Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 25 November 2020
It has been a helpful debate. Let me address some of the key points that members raised.
The point that Daniel Johnson made about officers from a minority ethnic background and the complaints and concerns raised by female officers is a good place to begin. The point was made very well by many members across the chamber, including Liam McArthur, Liz Smith, Shona Robison, Rhoda Grant and—as I said a moment ago—Daniel Johnson. Members should be in no doubt that the Government views that situation with concern. Equally, on the other hand, I am pleased with the swift and decisive action that has been taken by the chief constable to accept the recommendation in Dame Elish Angiolini’s report. I also note that the various staff associations that represent either minority groups or female officers have been positive about the chief constable’s swift action. I noticed comments from the lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender and intersex staff association, the Scottish women’s development forum and SEMPER Scotland—which represents ethnic minority officers—straight away, all welcoming the swift and decisive action.
I speak to the chief constable frequently—during the pandemic, weekly, if not even more frequently—and I can tell the chamber very clearly that he has an absolute commitment to equality and diversity. The issue came up in conversation well in advance of Dame Elish Angiolini’s report, and I have every confidence in him, as well as in the SPA, taking it forward. Nonetheless, I agree with members right across the chamber that what Dame Elish Angiolini highlighted in her report is of grave concern.
A number of members suggested that the current system is not fit for purpose, which does a slight disservice to those who work at the PIRC, for example. We know from the 2019-20 annual report from the PIRC that 240 complaint handling reviews were conducted, with 30 investigations resulting from police referrals and 46 investigations referred from the Crown.
There is a great deal of work to be done and there are many recommendations. Liz Smith asked directly whether the Government believes that the PIRC should have more powers, and the answer is yes. That is a very clear thread from Dame Elish Angiolini’s review, and it comes across in many of her recommendations. However, it is right that the Government takes time to speak to the PIRC, the Crown, Police Scotland and the SPA, to navigate exactly how and when we do that.