Peterhead Prison, which is a world-leader in the treatment of sex offenders, should remain open, a Scottish Parliament committee investigation has recommended.

The justice committee has published its report on the Scottish Prisons Service estates review, which sets out plans for the future of jails.

It said Peterhead Prison was accepted by the local community and this would be hard to replicate if a new facility was built elsewhere.

MSPs also said they were impressed by the quality of the staff and by the STOP 2000 treatment programme for sex offenders delivered at the prison.

We believe they need to look again at the evidence before making any significant changes to the way in which prisons are run in Scotland

Christine Grahame Committee convener

"The committee recognises that the buildings used by Peterhead Prison need to be either refurbished or replaced and believes that the review failed to provide sufficient evidence against refurbishment on cost grounds," the report concluded.

Published in March, the review's proposals included the closure of Peterhead and Low Moss jail near Bishopbriggs, in East Dunbartonshire.

The committee agrees with Low Moss being shut.

Comparisons 'impossible'

But it opposed another aim of the review, to reduce Glasgow's Barlinnie jail to 530 places, saying it would quickly lead to overcrowding.

The report went on to raise "major questions" over using Kilmarnock, Scotland's first private prison, for comparison purposes. MSPs said they were seriously concerned about low staffing levels.

The review also recommended the construction of three new private prisons, which accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers said could save the Scottish Executive about �700m.

Christine Grahame: "Think again"

Justice committee convener Christine Grahame said: "Our investigation found that the executive's review was based on inadequate financial and performance information, making accurate comparisons between private and public provision almost impossible.

"We believe they need to look again at the evidence before making any significant changes to the way in which prisons are run in Scotland."

It also made scathing criticism of the evidence of Tony Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), who addressed the committee about the expense of building public sector prisons.

"The committee found the evidence of the chief executive of the SPS extraordinary and unconvincing on the issue of buildings, staffing and the space required, and found his comments about the inefficiency of his organisation astonishing," it said.

Resignation call

Mr Cameron had told the MSPs the SPS could not build a prison in the public sector to the same standard as one built in the private sector because of "restrictive practices on over-manning".

An SPS spokeswoman responded to the criticism, saying: "Everyone agrees that the public sector needs to be more efficient."

Tony Cameron's evidence was questioned

She added: "The Justice Committee's report will be studied carefully by the executive, along with the other responses received to its proposals, before taking any decisions."

But the SNP MSP who represents the Banff and Buchan constituency, which includes Peterhead, called for Mr Cameron to resign.

Stewart Stevenson: "The work underlying the estates review has been shown up to be shoddy, complete and inaccurate.

"It is inconceivable that Tony Cameron can continue in office."

'Long, hard look'

His view was echoed by Derek Turner of the Prison Officers' Association Scotland.

He said: "The man who has been driving this whole process has been the (SPS) chief executive.

"As far as the chief executive and the prison board are concerned, they need to take a long hard look at themselves based on the evidence they have been giving to the minister."

However, the SPS said Mr Cameron would not be resigning.

A spokesperson said he was concentrating on delivering value for money and ending slopping out in the country's jails.

At the report's launch, Ms Grahame, along with the Tories' James Douglas Hamilton, the Liberal Democrats' Donald Gorrie and Labour's Paul Martin, said the findings had been unanimous.