SCOTLAND’S two largest
police forces have been left £1 million out of pocket due to the papal
visit, with the Scottish Government funding only a fraction of the
costs.
Strathclyde
Police received just £150,000 of the £650,000 it requested from the
Scottish Government for its role in the event, while Lothian and Borders
asked for £550,000 but received just £100,000.
Both forces are facing historic cuts and
have been shedding staff – and neither has accounted fully for the blows
to their already strained budgets.
Strathclyde Chief Constable Steve House is
supposedly angry with the amount his force has been reimbursed, while
the head of Lothian and Borders’ governing body has said both the
Scottish and UK governments have neglected the national importance of
the visit and described the amounts paid back to the force as “rather
parsimonious”.
Mr House, already irked at a demand by
ministers to call a halt to Strathclyde plans for a new headquarters,
will also be left embarrassed by the Government’s decision, having
previously told his governing body that Holyrood would meet the cost of
Pope Benedict’s visit.
The Herald has been told that no assurances were ever given that the Scottish Government would pick up the policing tab.
Councillor Iain Whyte, chairman of the
Lothian and Borders Police Board, said: “I’m disappointed we didn’t get
the full amount. It would have taken the pressure off during a very
difficult time.
“There was never an indication we’d get the
full amount but we asked and we expected a reimbursement. I would have
hoped for something much nearer the cost of the event and, as a major UK
event, that either the UK or Scottish government would have recognised
it as such. It always seems that the amounts refunded can be rather
parsimonious.”
A Strathclyde Police Authority source said: “The difficulty we have is that the chief con-stable gave assurances that the costs wouldn’t come from our budget. “Members were persistent on this and, on the basis of what the chief constable told the authority, it would appear that he received assurances. He couldn’t have been any more explicit in saying we wouldn’t pay for this. “Now we have a £500,000 hole that we haven’t budgeted for.”
Allan Falconer, vice-chairman of Strathclyde Police Authority, added: “I’m disappointed the Scottish Government hasn’t fulfilled its stated intention of meeting the police costs of the papal visit.
“This extra burden on the taxpayers of the Strathclyde and Lothian and Borders areas is extremely onerous in light of the prevailing economic climate.”
Part of the difficulty in securing refunds is separating the costs of an average day’s policing with the additional security resources required for such a high-profile event, however, Strathclyde Assistant Chief Constable Fiona Taylor said: “These additional costs are over and above the amount we would normally expect to contribute to police such an event.”
Lothian and Borders said: “No further discussions will take place regarding cost recovery.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The settlement agreed is an important contribution towards forces’ additional costs to reflect the efforts that went towards a successful visit.”
The overall bill for the four-day visit, which also included open air masses in Birmingham and London’s Hyde Park, is likely to top £7 million.
A Strathclyde Police Authority source said: “The difficulty we have is that the chief con-stable gave assurances that the costs wouldn’t come from our budget. “Members were persistent on this and, on the basis of what the chief constable told the authority, it would appear that he received assurances. He couldn’t have been any more explicit in saying we wouldn’t pay for this. “Now we have a £500,000 hole that we haven’t budgeted for.”
Allan Falconer, vice-chairman of Strathclyde Police Authority, added: “I’m disappointed the Scottish Government hasn’t fulfilled its stated intention of meeting the police costs of the papal visit.
“This extra burden on the taxpayers of the Strathclyde and Lothian and Borders areas is extremely onerous in light of the prevailing economic climate.”
Part of the difficulty in securing refunds is separating the costs of an average day’s policing with the additional security resources required for such a high-profile event, however, Strathclyde Assistant Chief Constable Fiona Taylor said: “These additional costs are over and above the amount we would normally expect to contribute to police such an event.”
Lothian and Borders said: “No further discussions will take place regarding cost recovery.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The settlement agreed is an important contribution towards forces’ additional costs to reflect the efforts that went towards a successful visit.”
The overall bill for the four-day visit, which also included open air masses in Birmingham and London’s Hyde Park, is likely to top £7 million.