Robert Brown calls on Justice Committee to investigate £34.7 million Police funding gap as force fears for job cuts

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 10th Aug 2009

Glasgow Liberal Democrat MSP Robert Brown has today called on the Scottish Parliament Justice Committee to investigate a £34.7 million funding gap within the 2010 Strathclyde Police budget as a matter of urgency.

The gap emerged last week when Strathclyde Police Authority (SPA) convenor Paul Rooney announced at a meeting in Glasgow's City Chambers that the situation was "absolutely dire".

Worryingly, the SPA convenor also revealed that, as over 90% of the Strathclyde Police budget is spent on personnel, it was likely that there could be impact on "personnel resources" as a result of the funding problems.

At best the gap will stand at £12.4 million next year, according to a report by Chief Constable Stephen House.

Budget shortfalls are expected to continue over the next few years, potentially reaching £66 million by 2013/14.

South Lanarkshire division of Strathclyde Police is home to 4 sub divisions, with the Rutherglen and Cambuslang sub division covering the highest density of population in the area of 54,000 people.

Overall, Strathclyde Police employs over 8,000 officers.

Mr. Brown is Justice Spokesman for the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

Robert Brown said:

"This is much more than a minor accounting error - it has major consequences for police numbers in this area and throughout Strathclyde.

"A deficit has been forecast for some time now but it beggars belief that nobody in either Strathclyde Police or the Scottish Government has done anything about this massive budget gap, particularly in the light of the SNP Government's commitment - which they have already had to be pressurised to deliver - to increase Police numbers in Scotland by 1,000.

"There are only so many efficiency savings you can make before police officer numbers are affected in a budget that has over 90% spend on personnel.

"£34.7 million is no small sum and the financial shortfall being talked about is the equivalent to the wages of more than 1,000 police officers.

"The SNP Government are committed to recruiting 1,000 additional police officers right across Scotland by 2011. If Strathclyde alone has to cut up to 1,000 police officers to meet their budget, then it is clear that the SNP Government's sums did not add up in the first place.

"I have asked the Convener and my other colleagues on the Parliament's Justice Committee to agree a full investigation into this situation as a matter of urgency."

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