Letter from Chief Constable Phil Gormley QPM, Police Scotland,

to the Chair of the Committee, 2 June 2016

I write in response to your letter of 26th May 2016 and my evidence at the Home Affairs Select Committee earlier that week. I am grateful to you and your Committee colleagues for the opportunity to provide supplementary information by letter.

Firstly in regard to Police Scotland's work with universities as one of several routes to joining Police Scotland. A route to recruiting through university has been progressing since April 2015 by way of a Pathways to Policing Project Team working in tandem with the Scottish Institute of Policing Research (SIPR). Their main aim is the research and design of a degree route into policing.

At this time four universities have identified that they wish to be involved in the development and delivery of the Programme. These are Glasgow Caledonian University, University of the West of Scotland, Napier University and Abertay University. These universities currently deliver a range of modules in their existing syllabus and are conducting a scoping exercise to examine suitable modules that would be commensurate with police training.

In regard to our international work I would firstly like to say that Police Scotland and its legacy forces and constabularies have been involved in international programmes since 1993. In the first three years of Police Scotland the total amount of income received through these activities has been £1.8 Million.

In relation to the countries specifically mentioned by Mr Winnick the total amount of income received since 1 April 2013 has been Sri Lanka, £713,646, South Sudan, £229,157 and United Arab Emirates £119,812.

Our international work has been supported, facilitated and mostly paid for by successive United Kingdom and Scottish Governments, and others including United Nations registered charities.

Regardless of the source, Police Scotland currently refers all requests for overseas assistance through the International Police Assistance Board (IPAB) approvals process. This ensures multi-agency coordination and compliance with government policy. An Overseas Security and Justice Assistance form (OSJA) is submitted as part of each request for overseas assistance. As I understand it OSJA is Her  Majesty's Government tool for assessing the human rights risks of UK overseas security and justice assistance work, and identifying measures to mitigate such risks.

You did not refer to the matter in your letter but at the Committee I undertook to advise you, in response to a question posed by Mr Laughton, of any requests for international support that Police Scotland have refused. There have been 9 requests that Police Scotland has not supported in the last 3 years due to safety and security matters. I am not aware of any request being vetoed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office although that could certainly occur without Police Scotland being aware of any such request.

Finally you ask, in reference to a question posed by Mr McDonald, how much VAT Police Scotland is unable to reclaim, or has paid. Since Police Scotland was formed in April 2013 we have paid £76.5M in VAT and we remain the only police organisation in the United Kingdom to pay VAT.

The evidence session at the Committee understandably generated interest of the Scottish Police Authority and Scottish Government. Consequently I consider it appropriate to share my response to you with the Chairman of the Scottish Police Authority and the Cabinet Secretary for Justice.

Chief Constable Phil Gormley QPM

Police Scotland