Scottish Police Authority, Police Scotland and Scottish Government meeting: December 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Angela Constance MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs
• Fiona McQueen, Chair, Scottish Police Authority
• Jo Farrell, Chief Constable, Police Scotland 
• Alan Speirs, Deputy Chief Constable, Police Scotland
• Kerry Morgan, Deputy Director, Police Division, Scottish Government
• Clare McLachlan, Police Division, Scottish Government 

Items and actions

Budget

The Cabinet Secretary acknowledged Police Scotland’s concerns regarding the budget. Emphasising her commitment, she provided assurance that she remains focused on securing the best possible outcome.

The Chief Constable outlined the operational pressures currently facing the service and sought clarification on the implications of ongoing work related to the response to child sexual abuse and exploitation. In response, the Cabinet Secretary recognised this as an emerging priority and noted that the matter would be addressed further during a parliamentary debate scheduled later that day.

Misogyny

The Cabinet Secretary reflected on concerns raised by unions and stressed the importance of cultural change. The Chief Constable outlined progress, including embedding misogyny work and developing a cultural dashboard to monitor staff experience. She reported positive findings from recent surveys. The Cabinet Secretary welcomed these developments and emphasised tackling everyday behaviours. The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) Chair confirmed confidence in Police Scotland’s approach and highlighted the dashboard’s value, while the Chief Constable noted that cultural indicators compare favourably with England and Wales.

Complaints handling

The Cabinet Secretary raised concerns about complaint resolution times and the Chief Constable highlighted the statutory requirement for face-to-face engagement, which contributes to backlogs. Police Scotland explained that while volumes are stable, resolving complaints to public satisfaction is increasingly challenging. The Cabinet Secretary questioned whether alternative models could improve efficiency. The SPA Chair highlighted the current system could benefit from reform and suggested that lessons could be learned from organisations that have already taken such steps. The Cabinet Secretary committed to exploring options with officials.

Conduct regulations 

The Chief Constable raised the ongoing reform of misconduct proceedings, noting that equal representation of arms remains a critical issue for Police Scotland. She requested the Cabinet Secretary to consider what progress could realistically be achieved prior to the 2026 election. 

In response, the Cabinet Secretary acknowledged the complexity of the issue and emphasised that any changes must go through parliamentary scrutiny and have support. She referred to recent discussions at the Scottish Police Consultative Forum (SPCF), noting that stakeholders, including Police Scotland and the SPA agreed further work was required necessitating a delay. The Cabinet Secretary committed to further discuss with officials.

The Chief Constable reaffirmed her strategic concerns, highlighting the operational challenges posed by the current framework. The Cabinet Secretary concluded by stressing her commitment to continued engagement and further discussion to explore practical options.

Mental health and policing

The Cabinet Secretary also asked about work being undertaken across partners to provide support for people in the community experiencing mental health distress or crisis. Both the Chief Constable and the SPA Chair supported the need for cross sector collaboration to deliver sustainable improvements, noting that the coming year would be pivotal in establishing the required engagement across the health and social care sector. The Cabinet Secretary highlighted ongoing work within the Scottish Government to support these ambitions, referencing Cabinet level commitment under health, and local government and finance portfolios.

Operation Leste / protests

The Chief Constable provided an update on the continuing protests, outlining the sustained pressures being placed on policing capacity and briefing on the mitigations currently in place to manage these challenges. She noted that demand on resources remains significant. Her concerns were shared by the SPA Chair.

The Cabinet Secretary acknowledged these challenges and confirmed her commitment to maintaining close dialogue with Police Scotland to monitor and manage pressures effectively.