Labour and SNP clash over prisons

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Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill has launched a strong attack on Labour - accusing his opponents of wanting to "direct" police operations.

The comments came amid the row over safety at Scotland's open prisons, after several inmates went on the run.

Mr MacAskill said Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray and justice spokesman Richard Baker were undermining the prison system and the police.

Mr Gray said the government's integrity had been called into question.

Mr MacAskill has dismissed claims MSPs were kept in the dark over the case of convicted murderer John Brown.

It's a sin against parliament and Scotland's people Iain GrayScottish Labour leader

Brown, 57, failed to return to Castle Huntly open prison, near Dundee, from home leave on Wednesday.

Opposition parties have expressed concern it was not raised by First Minister Alex Salmond when he was being grilled on open prisons during first minister's questions the following day.

The justice secretary has also ordered an independent inquiry into how another serious offender, Brian Martin, was moved to Castle Huntly from a closed prison before he went on the run.

The minister said Martin, known as "The Hawk", should not have been transferred under the current guidelines.

Mr MacAskill told BBC Scotland's Politics Show he had the support of the Prison Officers Association, which had been "scandalised" by Labour's comments.

"They [Labour]are undermining the integrity of our prison officers, our prison estate that works very hard and indeed they've also been impugning the integrity of our police," he said.

Attacking Mr Gray, Mr MacAskill said: "His justice spokesman has been almost suggesting the police have been colluding - that is frankly shameful.

"Operational matters are taken by the police, not by the Scottish justice secretary and it would be extraordinary for any minister - justice secretary or first minister - of any political party, to seek to direct the police, and yet that's what Mr Gray and his colleagues want."

Prisoner 'audit'

But the Scottish Labour leader dismissed what he branded "a whole series of ludicrous allegations and accusations".

He said: "If we're talking about integrity - I think the Scottish public have questions about the integrity of a first minister who [was] asked seven times about prisoners escaping and absconding from the open estate on Thursday in the full knowledge from the evening before - 20 hours before - a further prisoner had absconded and felt that was right simply not to mention that.

"That may be sin of omission, but it's a sin nonetheless against parliament and Scotland's people."

The Scottish Government ordered a tightening of the rules on open prisons in the wake of the Robert Foye case last year.

Foye raped a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Cumbernauld after absconding from Castle Huntly, while serving a sentence for attempting to murder a police officer.

Police are continuing the hunt for Brown, who was transferred to Castle Huntly from Shotts jail in February.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Conservatives demanded an urgent audit of all prisoners held in the open estate to check their suitability to be there.

Party leader Annabel Goldie claimed the public had lost confidence in the government's ability to deal with the situation.