Police Negotiating Board for Scotland: annual report 2025

Technical Working Group (TWG)

The PNBS Technical Working Group (TWG) delivered substantial progress across pay implementation, regulatory updates and a review of the PNBS police officer handbook in 2025.

Key outputs included the drafting and publication of PNBS circulars and clarification of regulatory entitlements on issues such as recall to duty, rest day disruption, travel expenses and overnight allowances.

Both Sides recognise the important work of the TWG and value of its members, not only in terms of negotiations but in interpreting and understanding the regulations and how they are to be applied.

Pay implementation

In February 2025, members facilitated the implementation of the 2024/25 pay agreement at pace, resulting in the rapid publication of the following circulars which ensured officers received the pay in their March salary:

PNBS Circular 2025-01 - federated ranks pay

PNBS Circular 2025-02 - superintending ranks pay

PNBS Circular 2025-03 - senior officers pay

PNBS Circular 2025-04 - allowances

The police officer pay agreement for 2025/26 and 2026/27 was reached in August 2025. TWG members worked collaboratively and quickly to draft, publish and implement the terms of the agreement contained within the following circulars:

PNBS Circular 2025-09 - pay agreement

PNBS Circular 2025-10 - federated ranks pay

PNBS Circular 2025-11 - superintending ranks pay

PNBS Circular 2025-12 - senior officers pay

PNBS Circular 2025-13 - allowances

Regulatory updates

The Sides reached agreement through the TWG on Family Friendly provisions including:

• Enhancement to statutory neonatal care leave and pay
• Extension of two weeks parental bereavement leave to cover losses of up to 24 weeks pregnant

Members recognised the significance of this and the work and commitment on all sides to reach agreement. The group collaborated to implement the agreements, including the drafting of the following outstanding circulars:

PNBS Circular 2025-05 - islands allowance and island expenses

PNBS Circular 2025-06 - parental bereavement leave

PNBS Circular 2025-07 - maternity and adoption support leave

PNBS Circular 2025-08 - family friendly provisions

TWG meetings

Two TWG meetings were held in the reporting period. These meetings took place on:

• 20 June 2025
• 6 November 2025

Due to pay negotiations and the arbitration process there were no TWG meetings held in the first period of 2025. However, as described above, this did not prevent members making progress on key areas and issues.

Regulations and determinations

Following the introduction of the Police Service of Scotland (Amendment) Regulations 2024, work was undertaken to update police determinations, with the aim of having an amended set of determinations that takes account of PNBS agreements since 2014.

The PNBS Sides were consulted on draft determinations in October 2025, and Scottish Ministers will consider the consultation responses before publishing an amended set of determinations.

Pay and allowances determinations for 2025/26 were also sent to the Sides for consultation in November 2025, and these will form part of the updated set.