Public appointment: Chair appointed to the Scottish Police Authority Board

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Neil Gray MSP, today announced the appointment of Alasdair Hay CBE QFSM as Chair of the Scottish Police Authority.

Chair

Alasdair Hay joined the Authority in April 2021 and was appointed Vice Chair in April 2025. His career spans more than 40 years in Fire and Rescue and he is passionate about and dedicated to delivering high quality public services. Alasdair was appointed as the Chief Officer of the new national Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in August 2012, retiring in March 2019, having successfully delivered the intended benefits of fire reform. Beyond this, he is a trustee of two charities: The Fire Service Research and Training Trust, and the Dow Memorial Trust. These help to provide financial support for research into firefighting techniques and medical/dental students at Dundee University, respectively.

Appointment

The appointment is for four years and runs from 30 March 2026 and ending on 29 March 2030.

The appointment is regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

Remuneration and time commitment

The appointment attracts remuneration of £545.00 per day for a time commitment of 15  days per month.

Other Ministerial appointments

Mr Hay does not hold any other public appointments.

Political activity

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.  However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.

Mr Hay has had no political activity within the last five years.

Background

The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 created the Authority to:

•    maintain the Police Service
•    promote the policing principles set out in the 2012 Act
•    promote and support continuous improvement in the policing of Scotland
•    keep under review the policing of Scotland
•    hold the Chief Constable to account for the policing of Scotland.

The Authority consists of a Board of up to 15 non‐executive public appointees from a range of professional backgrounds and experiences. The Board is supported by an Executive team of circa 50 staff. The Authority’s Chief Executive is the principal adviser to the Board and the Accountable Officer to the Scottish Parliament for the £1.64 billion police budget. 

The Authority is also responsible for Scotland’s 590 strong crime scene‐to‐court forensic service and for maintaining a network of volunteer independent custody visitor who monitor the welfare of people detained in custody in Scotland.

The Scottish Police Authority also appoints all Police Scotland senior officers (Assistant Chief Constable and above). The Authority also assesses complaint and conduct issues related to senior officers.