SPA under fire for investigating complaints against the police

The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) has “huge transparency and accountability issues”, an MSP has said after discovering the organisation investigates complaints against itself – but cannot say how many there are.

Holyrood’s justice committee convener Margaret Mitchell said she was not aware the police oversight body could investigate itself and criticised its complaints head for not knowing how many of these complaints have been lodged.

Lindsey Mcneill, SPA’S governance and assurance director, told the committee the authority deals with complaints against itself but said she did not “have the figures to hand” when asked how many are currently being investigated.

She also said the authority’s complaints and conduct committee had been reestablished after being disbanded by the previous chairman Andrew Flanagan, with all complaints decisions taken by the then chief executive John Foley.

The two men stood down in 2017 amid serious and sustained criticism over transparency, governance and decision-making at the SPA.

Ms Mitchell said: “Certainly from my point on view there are huge transparency and accountability issues here.”

She said she was “disappointed” Ms Mcneill had come to the committee to answer questions on complaints but was unable to say how many are lodged against the SPA.

Ms Mcneil said that the authority is engaged with the government-commissioned review into how complaints against the police are handled, being carried out by former Lord Advocate Dame Eilish Angiolini.