Police Scotland and Scottish Government meeting: January 2026

Attendees and apologies

• Angela Constance MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs  
• Jo Farrell, Chief Constable, Police Scotland  
• Alan Speirs, Deputy Chief Constable, Police Scotland   
• Kerry Morgan, Deputy Director, Police Division, Scottish Government  
• Lynsey McKean, Police Division, Scottish Government   

Items and actions

Budget

The Cabinet Secretary opened the discussion by providing an overview of the context and challenges surrounding this year’s budget process, noting the difficult financial decisions that had been required across government. She invited the Chief Constable to share her initial reflections on the settlement for policing. 

The Chief Constable welcomed the cash terms uplift to revenue funding and the capital allocation. She felt that the budget was manageable, but some difficult decisions will be required in the year ahead. The Chief Constable confirmed that Police Scotland would continue to work closely with the Scottish Police Authority and the Scottish Government to fully understand the implications of the budget and to develop sustainable plans for 2026–27.  

The Cabinet Secretary acknowledged the Chief Constable’s position and reiterated her appreciation of the pressures Police Scotland is managing. She emphasised the importance of continued close engagement as Police Scotland progresses its planning for the 2026–27 budget and as both organisations work together to ensure funding decisions support operational priorities and public safety. 

Child sexual abuse and exploitation   

The Chief Constable provided an update on Police Scotland’s approach to the review of cases involving group-based offending. She confirmed that the additional funding allocated through the Scottish budget will enable dedicated resource to be allocated to this work. This enhanced resourcing will support a comprehensive review process and allow for clear coordination of activity across relevant parts of the organisation to manage both the complexity and sensitivity of these cases. 

Both the Cabinet Secretary and the Chief Constable reflected positively on the MSP briefing event on group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation, that took place the previous day. They agreed that this style of engagement is the most desirable and effective approach for maintaining constructive relationships and ensuring ongoing confidence in the programme of work. 

Live Facial Recognition 

The Chief Constable provided an update on Police Scotland’s consideration of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology and confirmed that the position remains unchanged: no decision has yet been taken on whether to proceed with deployment. She explained that Police Scotland is continuing to explore the most appropriate approach to assessing the potential use of the technology, including how it might operate in practice, the safeguards that would be required, and the implications for public confidence and privacy. 

The Chief Constable noted that this remains an area of careful and ongoing development within the organisation and emphasised the importance of ensuring any future proposals are informed by a robust assessment and clear evidence base. She committed to bringing a substantive update to the Cabinet Secretary at their next meeting, once further internal work has been undertaken. 

Prison population 

The Cabinet Secretary thanked the Chief Constable for her attendance at the recent meeting chaired by the First Minister on projected prison population levels for 2026. She set out the pressures facing the prison estate and emphasised the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensuring Scotland maintains a safe and sustainable prison population. 

The Chief Constable reaffirmed Police Scotland’s commitment to close collaboration with partners as the system moves towards new ways of operating. 

Marinera 

DCC Speirs provided an operational update on the situation involving the Marinera oil tanker currently anchored in the Moray Firth. He confirmed that there is no operational role for Police Scotland at this stage. However, he advised that the force would continue to monitor developments closely and maintain liaison with the relevant authorities to ensure clear understanding of any potential future requirements for Police Scotland as the situation progresses.