In the final week before summer recess, the Cabinet Secretary had a Parliamentary double billing, appearing firstly in front of the Justice Committee to answer questions about the about the Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill, and then hot footing it to the Equal Opportunities Committee where he answered questions as part of their inquiry into females in the justice system. There were also several justice questions in the Chamber. More . . .

The Scottish Parliament is now in recess and will next meet on Wednesday 2nd September.

“Passport details to be kept on ID register despite card U–turn” Guardian
“Johnson has his card marked by Brown” Guardian
“ID cards test Johnson’s political skills” Guardian
“Brown backpedals on spending and ID cards” Herald
“ID database will still be compulsory” Herald
“Last rites for ID cards read by Johnson” Independent
“Identity disorder” Independent
“Labour in retreat as ID card plan is axed” Scotsman
“Alan Johnson: ID cards ‘will never be compulsory’ for Britons” Times
“Climbdown on compulsory ID cards” BBC
“Home Secretary abandons compulsory ID cards” Telegraph
“Dramatic Labour U–turn by new Home Secretary means we will never have to carry ID cards” Daily Mail

Press release

“Home Secretary affirms commitment to identity cards by accelerating rollout” Identity and Passport Service

“Sex offender rehab schemes ‘woefully inadequate’” STV
“Sex offenders’ rehabilitation ‘failing’” Press and Journal

See also

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many places on the Sex Offender Treatment Programme were available in prisons in each of the last five years, broken down by establishment. 10 related questions also posted.

Update

“MacAskill defends open prisons” Courier

Following posted on 26.6.09

“Prison service blunders behind Hawk’s escape” Courier
“Disciplinary action not ruled out” Courier
“Series of errors led to dangerous convict ‘The Hawk’ escaping from open prison” Daily Record
“Hawk flight: new rules ignored” Evening Telegraph
“Calls for reforms after open prison escape” Herald
“Blunders that allowed violent inmate to abscond” Herald
“Jail probe finds staff broke rules” Press and Journal
“Guidelines on assessing criminals” Press and Journal
“Satellite tagging for killers in Scots open prisons” Scotsman
“Report eases pressure on justice secretary” Scotsman
“MacAskill should have seen system was going awry for a long time” Scotsman
“Brian Martin escaped from open prison despite warnings from police” Times
“MacAskill has an open prison system to fix” Scotsman
“Rules ‘not followed’ in Hawk case” BBC
“Series of failures led to prisoner absconding from Castle Huntly” STV

Press release

“Open estate abscond report” Scot.Gov.

See also

Balancing Risk and Need: Review of the decision to send Brian Martin to open conditions in the light of his subsequent absconding from the Open Estate on 18 May 2009 and issues highlighted as a consequence

“Police to crack down on corrupt officers” Herald
“Police deserve praise” Herald
“Criminals ‘trying to infiltrate police forces’” STV