Sir Stephen House tells SNP: Use 56 MPs to stop force's VAT payments

Scotland’s chief constable has urged the SNP to use its new weight at Westminster to force a change on VAT policy set to cost the police service more than £20m this year.
 
Police Scotland chief constable Sir Stephen House yesterday reiterated his criticism of a UK Treasury decision not to allow the single service to recover VAT as “unfair”.
 
Cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson confirmed discussions have already taken place with the 56 MPs the SNP had elected earlier this month in an effort to move the issue up the political agenda within the House of Commons.

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Scotland’s eight legacy police forces were exempt from VAT but the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland, as central government bodies, have been left with different arrangements along with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
 
“What on earth is going on with VAT in this country?” House, speaking at the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents annual conference, said. 
 
“Why are we the only police service in the United Kingdom that I’m aware of that pays VAT? How can that be right?
 
“It simply isn’t correct, it’s not right, it’s unfair and it shouldn’t be allowed to continue.”
 
Police Scotland will be liable for a VAT bill of around £24m in the coming year, the chief constable added, despite the National Crime Agency as well as Northern Ireland’s single service and forces in England and Wales being exempt.
 
“I know there are people from the Treasury who will come up with explanations as to why we’re slightly different, but looking at the simple fairness of it, it does not add up,” he added.
 
“We look to the government to make use of the mandate they’ve been given by the Scottish public, and it’s a mandate that’s hard to deny with 56 MPs out of 59.
 
“I’m not suggesting this is the first thing they should be asking, but I’d like it to be on their list. That would do an awful lot to help us deliver the right police service for Scotland.”
 
The SNP’s General Election manifesto declared the party intended to press for police and fire services north of the border to receive the same exemption as other forces.
   
Matheson, who was asked directly about the matter by the chief constable in a Q&A session, said: “You can be assured that we are not going to be taking our eye off the ball with this matter. 
 
“I have already had discussions with my colleagues at Westminster, the 56 MPs that we’ve sent down there, to make sure that this is very high up on their agenda in pursuing the matter within the chamber. 
 
“I would like to see this issue get resolved and we’re determined to make sure that it is changed in the very near future, if we can get the Treasury to recognise the unacceptable position they’ve taken.”