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| Sir Stephen House: Police reforms 'did not cause M9 fatal crash delays' | |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Scotland's top police officer has said the "massive changes" brought by the creation of the single Police Scotland force were not to blame for a three-day delay in responding to a fatal crash. | Scotland's top police officer has said the "massive changes" brought by the creation of the single Police Scotland force were not to blame for a three-day delay in responding to a fatal crash. |
| Sir Stephen House also said he would not be resigning over the force's handling of the tragedy. | Sir Stephen House also said he would not be resigning over the force's handling of the tragedy. |
| And he welcomed the two investigations being carried out into the incident. | And he welcomed the two investigations being carried out into the incident. |
| John Yuill and Lamara Bell were found inside the crashed car last Wednesday, three days after it had been reported. | John Yuill and Lamara Bell were found inside the crashed car last Wednesday, three days after it had been reported. |
| Mr Yuill, 28, is thought to have died on impact after the Renault Clio left the M9 and went down an embankment on the outskirts of Stirling. | Mr Yuill, 28, is thought to have died on impact after the Renault Clio left the M9 and went down an embankment on the outskirts of Stirling. |
| Ms Bell, 25, was critically injured and died in hospital at the weekend after suffering broken bones and kidney damage which was caused by dehydration after she spent three days trapped next to the body of her boyfriend. | Ms Bell, 25, was critically injured and died in hospital at the weekend after suffering broken bones and kidney damage which was caused by dehydration after she spent three days trapped next to the body of her boyfriend. |
| Police had first been told about the crash the previous Sunday, but did not send officers to investigate. | Police had first been told about the crash the previous Sunday, but did not send officers to investigate. |
| Sir Stephen has admitted that the initial information received about the crash was not entered into police systems. | Sir Stephen has admitted that the initial information received about the crash was not entered into police systems. |
| It was only when a second call was made by someone else three days later that the car, which had gone down an embankment off the M9 near Stirling, was investigated. | It was only when a second call was made by someone else three days later that the car, which had gone down an embankment off the M9 near Stirling, was investigated. |
| Opposition politicians have called on Sir Stephen to consider his position, but he has been given the backing of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Justice Secretary Michael Matheson. | Opposition politicians have called on Sir Stephen to consider his position, but he has been given the backing of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Justice Secretary Michael Matheson. |
| Ms Sturgeon has said there was nothing to suggest the force's handling of the fatal crash had been due to any "wider systemic issue". | Ms Sturgeon has said there was nothing to suggest the force's handling of the fatal crash had been due to any "wider systemic issue". |
| In an interview with BBC Scotland, Sir Stephen acknowledged that the deaths of Mr Yuill and Ms Bell were "a tragic situation" where "we've got things badly wrong". | In an interview with BBC Scotland, Sir Stephen acknowledged that the deaths of Mr Yuill and Ms Bell were "a tragic situation" where "we've got things badly wrong". |
| He said: "We're in the middle of massive change in our call-handling. It's been going on virtually since day one of Police Scotland and it's still going on and it has some way to go. | He said: "We're in the middle of massive change in our call-handling. It's been going on virtually since day one of Police Scotland and it's still going on and it has some way to go. |
| "I remain confident and convinced the reform we're pushing through is the right way to go and provides a more efficient and more professional service. | "I remain confident and convinced the reform we're pushing through is the right way to go and provides a more efficient and more professional service. |
| "The tragedy is that I'm saying this against the background of two people who have died and that's been our error which we've acknowledged. | "The tragedy is that I'm saying this against the background of two people who have died and that's been our error which we've acknowledged. |
| "We do work within a budget. Our budget has reduced for the past two years and we're working to an ambitious savings target for this year." | "We do work within a budget. Our budget has reduced for the past two years and we're working to an ambitious savings target for this year." |
| Sir Stephen said he had spent a "good few hours" on Saturday in the force's contact centres, which deal with phone calls from members of the public. | Sir Stephen said he had spent a "good few hours" on Saturday in the force's contact centres, which deal with phone calls from members of the public. |
| He added: "The staff there work extremely hard. They are very professional. Of course they are affected by what's happened, but they remain positive and they remain determined to do the best job that they can. | He added: "The staff there work extremely hard. They are very professional. Of course they are affected by what's happened, but they remain positive and they remain determined to do the best job that they can. |
| "What this underlines is we take a huge number of calls from the public. This has been a horrible tragedy. I feel it, we all feel it very badly. | |
| "But it should not detract from the fact we're changing the system because we believe it will produce a better system for the public." | |
| Sir Stephen confirmed earlier this year that he is likely to leave his post when his contract ends in September 2016. | Sir Stephen confirmed earlier this year that he is likely to leave his post when his contract ends in September 2016. |
| He admitted that he had considered his position in the wake of the past week's events, but had decided that the "right thing to do" was to stay in his post. | He admitted that he had considered his position in the wake of the past week's events, but had decided that the "right thing to do" was to stay in his post. |
| 'Providing leadership' | |
| He said: "In anything like this I consider my position. I think you would be inhuman if you didn't. You see what's happened over the last week and think about that, and I certainly have. | He said: "In anything like this I consider my position. I think you would be inhuman if you didn't. You see what's happened over the last week and think about that, and I certainly have. |
| "I believe the right thing to do is to stay to get through this process, to get through this tragic event and the series of events that followed it and to see what can be done to fix the situation. | "I believe the right thing to do is to stay to get through this process, to get through this tragic event and the series of events that followed it and to see what can be done to fix the situation. |
| "I don't want anyone out there thinking I'm the type of person that says 'I'll never go, I'll have to be forced out'. If I come to the conclusion that I should resign then I will resign. I don't believe that's the case at this moment in time. | "I don't want anyone out there thinking I'm the type of person that says 'I'll never go, I'll have to be forced out'. If I come to the conclusion that I should resign then I will resign. I don't believe that's the case at this moment in time. |
| "This organisation needs leadership, I'm providing that leadership." | "This organisation needs leadership, I'm providing that leadership." |
| A review of police call handling in Scotland has been announced by the Scottish government and will be carried out by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS). | |
| It will be in addition to an ongoing independent inquiry specifically into the M9 incident by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc). | |
| Opposition politicians have welcomed the investigations, but called for a wider inquiry into the operation of Police Scotland since it was formed by the amalgamation of the country's eight regional forces. |