3Duty to provide the police support services
(1)The Authority must provide the police support services.
(2)The police support services are—
(a)the development, provision, procurement and delivery of training and education to—
(i)police forces; and
(ii)such other persons or organisations as the Authority thinks fit;
(b)the development, provision, procurement, maintenance, management, support and oversight, as appropriate, of—
(i)national data systems;
(ii)information technology systems and equipment; and
(iii)records;
(c)the development, provision and maintenance of a national system for the collection, identification and verification of—
(i)such physical data, samples, and other things; and
(ii)such information derived from those data, samples and other things,
as are, or may be, used to identify a person;
(d)the carrying out of any functions of the Scottish Ministers under Part V of the Police Act 1997 (c. 50) (certificates of criminal records etc.) which are delegated to the Authority by virtue of section 121 of that Act;
(e)the development and maintenance of a strategy for the acquisition and use of information technology systems by police forces; and
(f)the development and provision of a national forensic science service.
(3)The Authority may—
(a)establish and maintain institutions and organisations in connection with the provision of the police support services;
(b)do anything which is incidental or ancillary to providing the police support services.
(4)The Authority, or any institution or organisation established by virtue of subsection (3)(a), may provide the police support service mentioned in subsection (2)(a) in conjunction with another person.
(5)The Authority must carry out its functions under this section in a way calculated to promote the efficiency and effectiveness of the police.
(6)In providing the police support services, the Authority must have regard to the effect of such provision on the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system.
(7)In this section, “information technology systems” means systems which utilise a computer or other technology by means of which information or other matter may be recorded or communicated without being reduced to documentary form.
(8)In section 121 of the Police Act 1997 (c. 50) (performance by constables on central service of functions under Part V of that Act)—
(a)after “Scotland” where it first occurs there is inserted—
“(a)the Scottish Police Services Authority;”;
(b)the words “a constable engaged on central service (within the meaning of section 38 of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967)” become paragraph (b) of that section; and
(c)for “any constable performing” there is substituted “that Authority’s or any constable’s performance of”.