THE key to drafting effective legislation is to refine and improve on the status quo without inadvertently creating new problems, controversies or antagonisms, a balancing act that can be tricky to achieve.

Whether the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act achieves these aims is a moot point. Brian Sweeney, head of Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, appears to have his doubts. He is the latest figure to voice fears that the new single Scottish fire service, due to come into effect next spring, could be open to political interference.

Mr Sweeney is right to raise the issue. The SNP Government has a reputation for centralisation and it is essential that the new Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is not subjected to ministerial meddling. Critics fear this could lead to a greater emphasis on the priorities of central government, with less focus on local needs. For many years, Scotland's eight fire and rescue services have been controlled locally by fire and rescue authorities represented by boards made up of elected members from the councils within each fire service's area.

The new service, however, will have a chief fire officer and management board, all appointed by ministers. Local senior officers representing the new fire service will exist in every local authority area and a local fire and rescue plan setting priorities and objectives must be drawn up for each, with input from the local authority, subject ot its approval.

The council "may monitor and provide feedback" to the SFRS on how it is functioning locally. Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill has claimed this represents a strengthening of the connection between communities and the service, and that the service will be independent of ministers but, with fire services no longer directly overseen by councillors and the central management board appointed by ministers, others are not so sure.

Will ministers be able to resist interfering? That is the big question. Political pressure does not have to be overt; it can be insidious. What will safeguard against it: politicians' self-restraint? That is unlikely to fill sceptics with confidence.

Similar fears swirl around plans for a single Scottish Police Service, to be overseen by a Scottish Police Authority, also appointed by ministers.

Raising concerns about political interference does not, however, mean that the new fire service should be less accountable. Far from it. Mr Sweeney touched last night on the tragic death of Alison Hume in 2008, who died of a heart attack brought on by hypothermia after being left in a mine shaft in Ayrshire for seven hours. Senior firefighters were criticised in an inspector's report on the incident. To ensure lessons are learned from such tragedies, democratic accountability and political scrutiny are crucial.

Mr McAskill has made a virtue of necessity in merging Scotland's police and fire services to deliver efficiencies. The initiative will be judged as a success, however, if savings can be achieved at no cost to services without encroaching upon the new body's independence.