Police chief heralds childhood in Scotland

Scotland could be one of the best places in the world to bring up children, a top police officer said yesterday.

Ministers and a panel of leading experts gathered at the Scottish Parliament to debate how investing in early years can prevent social problems such as ill health and violence.

The Finance Committee's preventative spending event looked at the difficulties facing Scotland's public sector in dealing with such issues.

One of the speakers was Strathclyde Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan of the Violence Reduction Unit.

He said: "We find ourselves at a crossroads on the future of Scotland. We are presented with the opportunity to make Scotland the best place in the world to bring up our children. To change their destiny, to improve their outcomes - this is within our grasp. Their future is our future; our economy, our culture, our country depends on them."

The event followed a committee report published last month which concluded more focus must be placed on preventing social problems from arising rather than reacting to them once they have occurred.

It backed the claims of expert witnesses who suggested a preventative approach was one of the best ways of dealing with such problems and could also deliver significant financial savings for the public purse.

Finance Committee convener Andrew Welsh and minister for children and early years Adam Ingram also addressed the event.