Minister warns over President Trump trip cost

Mr Trump has previously visited his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire

Scotland's new justice secretary has insisted the UK government should pay for the cost of policing the Scottish part of any visit by President Trump.

It is believed that Donald Trump will visit Scotland after meeting Prime Minister Theresa May at Downing Street on 13 July.

The UK Home Office said policing was a devolved area and funding was a matter for the Scottish government.

Humza Yousaf said there were clear precedents for the UK paying.

On Thursday, Police Scotland said any such visit would require at least 5,000 officers and cost £5m.

Humza Yousaf said there were clear precedents for the UK paying.

The new justice secretary, who was appointed earlier this week, has written to the UK government Home Secretary Sajid Javid.

Mr Yousaf acknowledged that the final details for any potential visit to Scotland had yet to be confirmed but said "extensive operational planning" was under way.

He said the UK government regularly considers requests for additional funding from police forces for major events.

The Scottish minister also cited the G8 summit at Gleneagles in 2005 when the UK government paid £20m towards policing costs.

He said it would be "completely unacceptable" for all costs relating to any such visit to be deemed solely a matter for the Scottish government.

A UK government spokeswoman said: "Details of the President's visit have not been confirmed.

"For major events and visits, we work closely with police and consider requests for support, including financial support, on a case by case basis. This includes the devolved administrations."

Funding precedent

There is precedent for the cost of extraordinary events and visits to be met by the UK government, for example for the G8 event.

The Police Special Grant, however, which is available to police forces in England and Wales through the Home Office, is not available to Police Scotland.

The government spokeswoman added: "Policing in Scotland is a devolved matter, so anything about costs or funding for the police is a matter for the Scottish government, not the UK government"

Police Scotland's Interim Chief Constable Iain Livingstone has told the Scottish Police Authority that the visit would require at least 5,000 officers.

He said that contingency planning was under way, with rest days cancelled and shifts changed for many officers.

Protests against the controversial US president have already been organised for Glasgow and Edinburgh to coincide with the visit.