Scottish Police Authority and Scottish Government meeting: June 2026

Attendees and apologies

• Neil Gray, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Justice
• Alasdair Hay, Chair, Scottish Police Authority
• Chris Brown, Chief Executive, Scottish Police Authority
• Kerry Morgan, Deputy Director, Police Division
• Kirstin McPhee, Police Division

Items and actions

Key priorities and challenges

The Cabinet Secretary opened the meeting by emphasising the importance of developing a strong and constructive working relationship, underpinned by openness, honesty, and mutual trust.

He invited the Chair to outline the Scottish Police Authority’s (SPA) key priorities and challenges. The Chair highlighted public sector reform as a central focus, noting that Police Scotland has already undertaken significant reform but acknowledging that further progress remains necessary.

The Cabinet Secretary welcomed this focus, recognising Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as exemplars in public sector reform. He suggested arranging a meeting with Mr McKee, given his portfolio responsibility, to share lessons learned and support wider reform efforts across the public sector.

The Chair highlighted ongoing work to develop a strategic workforce plan. This aims to ensure the right balance of skills across the organisation, recognising the complexity of this challenge but its importance in enabling further reform.

Mental health and policing 

The discussion moved to the impact of mental health on policing. Both the Chair and the Cabinet Secretary agreed that the police are often not the most appropriate responders to mental health incidents. They acknowledged that officers can spend extended periods at emergency departments placing pressure on policing resources.

The Cabinet Secretary outlined the Government’s recent manifesto commitment to expand mental health services, including the provision of 24-hour support. He emphasised the importance of prevention and early intervention to reduce the escalation of mental health crises.

Trust and confidence in policing

Turning to public confidence, the Cabinet Secretary referenced recent media and public discourse, underscoring the importance of maintaining trust and confidence in policing to uphold the principle of policing by consent. The Chair agreed, noting that trust and confidence are fundamental to any successful reform agenda.

In this context, the Chair highlighted the importance of community policing and outlined the concept of a new community policing model. He also acknowledged the evolving nature of crime, with an increasing digital footprint, and stressed the need to ensure the workforce is appropriately upskilled to respond to emerging risks and harms.

HMICS Assurance Review of Conduct and Discipline

The Cabinet Secretary raised the recent HMICS Conduct report and sought assurance that its findings were being addressed robustly. The Chair confirmed that the SPA fully accepts the recommendations and is developing an action plan to address them. Progress will be monitored through the Audit and Risk Committee.