SNP minister confirms U-turn on Scottish violence reduction unit
SNP justice secretary Angela Constance has confirmed the U-turn.
SNP ministers have announced a U-turn on their decision to cut funding for a specialist centre aimed at tackling violent crime.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance announced on Thursday funding for the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU) would rise by 4 per cent on past levels to £1.217 million.
The announcement came after The Scotsman last week exclusively revealed Scotland’s national centre of expertise on violence would be hit by a budget cut of 3 per cent, in a decision that had been branded “dangerous and irresponsible”.
The SVRU had been allocated just £1,135,000 for 2025/26 - a budget cut of £35,500 - before the reversal in the Scottish Government’s position.
The decision follows the deaths of teenagers Amen Teklay and Kayden Moy, who both died after allegedly being stabbed in separate incidents this year.
Ms Constance said the increase in funding showed the Government’s “continued commitment” to tackling the problem of violent crime.
Originally established in 2005 in the Strathclyde Police area, the SVRU became a national initiative the following year, with its work focusing on treating violence as a public health issue.
Ms Constance said of the unit: “They take a long-term approach to violence reduction through prevention work and working to identify, understand and address the underlying causes of violence.
“To show our continued commitment to this issue, I have announced an additional £82,000 to £1.217 million to support the work they do this year.”
Ms Constance stressed the Government’s approach to tackling youth violence “is focused on education programmes” coupled with “effective punishment for offences, appropriate police powers and sustained school and community engagement with young people”.
She also insisted: “We have made it quite clear that no-one should every carry any weapon including knives at any time, anywhere.”
Sources told The Scotsman the SVRU was originally notified of the reduced budget allocation in December last year and had written this year's business plan based on the figure. But in the wake of The Scotsman’s report on the cut, the SVRU received a call on Thursday last week confirming officers would review and increase the budget for this year.