§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the oath taken by constables in Scotland and give the reasons why it differs from the oath taken in(a) England and Wales and (b) Northern Ireland. [12308]
§ Mr. McLeishA person appointed to the office of constable of a police force in Scotland is required to make the following declaration, prescribed in regulation 10 of the Police (Scotland) Regulations 1976, before a sheriff or justice of the peace
834WI hereby do solemnly and sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of constable.It differs from the oath in England and Wales, or the declaration in Northern Ireland, because it derives from separate Scottish legislation. The declaration, largely in its current form, was first given statutory force by the Police (Scotland) Act 1857.