Justice sector in need of £400m to avoid severe cuts

The committee has been gathering evidence as part of it pre-budget scrutiny 26/27. While acknowledging the budget pressures on the Scottish government, the committee said the evidence it has received is gravely concerning and that the justice sector has now reached a critical limit in its ability to deliver services without additional investment.

The evidence gathered shows a sector under ever-increasing pressure with new and emerging threats such as cybersecurity and climate change adding to the stress on resources. The committee is calling for dedicated funding to ensure justice bodies can tackle rising cyber threats and climate-driven challenges.

In particular, the committee wants to see investment in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, which is on the front line of responding to climate change incidents.

Other budget pressures highlighted in the report include the additional costs in planning and implementing new legislation enacted by the Parliament.

The committee said there is an urgent need for the Scottish government to move towards multi-year funding settlements for all justice sector bodies in Scotland to allow for longer term planning and more flexibility. 

The committee recommends that the Scottish government works with the UK government to see if a solution can be found which would allow both the Scottish Police Authority/Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service flexibility to manage their budgets through the use of a financial reserve, as they did before they became single nationwide services.

Furthermore, the committee wants the Scottish government to look into the possibility of allowing the police and fire services to be given borrowing capacity, to give them more flexibility and an ability to better respond to urgent critical challenges.

Criminal Justice Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said: “The scenario facing the justice sector is gravely concerning and without additional funding of £400 million it will face unacceptable cuts to frontline services.

“Our committee acknowledge that there are no easy answers when it comes to the budget pressures the government is facing. However, despite the best efforts of the justice sector to make efficiency savings over the last 10-15 years, it is clear that a crucial limit has now been reached in terms of funding and resources.

“Put simply, a flat cash settlement next year is not sufficient, and would lead to cuts and reductions to services which our committee cannot accept.”

She added: “We want to see additional funding of £400 million and multi-year funding settlements to help the sector in the short and long term. We also encourage the Scottish government to look into giving the police and fire services the ability to borrow money and create financial reserves in order to give them more flexibility to deal with ongoing and urgent financial pressures.

“The committee thanks witnesses from across the sector who have spoken so candidly on the pressures they face and the urgent need for increased funding.