Police Scotland funding for 20mph speed limit: FOI release

Information requested

What additional resources have been made available to Police Scotland to allow them the discharge their enforcement duties relative to the 20mph limits on the more that 800 streets in Midlothian ?

What additional resources have been made available to Police Scotland to allow them the discharge their enforcement duties relative to the 20mph limits in the other 31 local authorities in Scotland ?

Response

Whilst our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested.

In 2025-26, the Scottish Government increased police funding to £1.64 billion, an increase of £90 million on 2024-25, to support police capacity and capability. I would invite you to note that the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 sets out that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland is responsible for the policing of Scotland, and is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly. The SPA is in turn accountable to Scottish Ministers.

These arrangements are in place to ensure public confidence that the police act independently, free from Ministerial interference. Therefore it is for the Chief Constable to determine Police Scotland's operational approach to policing in Scotland, including the allocation of resources to road policing.

You may wish to contact Police Scotland at foi@scotland.police.uk or by writing to:

FOI - Information Management

Police Scotland

Clyde Gateway

2 French Street

Glasgow G40 4EH

As such, I hereby provide you with formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.