Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012
Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012
The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 is a law passed by the Scottish Parliament to reform policing and fire services in Scotland. It merged the eight separate police forces and fire and rescue services into single national bodies.
Key points
- Mergers: Eight police forces and fire and rescue services were combined into two national agencies — Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service — which began on 1 April 2013.
- New oversight and governance: The act created the Scottish Police Authority (which oversees policing) and the Police Service of Scotland (the police force). It also made the Auditor General for Scotland responsible for auditing these bodies.
- Finance note: The UK Government decided that Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service would not be eligible for VAT refunds because they are national organizations.
- Repeals: The act repealed the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 and the Police and Fire Services (Finance) (Scotland) Act 2001.
- Details: Introduced by Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice. It applies to Scotland. Royal assent was granted on 7 August 2012, and the changes took effect on 1 April 2013. The act remains current law.
- Review: In 2018, a Scottish Parliament committee reviewed the act’s impact.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:38 (CET).