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Single police force and fire service bill introduced Single police force and fire service bill introduced
(about 9 hours later)
Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill is due in the Borders to mark the introduction of the bill to create a single Scottish police force and fire service. Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill has said that single police and fire services for Scotland will put them at the "heart of communities".
The plans were confirmed as part of the Scottish government's legislative programme last year. He is in the Borders to mark the introduction of the bill to merge the country's eight separate organisations.
It said at the time that the move could save money without hitting frontline services. He said the Scottish government had devised the "strongest possible plans" for the future of the services.
Critics of the plans have voiced concerns about the effect on local police accountability. Critics of the move have voiced concerns about the effect on local police accountability.
The changes will see Scotland's eight police forces and eight fire services merged into two single national bodies.The changes will see Scotland's eight police forces and eight fire services merged into two single national bodies.
In terms of policing, that would create the second largest force in the UK behind the Metropolitan Police in London. Mr MacAskill claimed that budget cuts from Westminster meant his government had to act now.
The president of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland has said it would want a proposed single police force in place by 2014. "The reasons for reform are clear," he said.
Mr MacAskill will mark the introduction of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill, which paves the way for that to happen, by visiting police and fire and rescue officers in Galashiels. "We need to make a virtue of necessity.
"Make no mistake - this is the only way to make sure that we don't lose the major improvements made to police and fire and rescue services in recent years."
He said the changes would "reduce duplication, not the quality of vital services" and deliver savings of £1.7bn over 15 years.
"There will be a stronger connection between communities and their local police and fire and rescue services, with designated local senior officers and a statutory duty on both services to provide proper local provision," he said.
"Local authorities will approve plans for their area and, rather than a handful of councillors attending a regional board, many more councillors will have a say in what happens in their area.
"I expect to see the local commander and local senior officer coming before the council to explain and answer questions about police and fire services in the area."
He said the services would be "independent, with no operational control from ministers" but would be "subject to parliamentary scrutiny".
He said he was delighted to launch the bill in Galashiels and said there had already been "strong interest" from councils, police forces and fire and rescue services in trialling the new arrangements.
"A number have said they want to become involved - and one project, in Grampian, has already been formally submitted to us," he said.
"I welcome this enthusiasm as a mark of the way forward.
"I would encourage all parties to get behind this legislation to secure the future of our police and fire and rescue services."
Ch Supt David O'Connor, president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS), called for an early appointment of the chief constable designate, and said that the headquarters should be Tulliallan Castle in Fife, the home of the Scottish Police College.
He added: "I do not underestimate the scale of the challenge but a pragmatic and incremental approach which focuses upon maintaining service delivery to the current high levels together with improving public and staff confidence throughout must be at the centre of all that we seek to achieve and the public demands."
The new police force could be running by April 2013 at the earliest, the government said.
The full bill is available for scrutiny online.