As I said on Tuesday to the Justice Committee, an issue that would benefit from further discussion across Scotland is what the scrutiny levels are around policing 16 months into the new system.
Although there is a doctrine of constabulary independence, the Police and Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 is absolutely clear: under section 2(1)(e), the authority can
“hold the chief constable to account for the policing of Scotland”,
while, under section 17(1),
“The chief constable is responsible, and must account to the Authority, for the policing of Scotland”.
The checks and balances are there.
HMIC has a view, because I am not fettered in any way about what I can look at. I can also feed in—in terms of public opinion—what we see as a risk. I can then look at and inspect those issues, provide public reports and give opportunities to the authority and other agencies, including the PIRC, to provide scrutiny publicly. There is a framework that allows for the effective governance of policing. There is something to be said, 16 months in, for working through how all that fits together.