Police Scotland budget overspend set to be cut to £6.3m
Police Scotland is expected to reduce its overall budget overspend to just over £6 million by the end of the financial year.
Police Scotland is expected to reduce its overall budget overspend to just over £6 million by the end of the financial year.
It was revealed in October the force was facing an overspend of £25 million on its revenue budget and a "financial recovery plan'' to save money was put in place.
The Scottish Police Authority (SPA), which oversees Police Scotland, heard the belt-tightening measures mean a revenue overspend of £22 million is now forecast, coupled with compensating underspends in the force's reform and capital budgets.
This would result in final overall budget overspend of £6.3 million for 2015/16.
Janet Murray, director of financial services at SPA, told an SPA board meeting: "In terms of the overall financial position that we are anticipating by March 31, we are looking at a final overspend position of less than 1% of our overall budget resources.
"As we move towards March 31 there continues to a robust management of all areas of expenditure within the force and strong scrutiny of any required expenditure.
"That is based on an operational need and taking account of any risk of harm.''
Part of the financial recovery plan has involved reducing overtime, Ms Murray said.
She added: "It has always been a caveat ... that operational demand very often takes over the position in terms of the savings.
"It could very possibly be that we are in a position of a range in terms of a final year overspend from £6.2 million to just over 1% of our overall budget availability.''