Row over cash for pension changes

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The SNP has accused Westminster of short-changing police by refusing to make money available to implement UK-wide pension changes in Scotland.

The changes will allow retiring police officers, firefighters and rescue service workers to convert more of their pension into a lump-sum payment.

But the SNP said Scotland would not get extra cash through the Barnett Formula.

Labour has called on the SNP to pay up, accusing it of failing to face its responsibilities in government.

SNP MSP Brian Adam said although the Treasury was providing extra money for the deal in England and Wales, Scotland would not receive more funding.

"The Treasury's refusal to provide Scotland with the funds to implement the new pension scheme for the police and fire and rescue services is bewildering," he said.

"This is a clear cut case of spending rising in England and Wales in a devolved area due to a decision taken on a UK-wide basis, and thus Scotland should receive its fair share of extra funding via a Barnett consequential.

"The police and our fire and rescue services are far too important to be treated in this way by the UK Government."

'Let down'

The row centres on changes to pension regulations on how much a retiring officer can take in a lump sum if he or she gives up a proportion of their expected pension income.

New actuarial tables on what this proportion can be have been published, based on increased life expectancy and a more similar life expectancy for men and women.

The effect, police have claimed, is to increase the lump sum for typical retiring Pc by up to £20,000 - but not in Scotland, where the changes have not been implemented.

The Scottish Police Federation said it was "extremely disappointed" the changes had not been applied north of the border.

Hugh Little, the federation's deputy general secretary, said: "We feel extremely let down.

"Our members deserve better, after a lifetime of placing themselves in danger to protect the public."

The SNP must implement the new pensions calculations for retiring police officers in Scotland Pauline McNeillLabour justice spokeswoman

He said the federation believed police pensions in Scotland should be reformed by moving to a centrally-administered fund paid for by the Scottish Government, similar to the arrangements in England and Wales.

"The funding of pensions is too big a burden for individual police forces," he said.

Labour justice spokesman Pauline McNeill said: "The SNP must face up to their responsibilities in government, and implement the new pensions calculations for retiring police officers in Scotland.

"Kenny MacAskill must also look seriously at the possibility of funding police pensions centrally from Holyrood, so that our police forces and local authorities' budgets are not stretched beyond their limits by the increased number of retiring officers, and increased life expectancy."

But the Scottish Government said the issue was already under discussion between Edinburgh and Westminster.

A spokesman said: "Issues relating to the commutation in the context of police pensions are the subject of ongoing correspondence between the Scottish Government and the UK Government and were discussed at the July 31 meeting between ministers, Cosla, Acpos and the Police Conveners Forum."