The Scottish Government will bring forward legislation to reform Scotland's police and fire & rescue services, to continue building a safer and stronger Scotland.
Reform will maintain and build on the success of Scotland's police and fire & rescue services, and modernise and simplify outdated structures which no longer align with the rest of the public sector.
As well as strengthening the links between the services and the communities they serve, reform will also provide clearer national governance.
Key proposals of the Bill include:
- Creating a Scottish Police Service and a Scottish Fire & Rescue Service
- Sustaining and improving local services and strengthening links with communities by creating a strong formal relationship between each of our 32 councils and the services focused around the joint development and delivery of local services and improved partnership working with other agencies
- Enhancing national governance by ensuring clear separation between Ministers and the services
These proposals will build upon and fully align with the principles set out by the Christie Commission.
The Scottish Government will publish a consultation document seeking views on how the single services will work in detail.