Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service retirement statistics: FOI Review

Information requested

Original Request 202500490509

Under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) I request the following recorded information held by the SPPA for the period 1 January 2015 to the most recent full year:

1) For each financial year (e.g., 2015/16, 2016/17, etc.) and separately for (a) police officers and (b) firefighters:
a. The number of officers/firefighters who retired on ill-health grounds.
b. The number of officers/firefighters who were granted injury-on-duty awards (or equivalent injury benefit) and retired as a result of injury.
c. Of those in (b), the number whose payment commencement was delayed or suspended because of consideration of the McCloud/Sargeant pension remedy (or any internal delay linked to the remedy).
d. Of those in (b), the number who have been issued a “Remediable Service Statement” (or equivalent document) in respect of the McCloud/Sargeant remedy.

2) Please provide the definitions used for each category (ill-health retirement, injury award, delayed payment due to McCloud).

3) If any of the above data are not held exactly in the form requested, please provide them in the closest available format and explain any differences.If any part of the information is exempt, please specify the exemption(s) and provide reasons including any public interest  test applied.

Response

I have now completed my review of your original FOI request (case reference 202500490509) under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) for:

Under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) I request the following recorded information held by the SPPA for the period 1 January 2015 to the most recent full year:

​​​​​​​1. For each financial year (e.g., 2015/16, 2016/17, etc.) and separately for (a) police officers and (b) firefighters:

​​​​​​​a). The number of officers/firefighters who retired on ill-health grounds.
b).The number of officers/firefighters who were granted injury-on-duty awards (or equivalent injury benefit) and retired as a result of injury.
c). Of those in (b), the number whose payment commencement was delayed or suspended because of consideration of the McCloud/Sargeant pension remedy (or any internal delay linked to the remedy).
d). Of those in (b), the number who have been issued a “Remediable Service Statement” (or equivalent document) in respect of the McCloud/Sargeant remedy.

​​​​​​​2. Please provide the definitions used for each category (ill-health retirement, injury award, delayed payment due to McCloud).

​​​​​​​3. If any of the above data are not held exactly in the form requested, please provide them in the closest available format and explain any differences.

You asked for a review of questions 1 (parts b, c and d), 2 and 3.

In respect to your review request, I have concluded that our original response should be confirmed with modifications.

Taking each question in turn, your original request asked for:

1. For each financial year (e.g., 2015/16, 2016/17, etc.) and separately for (a) police officers and (b) firefighters:

b) The number of officers/firefighters who were granted injury-on-duty awards (or equivalent injury benefit) and retired as a result of injury.
I have reviewed our original response and concluded that a different response should be substituted. This information is held by SPPA and I have provided the requested information in the table below. I would like to apologise for this inaccuracy.

Total Injury On Duty Award Retirements
	Police	Fire	Total
2015/16	37	8	45
2026/17	43	2	45
2017/18	39	4	43
2018/19	46	6	52
2019/20	29	4	33
2020/21	13	4	17
2021/22	16	0	16
2022/23	30	1	31
2023/24	36	6	42
2024/25	21	0	21
Total	310	35	345

c) Of those in (b), the number whose payment commencement was delayed or suspended because of consideration of the McCloud/Sargeant pension remedy (or any internal delay linked to the remedy).
I have reviewed the original case file and I am satisfied that our original response to your original question is accurate, though I would like to supplement this response for greater clarity. There were no (zero) payments delayed or suspended. This is because the members in scope of the request have been retired and paid Injury on Duty (IoD) on the basis of their original pension award.
The IoD award will be re-calculated once the member makes an ‘immediate choice’ under the McCloud Remedy and the revised pension begins to be paid. On that basis that the answer is zero.

d) Of those in (b), the number who have been issued a “Remediable Service Statement” (or equivalent document) in respect of the McCloud/Sargeant remedy.
Our response to your original question is accurate. The information provided as at 03/11/25 details the number of police officers who have been granted Injury on Duty Awards (as detailed in 1(b)) and have also been issued a Remediable Service Statement.
Zero statements have been issued to Firefighters.

2. Please provide the definitions used for each category (ill-health retirement, injury award, delayed payment due to McCloud).

My review finds that a definition of the term Ill-health retirement is published upon the SPPA website which can be found via the following link:

https://pensions.gov.scot/glossary
​​​​​​​I am satisfied that definitions relevant to the terms ill health retirements and injury award are accessible via the legislative links provided within the original response which contain either a glossary of expressions or an interpretation of provisions which are used operationally. On that basis it is appropriate to apply exemption section 25(1) – Information otherwise accessible.

The Police (Injury Benefit) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (Schedule 1, Glossary of Expressions)
The Firefighters' Compensation Scheme (Scotland) Order 2006 (Schedule 1, Part 1, paragraph 2 General Provisions)
Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 (Part 1, Chapter 1, Interpretation, Sections 33-38)

For the cited category of delayed payment due to McCloud we do not use this category and consequently we do not hold a definition, nor is that available with the links provided. This is a formal notification under section 17(1) of FOISA that this information is not held.

3. If any of the above data are not held exactly in the form requested, please provide them in the closest available format and explain any differences. If any part of the information is exempt, please specify the exemption(s) and provide reasons including any public interest test applied.

This is not a request for recorded information separate to questions 1 and 2. It asks for the same information as requested at parts 1 and 2 if we are unable to provide it in exactly the format requested. Where possible we have provided the information requested in the format requested, and explained where necessary why exemptions apply (please see response to question 2 where the exemption at section 25(1) of FOISA has been applied) or where information is not held so cannot be provided in any format. There is no public interest test to be considered when applying section 25(1).​​​​​​​

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