The Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, Annabelle Ewing, was in front of the committee today to ask them to pass subordinate legislation that would overturn a ban on tagging those convicted of a crime while serving a community sentence.
However during questioning from Douglas Ross MSP the minister was unable to provide statistics that were referred to in a report backing the move, with committee convenor Margaret Mitchell saying “You and your officials have come to the committee unprepared, without the statistics that are referred to in this report.”
The proposed move has been criticised as it would overturn a decade long ban on those who have defied community sentences in the past to be let out on a home detention curfew.
Scottish Conservative shadow secretary for justice Douglas Ross said:
“This was an embarrassing moment for the minister as she was completely unprepared for any scrutiny over her plans which she wanted the committee to endorse today.
“Hopefully this will give them time to reconsider these plans and look at the message this move could send out .
“These individuals have already shown that they cannot be trusted, and are banned from being tagged for good reason.
“The SNP however seem determined to ignore common sense and let them back into our communities, even though in many cases prison seems the most appropriate place for these criminals to serve their punishment.”