Scottish parents are to be given the right to learn whether people who have access to their children are convicted sex offenders.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said the scheme would allow parents to ask for background checks on anyone they may have concerns about.

Police would then tell them whether the person in question had convictions for sex offences.

A pilot of the scheme has been running in Tayside since September.

Mr MacAskill said it would start to be rolled out nationwide by the end of the year, although Fife Constabulary and Central Scotland Police had already said they were keen to have the scheme running in their areas by the autumn.

He said: "Scotland is one of the leading countries in the world in terms of its approach to the management of sex offenders and we will continue to strengthen this approach.

"We have made progress in recent years to toughen up safeguards in place - such as strengthening measures to assess, manage and minimise the risks posed by sex offenders - but I am determined to go even further."

Under the Tayside Police pilot, child protection measures are instigated if any youngster is found to be at serious risk of harm.

The force has said feedback from parents who have requested information has been "very positive".

The pilot will run until the end of May and a full evaluation will be published in August which will allow other forces to learn any lessons from Tayside before implementing the scheme in their own areas.

'Positive step'

Mr MacAskill added: "Discussions are currently taking place with all of Scotland's police forces about how quickly we would be able to have the scheme up and running in their areas.

"However, I fully expect the roll-out process to begin later this year and for all of Scotland to be covered in a matter of months thereafter - meaning that parents in every part of the country will get the extra reassurance that the disclosure scheme provides."

Assistant Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, from the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, welcomed the decision to roll out the initiative.

He said: "The Keeping Children Safe pilot in Tayside has been a positive step which adds to existing child protection measures and increases the intelligence the police have in relation to monitoring sex offenders.

"The implementation throughout Scotland will increase our ability to protect children and other vulnerable members of the community.

Whatever happened to reasonable suspicion?

This seems to be handing that to the parents, which is why I'll be interested to see how it turns out

So, how long until 'reasonable suspicion' is more like 'I'm curious to see if that person has any skeletons in their closet'.

There do need to be safeguards.

IMO the system should not exist at all.

When my kid goes to nursery won't CRB checks have already been done on the employees by the employer?

I dont know how far they intend to take this but I think I'd want to know if my kid was at a nursery/school/youth club that employed a (child?)sex offender. At least that way I can simply make the choice as to whether I want my child in their care or not. I dont think thats unreasonble. I guess the issue though is what some parents might then do with that information though.