Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill faced mounting pressure yesterday over a massive increase in police spying orders and further huge cuts to the Police Scotland budget.

A Freedom of Information investigation by the Sunday Herald revealed more than 19,000 requests to access records of emails and telephone calls were approved internally by Police Scotland in 2013 — an increase of 5 per cent on the previous year.

But Police Scotland refused to reveal the level of requests and approvals for interception warrants, which must be authorised by the Scottish government to allow officers to listen to and read the communications of suspects.

“Silence is no answer,” Scottish Labour justice spokesman Graeme Pearson said, calling on Mr MacAskill to “assuage public concerns”  about the scope of police spying.

Lib Dem justice lead Alison McInnes MSP called for the “extent to which ministers are sanctioning police interceptions of public communications” to be revealed. 

“There is no rhyme or reason why this information should not be made public,” she said.

Meanwhile police staff and officers slammed a proposed £107 million funding cut for Police Soctland in the SNP’s draft 2015 Budget.

George McIrvine, secretary of Unison Police Staff Scotland branch told the Morning Star that the cut “equates to slashing all non-staff cost — and still not balancing the budget.”

He called for Police Scotland to be allowed to manage the “balanced workforce they need” in negotiation with the staff union.

“Kenny MacAskill and the SNP need to move away from the artificial manifesto pledge of an extra thousand cops as it’s just not working.” 

Calum Steele, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, told the Scotsman newspaper the service “will struggle to keep public safe in 2015” in the face of mounting budget pressures.

Mr MacAskill has already faced calls for his resignation after the controversial arming of the Scottish police force, and extensive use of stop and search practices.