By Keith Aitken in Edinburgh | 18 January 2013
A compromise deal is expected later today to bring an end to an embarrassing turf war between the two top figures in Scotland’s planned new national police force.
It follows weeks of disagreement between Chief Constable Stephen House and Scottish Police Authority chair Vic Emery over which post should have responsibility for finance and human resources when the new force replaces Scotland’s eight regional ones on April 1.
The two groups are meeting in Glasgow this afternoon to finalise a deal under which it is expected that the force and the quango will operate separate teams in the disputed areas, pledged to work in partnership. According to one newspaper report, House and Emery have between them spent £6,300 on legal advice about the dispute.
Tensions first became apparent last November, when House told a Scottish Parliament committee that ‘a gobsmacking major problem with the legislation’ had emerged, which left it unclear whether he or Emery would have ultimate control over important areas of staff and finance, particularly in respect of civilian staff.
Alex Salmond was forced to defend the legislation at First Minister’s Questions this week. Willie Rennie, leader of the Liberal Democrats, the only major party to oppose the reforms, accused the SPA of trying to ‘strip the chief constable of significant powers’ and said that House had requested new legislation to resolve the ambiguities.
Salmond claimed in response that the dispute was ‘a policy question’ rather than a legislative problem.
A compromise deal is expected later today to bring an end to an embarrassing turf war between the two top figures in Scotland’s planned new national police force.
It follows weeks of disagreement between Chief Constable Stephen House and Scottish Police Authority chair Vic Emery over which post should have responsibility for finance and human resources when the new force replaces Scotland’s eight regional ones on April 1.
The two groups are meeting in Glasgow this afternoon to finalise a deal under which it is expected that the force and the quango will operate separate teams in the disputed areas, pledged to work in partnership. According to one newspaper report, House and Emery have between them spent £6,300 on legal advice about the dispute.
Tensions first became apparent last November, when House told a Scottish Parliament committee that ‘a gobsmacking major problem with the legislation’ had emerged, which left it unclear whether he or Emery would have ultimate control over important areas of staff and finance, particularly in respect of civilian staff.
Alex Salmond was forced to defend the legislation at First Minister’s Questions this week. Willie Rennie, leader of the Liberal Democrats, the only major party to oppose the reforms, accused the SPA of trying to ‘strip the chief constable of significant powers’ and said that House had requested new legislation to resolve the ambiguities.
Salmond claimed in response that the dispute was ‘a policy question’ rather than a legislative problem.
