA has a critical role in overseeing Police Scotland and ensuring that our police service develops and adapts to meet the needs of a changing world. Building trust, confidence and relationships is key and that will be a focus of my efforts from the outset."