Rolfe said in a letter to Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill: “For some time I have been considering my employment situation and how I might balance my existing commitments and career aspirations. I have concluded that I would prefer to take on a more full-time and executive position for the remainder of my working career. This would not be consistent with the amount of time that the Convenership of SPSA seems likely to demand in the future.

“Given the regard I have for the organisation, and for the duties and responsibilities that come with any public appointment, I do not feel that I could take on a new executive challenge without adversely impacting on the commitment I could make to SPSA.

“Although the reasons for my decision are essentially personal I feel the timing of it and any disruption to SPSA to be manageable. The organisation is now over 16 months old and has successfully managed the transition of its various core businesses from the forces to a national organisation. A period of consolidation is now underway and the SPSA team is firmly focussed on delivering good performance across these businesses to our partners in the police and wider criminal justice system.

“It has been a privilege and an honour to have been involved along with others in the building of such a groundbreaking and significant element of the Scottish criminal justice system. I believe its success and its innovative approach to driving efficiency and greater effectiveness in common policing services provides an excellent model for others in the public sector.”

The SPSA delivers a range of expert policing and police support services to Scotland's police forces including the SCDEA, police training, information services, ICT and the forensic service. The SPSA took on its full powers on April 1, 2007. Rolfe was appointed to the post of convener in December 2006. The role of SPSA Convener is a public appointment and the process to find a successor to Rolfe will begin this summer with the objective of a new appointment being made later this year. Deputy convener George Kay will stand in as Convener during the transitional period.

Commenting on Rolfe’s decision, MacAskill said: “The SPSA is playing a vital role in driving and delivering real improvements in the quality and efficiency of police support services for all Scotland's police forces.

“As Convener, Mervyn Rolfe has made a significant contribution to the ongoing work to reform and modernise this aspect of our police service. I want to thank him for his energy and commitment and wish him well in the future as he takes on new challenges.

“I am confident that the SPSA will continue to have the leadership it needs to help Scotland's police forces meet the challenge of policing in the 21st Century and find effective ways to support our front line police officers.”