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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Police chiefs must explain 'sorry mess' | Police chiefs must explain 'sorry mess' |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Police Scotland must give an "honest explanation" for the "sorry mess" over its handling of data on stop-and-search, an MSP has said. | Police Scotland must give an "honest explanation" for the "sorry mess" over its handling of data on stop-and-search, an MSP has said. |
| Lib Dem MSP Alison McInnnes is a member of the Scottish Parliament Justice sub-committee on policing that will quiz senior officers later. | Lib Dem MSP Alison McInnnes is a member of the Scottish Parliament Justice sub-committee on policing that will quiz senior officers later. |
| She said the facts on stop-and-search did not match the claims of Chief Constable Sir Stephen House. | She said the facts on stop-and-search did not match the claims of Chief Constable Sir Stephen House. |
| Labour's Hugh Henry said Sir Stephen had "some serious questions to answer". | Labour's Hugh Henry said Sir Stephen had "some serious questions to answer". |
| Information commissioner | Information commissioner |
| Sir Stephen's appearance comes days after he admitted to the police watchdog that statistics his force released on stop-and-search were "not 100% accurate" and were "not fit for public consumption". | Sir Stephen's appearance comes days after he admitted to the police watchdog that statistics his force released on stop-and-search were "not 100% accurate" and were "not fit for public consumption". |
| He also claimed that he had been forced to release the data by the Information Commissioner. | He also claimed that he had been forced to release the data by the Information Commissioner. |
| Emails between the commissioner and the police contradict this claim. | Emails between the commissioner and the police contradict this claim. |
| The figures had been released to the BBC under Freedom of Information legislation. | The figures had been released to the BBC under Freedom of Information legislation. |
| The BBC reported that the police were still stop-searching hundreds of children under 12, despite a commitment to end the tactic. | The BBC reported that the police were still stop-searching hundreds of children under 12, despite a commitment to end the tactic. |
| The Holyrood committee will also hear evidence from Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick, Calum Steele, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, and Vic Emery, chair of the Scottish Police Authority. | The Holyrood committee will also hear evidence from Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick, Calum Steele, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, and Vic Emery, chair of the Scottish Police Authority. |
| Assistant chief constable Wayne Mawson will also appear before MSPs. | Assistant chief constable Wayne Mawson will also appear before MSPs. |
| It was his evidence to the committee in June last year that sparked the BBC investigation. | It was his evidence to the committee in June last year that sparked the BBC investigation. |
| Must stop | Must stop |
| Mr Mawson was asked by Ms McInnes about the ability of a child under the age of criminal responsibility to consent to a search. | Mr Mawson was asked by Ms McInnes about the ability of a child under the age of criminal responsibility to consent to a search. |
| He said: "You are absolutely right. I am going to make a strong statement: from here on in, we should not search young children who are under the age of consent. | He said: "You are absolutely right. I am going to make a strong statement: from here on in, we should not search young children who are under the age of consent. |
| "That must stop." | "That must stop." |
| The FoI figures showed that 356 children were searched by police after he made that pledge. | The FoI figures showed that 356 children were searched by police after he made that pledge. |
| Two-thirds of these searches were said to have been "consensual" and 91% recovered no items. | Two-thirds of these searches were said to have been "consensual" and 91% recovered no items. |
| Children were most often searched for weapons, alcohol and stolen property. | Children were most often searched for weapons, alcohol and stolen property. |
| At a special meeting of the Scottish Police Authority, senior officers blamed a "clunky" ICT system and problems with the recording of incidents for inaccuracies in the data they had provided to the BBC. | At a special meeting of the Scottish Police Authority, senior officers blamed a "clunky" ICT system and problems with the recording of incidents for inaccuracies in the data they had provided to the BBC. |
| Assistant Chief Constable Nelson Telfer said analysis of the figures now suggested that only 18 of the searches had been contrary to force policy. | Assistant Chief Constable Nelson Telfer said analysis of the figures now suggested that only 18 of the searches had been contrary to force policy. |
| Police Scotland's chief constable told the watchdog he had been compelled to release the data to the BBC under freedom of information rules. | Police Scotland's chief constable told the watchdog he had been compelled to release the data to the BBC under freedom of information rules. |
| Scotland's Information Commissioner denied that this was the case and has released emails between the two parties which prove that the release was "voluntary". | Scotland's Information Commissioner denied that this was the case and has released emails between the two parties which prove that the release was "voluntary". |
| Ms McInnes said: "This exchange of emails, released by the Information Commissioner, rebuts each and every point the chief constable used in his defence at the SPA. The facts do not match his claims." | Ms McInnes said: "This exchange of emails, released by the Information Commissioner, rebuts each and every point the chief constable used in his defence at the SPA. The facts do not match his claims." |
| Hugh Henry, Scottish Labour's Justice spokesman, said: "I think Sir Stephen had better take another look at his notebook. It's clear from the emails issued by the Information Commissioner that there was no coercion and no explicit instructions given. | Hugh Henry, Scottish Labour's Justice spokesman, said: "I think Sir Stephen had better take another look at his notebook. It's clear from the emails issued by the Information Commissioner that there was no coercion and no explicit instructions given. |
| "His alibi for his officers continuing with non-consensual stop-and-search of under-12s, six months after they said it would be stopped has fallen apart under cross-examination. | "His alibi for his officers continuing with non-consensual stop-and-search of under-12s, six months after they said it would be stopped has fallen apart under cross-examination. |
| "If Scotland's top police officer can't get his evidence straight there is something far wrong. | "If Scotland's top police officer can't get his evidence straight there is something far wrong. |
| "Instead of making excuses and blaming someone else he should have come clean and confessed that the police had got it wrong and were putting it right. That would have had more credibility." | "Instead of making excuses and blaming someone else he should have come clean and confessed that the police had got it wrong and were putting it right. That would have had more credibility." |
| The Justice Sub-Committee can be watched live at BBC Scotland's Democracy Live website from 1pm. |