Scottish Government Ringholtos no hrAlbu govscot Police Division Safer Communities Diremorate Your ref: Our ref: 2016/0036341 November 2016 Dear Thank you for your email dated 31 October which was sent to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and copied to various others (including myself). The Cabinet Secretary has asked me to respond to you. I would like to reassure you that Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) provides independent scrutiny of Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority. It is an entirely separate entity to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary for England and Wales. The Scottish Government continues to believe that a single inquiry across the UK would be the best option for a comprehensive and coherent investigation into the matters. As the UK Government has refused the Scottish Government's request for this to happen, Scottish Ministers have taken the step of directing HMICS to carry out an independent review of undercover policing in Scotland. The review will be essential in gathering facts about existing and historical undercover policing activities, over the period the Scottish Parliament has had responsibility in this area, and will inform any future decisions the Scottish Government makes. You may also be interested in seeing the clarification of the Pitchford lnquiry's approach, as provided to the Scottish Government by the Solicitor to the Inquiry: "The Chairman may admit evidence of undercover police activity outside England and Wales because it is relevant to subject matter that does fall within our terms of reference ("relates to part of a wider operational matter that does relate to England and Wales"). It would be part of the narrative of a police undercover operation in England and Wales by an England or Wales police force." SlAndrew's House, RegemRaad. Edinburgh EH1 SDG "What the lnquiw may not do, however, is to apply its investigative obligations under the terms at reterenoe to any undercover activity that took place in Scotland." I hope that this reply is helptul to you. Yours sincerely St Andrew's House, Regent Road' Edinburgh EH1 SDG