Jim Wallace: Shame on Scotland

Against this backdrop, First Minister Henry McLeish has ordered a review into how Scotland is coping with the dispersal policy of asylum seekers.

Mr McLeish said the priority had moved from easing racial tensions in Glasgow to looking at long-term solutions to the problem.

Mr Wallace much remained to be done to tackle the problem of racism in Scotland.

He said: "I believe that racism is a cancer in any society and we are committed to rooting out racism because it is a scar in any society," the minister said.

"No one should be subjected to the type of racist abuse and attacks that sadly still happen in our communities."

He said neither poverty, deprivation, nor ignorance were excuses for the maltreatment of asylum seekers.

Equal protection

Although the problems were caused by only a handful of individuals, they were totally incompatible with efforts to create a compassionate, caring and tolerant Scotland, the minister added.

The declaration also stresses that everyone in the Lothians and Scottish Borders is entitled to expect equal protection and equal treatment from all public services, irrespective of their race, skin colour, culture or religion.

The move follows a conference last October which examined the progress made since the Stephen Lawrence report was published.

Sir William Macpherson's report into the murder of the black teenager in London in 1993 found that "institutional racism" existed within the Metropolitan Police and other organisations.

Chief Constable Roy Cameron: "A real impact"

Sir Roy Cameron, Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police, said it was important that different agencies worked together to ensure that the findings of that report were taken on board.

"The Lawrence report identified lessons to be learned by both the police service and other organisations in regards to racism," he said.

"We hope that this declaration will signify a formal, public commitment, by participating agencies, to work together to promote open and equal access to everyone regardless of skin colour, race, culture or religion.

"We all want to make a real impact in the lives of those who are suffering as a result of racism and make this part of Scotland a safer place for people from black and ethnic minority communities."

ELREC chief executive Alastair Christie said it was hoped that more organisations would sign up to the declaration.

"This first phase of the declaration launch has attracted support from all of the local authorities as well as key service providers," he said.

"It is envisaged that this will form the springboard for a much wider adoption of the core principles and lead to much-improved practice in the promotion of racial equality and the eradication of institutional racism."