Police Board Chair Announced

17 Aug 2015 01:38 PM

Chair of Police Negotiating Board and the Scottish Police Consultative Forum appointed.

Ian McKay has been appointed as the new Independent Chair of the Police Negotiating Board (PNB).

The PNB is a regulatory body which considers a range of matters relating to police officer terms and conditions. It was previously a UK-wide body but now only operates in Scotland after it was abolished in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the UK Government.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson has also appointed Mr McKay as Independent Chair of the Scottish Police Consultative Forum. It is an advisory body, which considers anything outside the remit of the PNB.

Mr McKay has been appointed for four years, and succeeds John Randall CBE.

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice said:

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ian McKay as the new Independent Chair of both the PNB and the SPCF. He brings a wealth of relevant expertise and experience to this important role in Scottish policing and I have no doubt that he will ensure both bodies continue to perform effectively in the future.

The Scottish Government values and recognises the crucial contribution police officers make in keeping Scotland safe. I am proud this Government chose to retain collective bargaining for the terms and conditions of officers in Scotland – in stark contrast to the UK Government, which scrapped this principle in favour of a pay review body.”

The Staff Side Secretary to the Police Negotiating Board, Calum Steele, said:

“The Staff Side congratulates Ian MacKay on his appointment. We very much look forward to working with him and have no doubt his experiences across a number of sectors will prove to be a tremendous asset to the PNB.”

Notes To Editors

The Police Negotiating Board (PNB) fulfils the legal requirement, under section 61 of the Police Act 1996, for a body comprising appropriate representation to consider a range of matters relating to police officer terms and conditions.

The PNB used to operate across the UK. However, following a recommendation in the Winsor report, the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 abolished the PNB in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and instead established the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) to advise the Home Secretary on police pay issues. The PNB now only operates in Scotland. The Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) deals with pay matters relating to Chief Officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Scottish Police Consultative Forum (SPCF) allows Scottish Ministers to consult policing stakeholders when making regulations under section 11(7) and section 54(2) of the Police & Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012. It is an advisory body, with the remit of anything falling outside that of the PNB.

The PNB and SPCF are chaired by an Independent Chair who is supported by an Independent Secretariat provided by the Scottish Government. The Chair’s role is to provide a neutral voice in the process of negotiation and to help in bringing the two sides to voluntary agreement through a process of support, informal mediation and where necessary, conciliation.

The Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill 2013 contains provisions to create a new body - the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland (PNBS). Once brought into existence the PNBS will replace PNB, abolishing it in Westminster legislation, but it will continue to exercise the same functions in relation to the terms and conditions for police officers in Scotland.

The PNB and SPCF are funded by the Scottish Government.

Until new legislation is in place in Scotland, the PNB Chair remains a Prime Ministerial appointment and as such, the appointment process followed Cabinet Office guidance. The post was advertised, and there was a fair and open competition.

This is a fee-paid appointment. Mr McKay will be paid the current daily rate of £343 plus expenses.

Mr McKay is the Scottish Chairman of the Institute of Directors and owner of consultancy firm, Otherhand Ltd, which specialises in high-level facilitation and mediation in Scotland. Ian is currently Chairman of the Board of Edinburgh College, the largest Further Education college in Scotland, and a Board member at Colleges Scotland. He was previously the Director of the Royal Mail Group in Scotland, and held senior positions with the Educational Institute of Scotland and at Stevenson College Edinburgh.

He lives in the Borders with his wife Ruth, who is a local Head teacher.