Commentary on Sections Part 1: Police The Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency Section 13 – Strategic priorities of the Agency
29.This section gives the Scottish Ministers the power to set strategic priorities for the Agency. Such priorities may, for example, cover the disruption of serious organised crime networks. These strategic priorities are to be set in consultation with the Authority, the Director General of the Agency, persons representing the interests of the chief constable of each Scottish police force and persons representing the interests of unitary police authorities and joint police boards.
30.Subsection (2) provides that the Scottish Ministers cannot determine strategic priorities which would impinge on the operational independence of the Agency.