Who We Are

The Scottish Police Authority is independent of both the Scottish Government and policing. It is the primary governance body for policing in Scotland, and was established as a public body on 1 April 2013 by the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012. It was set up to hold the Chief Constable to account; promote, support and oversee improvement in policing. It is also responsible for the management and delivery of Forensic Services in Scotland and Independent Custody Visiting Scotland.

In this section, find out more about the Authority’s priorities, the Board and the Leadership team.

Who We Are

What We Do

The Scottish Police Authority is responsible for maintaining policing. It has four specific areas of responsibility:

promoting the policing principles

supporting continuous improvement

keeping policing under review

holding the Chief Constable to account.

This section tells you in outline what the Authority does.

What We Do

Alasdair Hay CBE QFSM

Chair - Policing Performance Committee

Alasdair joined the Authority in April 2021. His career spans more than 36 years in Fire and Rescue and he is passionate about and dedicated to delivering high quality public services. Alasdair was appointed as the Chief Officer of the new national Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in August 2012, retiring in March 2019, having successfully delivered the intended benefits of fire reform. He currently works part time for London Fire Brigade as the Independent Operational Assurance Advisor to the Commissioner.

Beyond this, he is a trustee of two charities: The Fire Service Research and Training Trust, and the Dow Memorial Trust. These help to provide financial support for research into firefighting techniques and medical/dental students at Dundee University respectively.

Register of Interests (last updated April 2024)

Registered Interest	Description of Interest
Remuneration	NI Department of Health South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (3 days in February)
Other Roles	None
Contracts	None
Election Expenses	None
Houses, Land and Buildings	Jointly owned family home and a rental property
Interests in Shares and Securities	Investment in St James’s Place, Wealth Management Company
Gifts and Hospitality	None
Non-Financial Interests	Chair of Fire Service Research and Training Trust Dow Trust assisting Dental & Medical Students in Dundee Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Member of Prospect
Close Family Members	None

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Alasdair Hay CBE QFSM