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Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

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Showing 44 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

The cabinet secretary will remember that I first went to see him in December last year; John Finnie invited me to do so and Christine Grahame encouraged me. I wanted to speak to him about two pressing issues. The first was the governance arrangements for the SPS and an absolut...

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Thanks, convener. I know that you appreciate that we are dealing with a very important issue. It deserves the time that we are allocating to it.We have spent a great deal of time talking about redundancy issues and so forth, but a major part of ACPOS’s submission is about oper...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

It is with some disappointment that I feel the need to move this motion. It is my belief that the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has abandoned his responsibilities in relation to police reform. He is tired and lacking in ideas, and he gracelessly refuses to listen, leaving a pr...

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2013-14

In response to Jenny Marra, you mentioned operational independence, and you talked about the fears about interference that were generated by earlier discussions. The other week, the convener of the SPA announced that it will provide strategic leadership to the police and he ad...

Graeme Pearson Lab Chamber

—and on the sub-committee. I thought that I had played my part in all the work that we did in those committees. I think that, on occasion, Christine Grahame appreciated my contributions, but our memories are short in that regard. Kevin Stewart mentioned his 13 years on a poli...

Graeme Pearson Lab Chamber

I am obliged, Presiding Officer. There is substantial public disquiet, and the cabinet secretary is evidently reluctant to share information with Parliament. What legislation demands that he regards such non-urgent policy shifts as something to be maintained solely in the rem...

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

My point is that a lot has been said about authorised professional practice and the various correspondence as though the doctrine has been fully expanded and examined and is now almost law—if I may use that term—in internal practice, but it is still the subject of discussion. ...

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Thanks, Mr Penman. It is a matter of regret that, in the intervening period of almost two years, such an important issue has not been the subject of discussion and examination, given what we are now debating and the concern that has been publicly expressed. In that context, I...

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

I mentioned the comments about operational independence that were made in 2012. What discussions have you had since 2012 on operational independence and who have you discussed the issue with? Can we have access to the minutes of any of those discussions?

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Governance means holding someone to account and knowing the way forward. On policing by consent, consent can be offered only when people are aware of the policies and have agreed with the content of those policies. My earlier questions indicated that I am very dissatisfied wit...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

As outlined by John Lamont, the authority must comply with any direction—general or specific—that is given by the Scottish ministers. That is an outlandish power, which will be available to ministers in future Governments, and it is not clear how such a power might be used. Am...

Graeme Pearson Lab Chamber

Margo MacDonald makes a good point, which I will come to at the end of my speech.On 27 November, the Justice Committee brought back the chief constable and the SPA chair, along with HMICS, to resolve possible conflicts. The way forward was further confused at that meeting. The...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

First Minister’s Question Time · Scottish Police Authority and Chief Constable for Scotland

In the light of his response, will the First Minister acknowledge that the Parliament’s intention in legislating was to deliver full operational independence to the incoming chief constable and that moves to limit that independence would be unwelcome and unwarranted?

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Tribunal System

I thank the minister on two levels. First, I thank her for her fair presentation of the proposal that is set out in the consultation document on a new tribunal system for Scotland. Secondly, I thank her for offering an opportunity to David McLetchie to link his name with the c...

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Information and Communication Technology

Everything that we have discussed so far is very important. I want to come back to a quote from two years ago, when the chief constable said: “It is worth emphasising that i6 will cover 80 per cent of the current operational police activity, so it is absolutely massive as far...

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Crime and Courts Bill

I notice that reference is made to a framework document. I presume that the maintenance of operational independence in Scotland will be set out in that framework document for the single chief officer who will be in place in Scotland by the time that the NCA comes in.

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Can you give us some insight into how the Northern Ireland Policing Board operates and who is on it? How does the board manage the governance issues and at the same time acknowledge operational independence?

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Draft Budget Scrutiny 2014-15

You have been well trailed over the months as saying that, with the current budget allocation, you found it difficult to anticipate being able to maintain the additional officers in the years ahead. I find it difficult to understand the notion of operational independence and t...

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

I just want to say one more sentence, convener. For the record, I accept that, in crises and emergencies, a chief constable needs operational independence, and I therefore accept the indication that has been given.

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Public Bodies Consent Memorandum

Will you ensure that, if and when that replacement comes along, its arrangements reflect the need for independence? After all, many of those who have commented have expressed the fear that independence is what the oversight arrangements for Scotland might lack.

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Scottish Independence Referendum (Franchise) Bill: Stage 1

Following the recent media coverage that exposed just how nasty, offensive and vitriolic elements of the debate on independence have become—especially online—I am pleased that today’s debate has reflected mutual respect and consideration and minimal conflict.As many other memb...

Graeme Pearson Lab Chamber

Scottish Independence Referendum (Franchise) Bill: Stage 1

I am grateful to Patricia Ferguson for making that point. It saves me from making a similar one later on.There is no doubt that there will be substantial pressure on young people to adhere to others’ views. One would hope that allowing those who are beyond 16 but under 18 to v...

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Complaints and Investigations

I have a final question for each witness. Mr Ross, you said in response to Margaret Mitchell’s question about independence of investigation that it would be quite proper for the PIRC to come in and that it would have an element of independence in investigating a complaint agai...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Economy and Finances

I am grateful for the opportunity to play a part in the debate. To some extent, it is depressing—although one should have anticipated it—that we have reaffirmed some of the arguments that we engaged in last autumn. No one on the Labour benches mentioned anything about Scotland...

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Complaints and Investigations

My question is on the issue that Alison McInnes raised with Mr Mitchell about powers and PIRC’s ability to deal with investigations. There has been some controversy in England over the ability of investigative bodies to compel police officers to make operational statements—to ...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Dumfries Control Rooms Closure

I congratulate my colleague Elaine Murray on securing this debate on an important issue that affects 34 staff in the Dumfries police control room. As she and Aileen McLeod said, Labour supported the creation of the single police force; indeed, I have supported the concept for ...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

I am grateful for the opportunity to move the motion and speak in support of it. I note that the rather wordy amendment from the Government focuses on what we in the chamber have come to know as “operational outcomes” rather than the business of Government. I am sure that we w...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Stop and Search

I rise to move the amendment in my name, which, because of the Government’s pre-emptive amendment, is unlikely to be voted on. To that extent I am disappointed. What the cabinet secretary forgot to quote in his speech was the effective oversight that my amendment seeks to pass...

Graeme Pearson Lab Chamber

Cashback for Communities

I said that we welcome the investment in such activities. We want to understand better the interconnection between them and the reduction in crime figures, so that we know where best to direct the sums—to which communities, at what times and in which circumstances. We would li...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Fisheries Negotiations

It is pleasing to hear the cabinet secretary comment on the many positive developments in this area of activity. In reply to Stewart Stevenson’s observations about the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, as a novice, I have to say that I made contact with Bertie Armstrong, who i...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Taking Scotland Forward

Presiding Officer, I am honoured to be given the right to speak in the Parliament today and I thank you for the opportunity. You can be assured that I will enjoy my lunch far more as a result of your timing.I congratulate the SNP on its electoral success and remind SNP members...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Scots Criminal Law (Integrity)

I thank Lord McCluskey’s group for the effort that it has made and the quality of the report that it has produced in such quick time and in unfortunate circumstances. I trust that the Government will encourage consultations on many of the recommendations that have been discuss...

Graeme Pearson Lab Chamber

Scots Criminal Law (Integrity)

The point I am making, which the member makes well for me, is that the rhetoric got in the way of the substance and deflected our attention from the key underlying issues.The First Minister’s outburst about Supreme Court judges was followed by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Offenders (Rehabilitation)

Unfortunately, I must begin my contribution by agreeing with Christine Grahame and acknowledging all that she said about the 218 project in Glasgow. It is an excellent project that tackles reoffending, and it is well worth supporting.Today’s debate is rightly concerned with re...

Graeme Pearson Lab Chamber

Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

For me, the amendments that I will speak to at this time are the most important amendments in relation to democratic accountability, and they have significance for all members sitting in the chamber who are not members of the Government. The amendments go to the very heart of ...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

As a member of the Justice Committee, I am pleased to associate myself with the comments and recommendations in the report.We gathered an abundance of evidence that identified various areas in which positive decisions and sensible resolution are needed. Many of the recommendat...

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Policing (Scrutiny)

It needs to reflect the interests of the Parliament, not the Government’s or any political party’s view. I would like to think that the business managers will be able to determine the membership of the sub-committee to reflect that accordingly, rather than having us trammel ou...

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Complaints and Investigations

I am talking about the future handling of complaints and ensuring that no one can challenge the independence of the process.

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Complaints and Investigations

In the previous regime, the ability to send in another Scottish police force to deal with the issue gave a measure of independence. That opportunity is no longer available with a single police force, and when you talked about bringing in “someone else” I wondered whether you m...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Press Regulation

I am fortunate to speak after Graeme Dey, and it is right that I acknowledge that having dealt with the media—both editors and journalists—for over 30 years, on only a handful of occasions did I ever feel let down by those with whom I engaged. That said, we should have a syste...

Graeme Pearson Lab Committee

Proposed Subordinate Legislation

Thanks for giving me the luxury of asking this question, convener.Having given evidence in a previous life to an OPCAT committee, I think that there are four aspects: the importance of independence, the effectiveness of the arrangements, the way in which transparency in the ar...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Independence White Paper

What discussions has the Deputy First Minister had with her opposite numbers at Westminster on the delivery of national security? The document indicates that the Government’s “first responsibility” is to reflect MI5, MI6, the Government Communications Headquarters and measures...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Tribunals (Scotland) Bill

I rise to support the bill and its general principle of restructuring devolved tribunals in Scotland. I am not a member of the committee, but I commend it, its clerks and the bill drafting staff for the work that they have done. There is no doubt that tribunals facilitate a ...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab Chamber

Oil and Gas Sector (Support)

Few subjects attract misinformation, misunderstanding and assertion in the way that the one that we are discussing today does. We should remember that the UK oil and gas industry has for decades proved to be manna from heaven in its contribution to Britain’s economic wellbeing...

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Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament 05 December 2012

05 Dec 2012 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Policing

Pearson, Graeme Lab South Scotland Watch on SPTV

The cabinet secretary will remember that I first went to see him in December last year; John Finnie invited me to do so and Christine Grahame encouraged me. I wanted to speak to him about two pressing issues. The first was the governance arrangements for the SPS and an absolute need for clarity on operational independence. The second was the absence of democratic oversight on the part of the Parliament at a key time of police reform.

This morning, the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents contacted me to reinforce its concern about operational independence. The incoming chief constable is already on record on that matter and there is a difference of view with his chair. Her Majesty’s inspector of constabulary has also commented.

In July 2012, the police reform team prepared a blueprint, agreed with civil servants, that showed the directors of finance and HR alongside the heads of public information and corporate services, reporting via the chief constable to the board. They were all answerable to the chief constable.

In the absence of any statement from the cabinet secretary, it soon became evident that the incoming chair of the SPA had different views. At his first appearance before the Justice Committee on 23 October, Mr Emery was less than candid about his approach to questions of governance and structure, yet days later at his induction meeting for the SPA on 29 October he was able to say:

“We have a very wide ranging set of responsibilities in the running of policing ... I am a businessman and I see policing through that lens ... I equate the Chief Constable to a Chief Operations Officer ... The vision does not have a final form. It is the SPA that will develop that clarity”.

As a result of various approaches from ASPS, which included support from the Scottish Police Federation, and approaches from across the police service, I lodged a motion on 5 November entitled “Concerns about Threat to Operational Independence of Single Police Force”. Questions asked of both the cabinet secretary and the First Minister produced a lack of clarity on future operational independence.

Much has been made of a creative friction, almost in a light-hearted way, but policing provides the bedrock upon which many communities build. Arrangements for the tone, direction and—yes—vision for policing have an impact on that bedrock.

In the same item of business

The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick) NPA

The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-05087, in the name of Lewis Macdonald, on policing in Scotland.14:40

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

When the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill went through the Parliament earlier this year, Labour and other parties raised a series of concerns about the...

Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) SNP

This is not breaking news, but the committee has agreed that those opinions would be treated as private. There is a letter to that effect to Vic Emery and th...

Lewis Macdonald Lab

I understand that, and it is clear that the committee is free to determine what to do with that information on the basis of the advice that it has received. ...

The Presiding Officer NPA

I call Kenny MacAskill to speak to and move amendment S4M-05087.1. Mr MacAskill, you have seven minutes. 14:49

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice (Kenny MacAskill) SNP

Thank you, Presiding Officer. I welcome the opportunity to respond to the Labour Party motion and Lewis Macdonald’s opening speech. This debate comes just a ...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Does the cabinet secretary accept that police staff numbers have fallen by more than 900 since March 2010 and that the increase of 65 is only over the past f...

Kenny MacAskill SNP

I get asked such questions regularly by Labour Party members—sometimes by Ms Marra and sometimes by others. I have given a snapshot that shows that at the pr...

Lewis Macdonald Lab

The cabinet secretary talks of predictions, so will he now give us a prediction and say whether he anticipates that trend of increasing staff numbers to cont...

Kenny MacAskill SNP

What we have said—

The Presiding Officer NPA

Cabinet secretary, I remind you that you have seven minutes and no longer.

Kenny MacAskill SNP

I will move on then, Presiding Officer.We have made our position clear that officers and staff are performing excellently together. Crime is at a 37-year low...

Margo MacDonald (Lothian) (Ind) Ind

I thank the cabinet secretary for giving way, given the shortness of time for his speech. Before he moves on to talk about staffing, I want to ask him about ...

Kenny MacAskill SNP

Those will be operational matters on which Ms MacDonald will no doubt engage with Mr House or one of his deputes. I have no doubt that they will be happy to ...

John Lamont (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Con

I welcome the opportunity to speak about policing in Scotland and I commend the Scottish Labour Party for using its debating time to focus on this important ...

Kenny MacAskill SNP

Does the member accept that it has been made quite clear that the issue is not who controls, because it has been accepted that the line of accountability is ...

John Lamont Con

The cabinet secretary has perhaps articulated more clearly than was expected the difficulties that will arise when the job cuts come. We should be under no i...

Jenny Marra Lab

Does the member agree that the points of contention on HR and finance that the cabinet secretary outlined today are the same points of contention that the Ju...

John Lamont Con

I entirely agree with what the member says.There are two points that will not make things easy for the single police force. First, we still do not have a ful...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP

I, too, welcome today’s debate on policing in Scotland. As the cabinet secretary has pointed out in both his speech and the Government’s amendment, it comes ...

Lewis Macdonald Lab

I acknowledge that many areas appear to have been resolved, but will Sandra White confirm that she said in committee that she did not accept the argument tha...

Sandra White SNP

The issue might be the language that has been used by some, such as “dispute”. We needed clarification, but I believe that the cabinet secretary has clarifie...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

The cabinet secretary will remember that I first went to see him in December last year; John Finnie invited me to do so and Christine Grahame encouraged me. ...

Margo MacDonald Ind

Can Graeme Pearson tell me what the clear notion in the legislation is on who fires and who hires? We have had mad and bad in that position before.

Graeme Pearson Lab

Margo MacDonald makes a good point, which I will come to at the end of my speech.On 27 November, the Justice Committee brought back the chief constable and t...

Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) SNP

I will deal briefly with three issues: first, the job losses or backfilling; secondly, the relationship between Emery and House—they could be a good double a...

Jenny Marra Lab

Will the member give way?

Christine Grahame SNP

I am sorry, but I do not have time. This is a short debate.The fact is that the single police force in Scotland is envied in England and Wales—members should...

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD) LD

I thank the Labour Party for bringing the debate to the Parliament this afternoon. The police reforms are at a crucial stage and it is right that we seek to ...

Colin Keir (Edinburgh Western) (SNP) SNP

I have read the Labour Party motion and I have just a hint of a feeling that it is a wee bit premature.I asked the new chief constable and the chair of the S...