Calum Steele, General Secretary, advised yesterday that he had received a letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill, on the police pay award for 2010/11. As you know, this in the year in which the last award from the three year pay deal should be paid. Because of announcements made around the UK election and the future of public sector pay, Calum had written to Mr MacAskill. Mr MacAskill's letter to Calum reads as follows:

Dear Calum,

Thank you for your letter of 3 June 2010 concerning the police pay award for 2010/2011.

I acknowledge the contribution that our hard working officers have made in protecting Scottish communities and I have recognised this in recent Police pay agreements, including fully implementing the PNB decision for the 2007 agreement, which was not done by the Westminster Government.

As you will know, the Scottish Government has deferred the recent budget cuts until next year to enable us to prioritise economic recovery, and although there will be tough decisions to be made in the future, I can confirm that the current multi-year deal will be honoured.

I hope this will be welcomed by your members and I look forward to working with you in the future.

Yours sincerely

Kenny MacAskill.