Mark's death caused widespread public anger

Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson will also introduce tighter supervision of offenders after they are released.

The action follows public anger over the death of schoolboy Mark Cummings who was murdered by a sex offender who lived in the same tower block.

However, the executive will resist calls for people to be told if a sex offender is living in their area.

Campaigners demanded changes in the law to protect children after Stuart Leggate strangled eight-year-old Mark in June and then threw him down the refuse chute at flats in Royston, Glasgow.

Leggate had previous convictions for sexually assaulting children and was on the sex offenders' register when he murdered Mark. He was jailed for a minimum of 20 years.

I want post-release supervision that means what it says and I am minded to end the system whereby sex offenders serving less than four years may be released unconditionally Cathy Jamieson Justice Minister

His family led a march from their home to George Square in the city in October to demand a clampdown on paedophiles.

Ms Jamieson is to announce measures to end automatic early release of sex offenders and ensure that all sex offenders are subject to "statutory multi-agency supervision" and not just those who face sentences of four years or more.

Police would also be given the automatic right to enter the homes of freed sex offenders. At present officers cannot enter premises without permission.

Access to register

Mark's mother, Margaret Ann Cummings, is lobbying the Scottish Parliament to demand parental access to the Sex Offenders' Register.

However, the executive will not publish names and addresses of those on the register.

Ms Jamieson said: "I want to look more broadly at how we minimise the risk posed by sex offenders in the community, including whether we should now end automatic early release, whatever their length of sentence.

Mark's mother wants access to the Sex Offenders' Register

"I want post-release supervision that means what it says and I am minded to end the system whereby sex offenders serving less than four years may be released unconditionally.

"We are very firmly on the side of families - but I still believe the disclosure of information about a sex offender's presence in a community could make communities less safe - not more."

First Minister Jack McConnell said: "The most important thing we need to do is put the safety and security of local communities and local children first, so the actions we take should be designed to have the maximum impact on the safety and security.

"I think the case for publicising the existence of sex offenders in the community is not proven and I think there is a very strong argument that says if you were to identify every sex offender in the community then you would drive them underground and make communities less safe."

MSP meeting

The family's MSP, Paul Martin, met Ms Jamieson last week to raise his constituents' concerns.

The Labour backbencher and member for Springburn said: "The executive plans are definitely a step in the right direction, particularly on early release.

"Stuart Leggate was a sex offender who was freed two years into a four-year sentence into the community to murder Mark.

"But there's still a lot that needs to be done to look at how we improve the laws that deal with sex offenders."

The Scottish National Party's Kenny MacAskill welcomed the stricter laws to deal with sex offenders but warned that until adequate resources were available for police and social work departments the new measures would be insufficient.