This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/6373643.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Lib Dems 'new approach' on crime | Lib Dems 'new approach' on crime |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The Scottish Liberal Democrats have unveiled plans for tackling crime. | The Scottish Liberal Democrats have unveiled plans for tackling crime. |
| The party's Scottish conference in Aviemore heard proposals for a "new approach" to law and order. | The party's Scottish conference in Aviemore heard proposals for a "new approach" to law and order. |
| If they remain in power after the Holyrood May elections, the Lib Dems would recruit 1,000 more communitypolice officers. | If they remain in power after the Holyrood May elections, the Lib Dems would recruit 1,000 more communitypolice officers. |
| Other plans include maximum seven-year sentences for knife crime and tougher community sentences because "very short prison sentences don't work." | Other plans include maximum seven-year sentences for knife crime and tougher community sentences because "very short prison sentences don't work." |
| Custody and rehabilitation | Custody and rehabilitation |
| Party justice spokesman Jeremy Purvis said short sentences "simply re-inforce offending behaviour". | Party justice spokesman Jeremy Purvis said short sentences "simply re-inforce offending behaviour". |
| He said: "We will replace them with tougher sentences. We will give offenders skills for work not crime." | He said: "We will replace them with tougher sentences. We will give offenders skills for work not crime." |
| The party has also pledge at least two additional community police officers in every council ward in Scotland to increase police visibility in neighbourhoods. | The party has also pledge at least two additional community police officers in every council ward in Scotland to increase police visibility in neighbourhoods. |
| The party also plans to replace the Scottish Prison Service with a newScottish Custody and Rehabilitation Service. | The party also plans to replace the Scottish Prison Service with a newScottish Custody and Rehabilitation Service. |
| Mr Purvis said these were "real measures" for tackling crime and hit out atLabour's £10bn plans for both a "massive" DNA database and ID cards. | Mr Purvis said these were "real measures" for tackling crime and hit out atLabour's £10bn plans for both a "massive" DNA database and ID cards. |
| "We oppose Labour's expensive ID card scheme as it is both unwanted and unworkable." | "We oppose Labour's expensive ID card scheme as it is both unwanted and unworkable." |
| The conference also heard of Lib Dem plans for a shake-up of transport taxes. | |
| Tavish Scott vowed to axe vehicle excise duty | |
| Holyrood Transport minister Tavish Scott vowed to replace Chancellor Gordon Brown's "blunt motoring taxes" with a fairer system if the Lib Dems won power in Scotland in May. | |
| He said: "Gordon Brown penalises motorists across Britain through regressive taxation that does nothing to tackle congestion and hammers the rural motorist." | |
| Mr Scott said a Lib Dem system would tackle congestion and meet the challenge of climate change. | |
| "It must be revenue neutral and it should mean that in all our built up areas, when there is congestion and we can invest in public transport, we will - to give people the incentive to leave the car at home," he said. | |
| "But where there is no congestion motorists should be better off because in parts of Scotland there is no choice but to use the car." | |
| Although motoring tax is reserved to Westminster, a party spokeswoman confirmed it was prepared to call for power on the matter to be devolved to Scotland. |