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12 January 2011
Last updated at 04:28 ET
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill is announcing proposals for police reforms, amid growing political consensus for a single Scottish force.
With the Scots budget facing a £1bn cut, the SNP has already said it would back cuts to the eight forces, rather than compromise frontline policing.
Labour and the Conservatives both support a single police force, but the Liberal Democrats remain opposed.
The Association of Chief Police Officers is split on the issue.
Mr MacAskill will also outline plans to reform fire and rescue services, which are also expected to consider cuts.
Scotland has about 17,000 police officers across the eight forces and the government says about 25% of the policing budget is spent on headquarters functions.
First Minister Alex Salmond, whose government has pledged to boost additional police officers by 1,000, has said that, if faced with having to cut costs, he would put "bobbies before boundaries".
The Scottish Tories will support a single police force, but said a network of locally elected commissioners must be set up, to improve accountability.
'Exaggerating' claims Labour has backed a single national fire and rescue service, as well as one police force.
"Labour committed to a single police force months ago and it is time the SNP stopped playing catch up and backed the plan," said leader Iain Gray.
But the Lib Dems accused the government of "hugely exaggerating" claims about the amount of cash which could be saved through police force mergers, adding that "centralised bureaucrats" would be given too much say over local policing decisions.
Nationalist MSP Stewart Maxwell, who sits on Holyrood's justice committee, said: "Our priority is a police service that can do its job with the focus on police on the street and that is what the SNP will continue to do at the next election."
Scottish police chiefs recognise savings need to be made, but have indicated they would challenge plans which would compromise "effective policing".
'Central pot' Lothian and Borders deputy chief constable Stephen Allen said politicians should not be afraid to tear up the present structure to create something new.
The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland has called for other public bodies - including Scotland's 32 local authorities - to be included in public sector reform.
But one of Mr Allen's local authority partners, Eric Milligan, who sits on the Lothian and Borders Police Board, said the idea of a single force betrayed the localised history of Scottish policing and threatened the independence of the force.
Grampian Police chief constable Colin McKerracher told BBC Scotland he was in favour of some kind of restructuring, but feared a single force could mean funding issues.
He said any local efficiencies may go into a "central pot" rather than being reinvested locally.
He added: "A few of my chief constable colleagues are concerned about political interference in policing. That might be an unfounded fear."
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With the Scots budget facing a £1bn cut, the SNP has already said it would back cuts to the eight forces, rather than compromise frontline policing.
Labour and the Conservatives both support a single police force, but the Liberal Democrats remain opposed.
The Association of Chief Police Officers is split on the issue.
Mr MacAskill will also outline plans to reform fire and rescue services, which are also expected to consider cuts.
Scotland has about 17,000 police officers across the eight forces and the government says about 25% of the policing budget is spent on headquarters functions.
First Minister Alex Salmond, whose government has pledged to boost additional police officers by 1,000, has said that, if faced with having to cut costs, he would put "bobbies before boundaries".
The Scottish Tories will support a single police force, but said a network of locally elected commissioners must be set up, to improve accountability.
'Exaggerating' claims Labour has backed a single national fire and rescue service, as well as one police force.
"Labour committed to a single police force months ago and it is time the SNP stopped playing catch up and backed the plan," said leader Iain Gray.
But the Lib Dems accused the government of "hugely exaggerating" claims about the amount of cash which could be saved through police force mergers, adding that "centralised bureaucrats" would be given too much say over local policing decisions.
Nationalist MSP Stewart Maxwell, who sits on Holyrood's justice committee, said: "Our priority is a police service that can do its job with the focus on police on the street and that is what the SNP will continue to do at the next election."
Scottish police chiefs recognise savings need to be made, but have indicated they would challenge plans which would compromise "effective policing".
'Central pot' Lothian and Borders deputy chief constable Stephen Allen said politicians should not be afraid to tear up the present structure to create something new.
The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland has called for other public bodies - including Scotland's 32 local authorities - to be included in public sector reform.
But one of Mr Allen's local authority partners, Eric Milligan, who sits on the Lothian and Borders Police Board, said the idea of a single force betrayed the localised history of Scottish policing and threatened the independence of the force.
Grampian Police chief constable Colin McKerracher told BBC Scotland he was in favour of some kind of restructuring, but feared a single force could mean funding issues.
He said any local efficiencies may go into a "central pot" rather than being reinvested locally.
He added: "A few of my chief constable colleagues are concerned about political interference in policing. That might be an unfounded fear."
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