Row over prisoner transfer

ONE of the advantages of the devolution settlement is that it allows Scotland to play a role in helping to resolve problems at UK level.

This is a routine procedure, fully understandable in this case. So it is odd, though not perhaps entirely unpredictable, for the Scottish National Party to seek to score some opportunist points on this issue. Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP spokeswoman on justice, says this should be a decision for the Scottish Executive and that our prisons would be unable to cope with an influx of inmates from across the Irish Sea.

It is not clear from this objection what is so wrong or inadequate about Scottish jails that they would be unable to cope, as opposed to those in England and Wales that will also be affected. In any event, the number of prisoners being transferred to Scotland is more likely to be nearer a handful than the alarmist picture of influx that the SNP presents. Ms Sturgeon says it would be "political cowardice" for the Scottish Parliament not to be allowed to make the final decision. This might be the case if it was only Scottish prisons that were involved in such a transfer. But that is not at all the case here.

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The Scottish Executive has been asked to play its part, along with other areas of the UK, in providing the framework by which mainland prison services could take a share of prisoners from Northern Ireland. What is really so wrong with Scotland playing such an outward and supportive role? We surely have an obligation, moral at the very least, to help in the peace process where we can.

Some calm reflection is now in order. The misleading notion should not be allowed to gain ground that Scotland is being arbitrarily singled out to take prisoners from Northern Ireland. That is not the case. Nor has there been any attempt to conceal the proposal. Safeguards are in place to ensure that any transfers would only take place with the consent of Scottish ministers. In addition, as Cathy Jamieson, the justice minister, indicated yesterday, the stability of prisons in Scotland and the safety of staff and prisoners would be taken into account on any decision on a transfer. This is no sinister deployment of the Sewel procedure and it would be quite wrong to portray it as such.