The Scottish Government has been told to go back to the drawing board over plans to change the face of the nation’s emergency services.
Perth and Kinross Council met on Wednesday to deliver a damning verdict on a consultation process it believes has been flawed from the outset.
The SNP government believes there is a compelling argument for one police force and one fire and rescue service to serve the whole of Scotland.
However the council has told ministers the government has singularly failed to provide local authorities and their partners with enough evidence to back up its case.
In a detailed response to the consultation, councillors agreed it was not possible to come to a conclusion on plans for either emergency service, such was the lack of information presented.
Moreover, the council expressed concern that any changes could have a detrimental impact on the excellent service offered to the communities of Perth and Kinross by Tayside Police and Tayside Fire and Rescue.
The policing and fire and rescue services in Scotland were formed in 1975 as the result of local government reorganisation. Tayside Police and Tayside Fire and Rescue were formed to cover the local authority areas of Perth and Kinross, Dundee and Angus.
Under proposals being considered the nation’s eight police forces could be merged into one single force, as could the eight fire and rescue services.
Strathmore ward councillor Lewis Simpson told colleagues he believed the consultation process had been bungled by the Scottish Government from the outset.
In a statement that drew chuckles from elected members, he said, “As a Liberal Democrat I’ve been looking for plenty of silver linings in clouds recently. The only silver lining in this document is that it offers a perfect example of how not to conduct a consultation process.”
He described the police and fire documents as “150 pages of guff” as he claimed they included “statements without evidence”.’Not consultation’He added, “This process has presented the answers and then begun consulting. That is not consultation.”
The council’s response praised the work of both Tayside Police and Tayside Fire and Rescue and said there was “insufficient evidence presented in the consultation” to enable it to consider changes to their structure.
“The lack of a properly structured and evidenced business case, outlining each of the options, has not allowed the council to consider any of the options properly,” the statement reads. “We also consider this document fails to take cognisance of any potential risks to the safety of our communities as a result of any proposed structural reform.
“Arguably the Scottish police service is performing as well as it ever has done. Reported crime is down and detection rates are at a high level, especially within Perth and Kinross.”
The council launched a similarly staunch defence of the fire service, saying that, “Perth and Kinross Council would not exclude anything from being considered however there is insufficient information in the consultation to provide any opinion on the subject at this time.
“We are concerned that within the consultation document there may be an inference that the fire and rescue service is failing our communities and that this failure is due to the current structure. Perth and Kinross Council do not believe that this is a reality in our local communities.”
Alexander Stewart told colleagues communities are concerned the services offered could be compromised if changes were made, adding, “This is a small force, punching above its weight, and it has been recognised for what it has achieved both throughout Scotland and further afield.”
Elspeth Maclachan added, “My opinion is that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Perth and Kinross’s condemnation of the consultation follows similar criticism by Angus Council earlier this month. Last month, the SNP-led Dundee City Councilbacked the proposals.