ALLAN: POLICE AND FIRE REFORM BILL A CHANCE FOR LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Western Isles MSP, Alasdair Allan, has welcomed the passing yesterday by the Scottish Parliament of the Police and Fire Reform Bill. This Bill will create Scottish national Police and Fire services.

Dr Allan has asked Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill, to confirm arrangements for a new local Police and Fire committee for the Western Isles.

Alasdair Allan commented:

“The changes which parliament made yesterday offer the opportunity to provide real local democratic accountability for Police and Fire Services in the islands. Until now a single police authority has covered the whole of the north of Scotland, with only four elected representatives from the Western Isles involved.

“Now we have a chance for all the islands’ local elected representatives to have more direct voice, via a Western Isles committee, and ensure that the public in the islands continue to have outstanding emergency services.

“At a time when the UK Government has slashed Scotland’s budget, we have to focus public spending on frontline services. If we are to continue to maintain current levels of service in the islands we have to reconsider whether Scotland needs eight police headquarters and eight fire service headquarters with the administration costs these entail.

“At the same time, however, we now have a change to make democratic oversight of these services much more genuinely local. I am hopeful we will now see this in the islands.”

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