The Scottish Police Authority (SPA), (Scottish Gaelic: Ùghdarras Poilis na h-Alba), is a public body of the Scottish Government which holds Police Scotland, the national police service, to account. Both bodies were established on 1 April 2013 following an announcement on 8 September 2011 in which the Scottish Government confirmed a single police service would be created to replace the existing eight forces, the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Scottish Police Services Authority.