Plans to build three new private jails have been confirmed by the Scottish Executive.

A statement on the future of Scotland's prison service also said that a consultation exercise will begin on the proposals which also include the closure of Peterhead jail, where long-term sex offenders are housed.

The much-delayed proposals for prison provision, unveiled by Justice Minister Jim Wallace on Thursday, also signalled the closure of Low Moss prison, near Bishopbriggs in Dunbartonshire.

The Scottish National Party justice spokeswoman Roseanna Cunningham said she was "dismayed" that the executive was carrying through with its plan to close a number of prisons and replace them with private jails.

	Peterhead Prison Established in 1888 Houses 300 inmates Home to acclaimed sex offenders unit For more: Peterhead prison: Granite fortress

Mr Wallace said that sites have not been identified for the new prison buildings - but Peterhead has been ruled out as a location.

The Victorian prison, in the north-east of Scotland has built up an international reputation as a model for the treatment of those jailed for sex crimes.

The sex offenders' programme will continue at jails in the central belt and the new unit will remain within the public sector, Mr Wallace added.

He said the Peterhead accommodation was reaching the end of its useful life, all prisoners there had to slop out, and refurbishment was not good value for money.

Furthermore, the prison was far from the central belt, where most of its prisoners came from.

He proposed to close Peterhead prison within three years.

Low Moss Prison should close "as soon as possible", he said.

Slopping out

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, Mr Wallace told MSPs, that the plans were based on a projection that the prison population will rise by 1,000 over the next 10 years to 7,200.

He said reasons for the rise included the highest police detection rate since 1939 and improved measures to deal with serious and drug-related crime.

The review concluded 3,300 new prisoner places need to be provided to cope with the expansion in numbers and replacement of poor quality existing accommodation.

The cost of the private sector building and operating three jails would be �600m - creating a total of 2,200 new places.

The review, by accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers, said that to construct and run the prisons through the public sector would cost more than twice as much, Mr Wallace said.

Public sector investment in the refurbishment of existing accommodation or construction of new buildings could also provide around 1,100 new prison places.

A consultation exercise will be carried out

The proposals would also mean an earlier end to the practice of slopping out.

Barlinnie in Glasgow - which currently houses 1,100 men, including the Lockerbie bomber - will see its capacity reduced to 530.

The unmodernised house blocks, which have no integral sanitation, will be demolished.

Mr Wallace told parliament that, out of a total of 4,600 Scottish prison staff, about 670 would be affected by cutting the size of Barlinnie and closing Low Moss and Peterhead.

"However, the SPS has given a commitment there will be no compulsory redundancies and no cuts in cash pay for any staff as a result of the estates review," said Mr Wallace.

The SNP's Roseanna Cunningham said she was opposed to private prisons on grounds of cost, treatment of prisoners and accountability.

Ms Cunningham added: "There is the concern that private prisons are more about the warehousing of prisoners for profit than the actual rehabilitation of prisoners."