MSPs to review Police and Fire Reform Act five years on

Holyrood’s Justice Committee is calling for views on the legislation that created Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, five years after the single national services came into being.

The committee will scrutinise the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, one of the most significant pieces of legislation since devolution. In particular, it is interested in whether the original aims of the Act – protecting and improving services, equalising access to specialist support and strengthening connections between services and communities – have been met. It will look to see whether there are parts which could be improved, as well as looking at areas where it is working well.

MSPs are planning to engage with the organisations created by the Act, as well as those who closely interact with them. Their inquiry will take in Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the Scottish Police Authority, the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland.

Committee convener Margaret Mitchell MSP commented: "The last five years have been a period of unprecedented change in our fire and police services. While undoubtedly there are examples of resilience and partnership working, there have also been some problem areas identified since the mergers.

"In particular, the committee is keen to establish whether the issues faced by the services are to be expected as ‘teething problems’ or whether legislative changes are needed after five years."

Click here to view the call for evidence. Submissions are due by Thursday 24 May.