OFF THE RAILS
Crisis-hit force splashed out £400,000 on transport merger that hit the buffers
Cash- strapped Police Scotland spent nearly £400,000 on consultants to oversee a merger with transport cops that was scrapped last month.
We can reveal the force paid an astonishing £ 6.6million on outside consultants since July 2014 as they cut services.
The figures, obtained under Freedom of Information laws, include £ 399,500 to Ernst & Young for overseeing the controversial merging of British Transport Police – a move postponed indefinitely by Scottish ministers after fierce criticism.
And more than £500,000 went on a plan to axe up to 400 officers as part of a shake-up. The biggest contract – worth £ 3.3million – was won by Ernst & Young. It runs from 2017 to 2022 for making ef f iciency savings. Meanwhile, the Scottish Police Federation spent more than £1million on consultants.
The money included paying headhunters Saxton Bampfylde £33,000 in May 2016 to find the right person to be the service’s director of corporate services.
Ex-RBS banker David Page was given a £173,000 salary, but last September it was revealed he was under investigation for alleged bullying of a colleague.
Staff and politicians branded the cost a waste of money. Scottish Pol ice Federation general secretary Calum Steele said: “It’s a matter of increasing anger among officers that the police service seem able to burn money on consultants without any tangible benefit.”
A lack of resources has been blamed on the service being stretched to breaking point, with a crisis in police call centres.
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: “In an organisation the size of Police Scotland, it’s accepted that some spend on consultancy will be required. However, for a force who constantly plead poverty, this is an incredible amount. The creation of the single force was meant to ensure greater efficiency.
“Instead, it seems the gravy train is rolling faster than ever.”
Scottish Lib Dem justice spokesman Liam McArthur said: “With Audit Scotland repeatedly raising questions over financial management at Police Scotland, the public will be forgiven for questioning whether this is the best use of police funds.
“All public bodies need to make sure their use of outside consultants is rigorously assessed to ensure they provide value for taxpayer’s money.”
Scottish Labour justice spokesman Daniel Johnson said: “These figures sum up what a shambles the SNP Government has made of the Police Scotland merger. At a time when the service has faced cuts – particularly of vital civil staff – millions have been spent on expensive consultants.”
A police source said: “The appetite for using consultants has been increasing recently.
“The problem is getting worse because of the vacuum in leadership. There have been three chief constables in three years plus a series of top-level suspensions and inquiries and there’s chaos at the Scottish Police Authority.
“We’re at the point where an outside company are getting paid a huge sum to come up with ideas about how to encourage people within the force to come up with ideas. It would be funny if it weren’t public money.” Police Scotland defended the spending. A spokesmans said: “In order to support our development as a single national service, when needed Police Scotland have brought in additional expertise to supports specific areas of work.
“We have offered these opportunities under a competitive tender process and in line with public sector requirements.
“This allows us to benefit from additional professional skills and experience for a specified period, complementing core functions, such as demand analysis, assessment and projection, programme management , evaluation experience, and organisational design.”
An SPA spokeswoman said: “The SPA have a key role in planning the strategic direction of policing in Scotland, ensuring there is effective scrutiny and oversight, maintaining the police service through f inance and leadership appointments, and providing a range of statutory functions including Scotland’s national forensic science service.
“From time to time there will be a requirement to invest and procure specialist expertise to support or enhance elements of those wide responsibilities.
“Over the past four years that spending is around £1million, the majority of which relates to forensic services.”