(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Police (Scotland) Regulations 1976 (“the 1976 Regulations”) and the Police (Special Constables) (Scotland) Regulations 1966 (“the 1966 Regulations”) in relation to the qualifications for appointment as a constable or special constable.
Regulation 6 of the 1976 Regulations is amended to provide that in addition to being satisfied that candidates for appointment as constables are sufficiently educated through the passing of an examination, the chief constable also requires to be satisfied that they are sufficiently competent in written and spoken English and sufficiently numerate (regulation 2(b)).
Regulation 4 of the 1966 Regulations is amended to provide that the chief constable is to be satisfied that candidates for appointment as special constables have attained a reasonable standard of education which includes being sufficiently competent in written and spoken English (regulation 3(b)).
Regulation 6 of the 1976 Regulations and regulation 4 of the 1966 Regulations are amended to provide that candidates for appointment as constables or special constables who are not nationals of a member state of the European Economic Area must have indefinite leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom. As a consequence of this, the existing restriction in regulation 4 of the 1966 which requires special constables to be British subjects is also removed (regulations 2(a) and 3(a)).