Emergency prison provisions – First Minister won’t say what they are

27/03/2008

Commenting after she challenged Alex Salmond at First Minister’s Questions on the issue of prisoners and prison space, Annabel Goldie MSP, Scottish Conservative Leader, said:

“I asked the First Minister what happens at the moment if any part of the prison estate is rendered unusable through for example, storm damage and flooding. He said that there were measures in place but refused to say what they were. Why? What would they do with the prisoners? Where would they put them? Or would they just let them wander free?

“And if there are, why does the Scottish Government not use these measures now to get us through the current crisis. ‘Crisis’ is the First Minister’s own description. So what is he doing about it?

“The SNP minority government’s refusal to accept a sunset clause for their even earlier release of prisoners, or to use any emergency provisions to combat the prison numbers crisis, is the final proof that they merely want to empty our jails, regardless of public safety. When will the SNP learn that you do not cut crime by cutting the prison population, you cut the prison population by cutting crime.”