MacAskill bids to intensify SNP's fight against crime

GANGSTERS are set to have more of their ill-gotten gains confiscated under plans by the Scottish Government to widen the net in the fight against organised crime.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill was due to unveil proposals to strengthen the Proceeds of Crime Act as he addressed the SNP conference in Perth this afternoon.

The party yesterday promised to freeze council tax for the next two years despite financial pressures.

In a pre-recorded message from Delhi, where he was attending the Commonwealth Games handover ceremony, First Minister Alex Salmond said council tax would be a "defining issue" in next year's election campaign.

Today's announcement by Mr MacAskill would mean those involved in a wide range of criminal activity, from prostitution to environmental offences, could have cash or property seized, and the threshold for seizures would be cut from 5000 to 1000.

Mr MacAskill was also expected to announce a new 500,000 fund, financed by money seized from crooks, which will go to anti-violence projects for young people in areas with high knife crime.

The fund is part of the government's "cashback for communities" programme, which has already seen 19.5 million invested in projects, and will help pay for free activities for youths and educate them about the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife.

Mr MacAskill was due to say: "Serious organised crime committed by these gangsters affects us all.

"It brings misery to thousands of Scots families through the evil trade they peddle - whether it's drugs, prostitution, extortion or intimidation and fear.

"Their criminal activity undermines legitimate hard-working businesses and we have had enough of it.

"We now want to consult on extending the law to crack down on even more gangsters, sending out a clear message on the streets that if you commit these crimes, we'll be taking your fancy cars, your expensive houses, and anything else gained through illegal activity - and we'll be giving it back to hard-working families."

"The knife culture that affects some communities in Scotland continues to take too many lives and devastate too many families.

"By taking money from hardened criminals and putting it to work on projects to stop knife crime, we are stripping the power from the criminal world and handing it to Scottish communities to help them tackle blade culture."

Earlier, Finance Secretary John Swinney was expected to use his speech to the conference to warn that the cuts to be announced by Chancellor George Osborne "are going too far and too fast".

He was set to tell delegates: "By hacking into spending - and that is precisely what the UK Government is doing - they threaten economic recovery and they risk the danger of a further recession.

"The only alternative to Westminster cuts is economic powers and financial responsibility for the Scottish Parliament - so that we can develop a growth strategy for Scotland's economy and boost revenues to invest in quality public services."