Kathleen Marshall: "Children's welfare must be promoted"

Professor Kathleen Marshall told a conference in Edinburgh that plans to tag unruly children and give police more powers to disperse groups of youths are "punitive" measures.

She also called for a "sea change" in attitudes towards young people.

Prof Marshall also called for an end to children being held at Dungavel.

The commissioner said every child in Scotland was her responsibility - including those at the immigration centre in Lanarkshire - and she was concerned for their wellbeing.

Prof Marshall said she did not criticise staff at the centre, but felt holding children there was harmful.

They are children in Scotland and as far as I'm concerned they are my responsibility Kathleen Marshall Children's Commissioner

The commissioner said there were a number of issues needing to be tackled during her first year in the post.

"Detention itself is inherently against the welfare of children and you cannot expect children's welfare to be served in that situation," she said of Dungavel.

"So that is something we will have to look at very carefully.

"They are children in Scotland and as far as I'm concerned they are my responsibility.

"My legal duty is to promote and safeguard the rights of all children in Scotland. Children's welfare must be promoted at all costs."

The use of electronic tagging is to be extended

Prof Marshall said she was eager to address a range of issues which were "on the agenda".

She said electronic tagging and smacking had to be viewed from the rights of the child and with a view to the European Convention of Human Rights legislation.

"I don't want to be used as a weapon by one political side against another," she said