THE director of Reliance yesterday clashed with the Scottish Executive after he insisted the embattled company would begin to roll out its contract across Scotland within weeks.
Claims by Campbell O'Connell, operations director of the controversial firm behind Scotland's troubled prisoner escort service, that he was confident expansion would be given the go-ahead in early June, were instantly dismissed by the executive, which said such a timeframe was ''untenable''.
His comments came as Reliance launched a media PR offensive in an attempt to boost public confidence in the company, which has accepted blame for the wrongful release of three prisoners, including a convicted murderer.
The roll-out programme, which would extend the (pounds) 126m Reliance contract across Scotland by October, has been put on hold following a series of embarrassing blunders.
Despite widespread criticism, Mr O'Connell said it was likely that the expansion plan would be approved after a meeting of the parliament's Justice Committee early next month.
He said: ''We are expecting to hear confirmation very soon, I imagine after June 8. I think we should get confirmation by the end of the second week in June.
''I am confident because of what we have achieved here, and because the executive has been given assurances that we are coping with phase one. I would be shocked and extremely disappointed if it doesn't get rolled out.''
However, a spokesman for Cathy Jamieson, the justice minister, disagreed.
He said: ''There is absolutely no chance that there will be a decision by June 8. That is simply untenable. This is a red herring, and any talk of a decision (on the roll-out) is frankly a bit premature.
''We will be looking for very robust assurances from the Scottish Prison Service and the police, who are currently helping Reliance, that they are delivering phase one. We would have to see the police removed and Reliance working independently before there is any further roll-out.''
Nicola Sturgeon, SNP shadow justice minister, yesterday demanded the freezing of expansion plans until Reliance can prove itself over a timescale of months, not weeks.
She said: ''We need to see hard evidence of consistently good performance.''
Reliance had been hoping to avoid another row when it took the unprecedented move of inviting the media to its East Kilbride headquarters.
Speaking inside the central control room, where four officers tracked the movements of transported prisoners as they dotted across the UK on a computerised wall screen, Mr O'Connell said the company was gearing up for future expansion.
An intensive recruitment drive is now under way in order to boost the 190-strong work force to around 550. Of the new recruits so far, 85% have no previous experience of the justice system. The fleet of 50 shining security vans will also be expanded along with the company base in Dumfries.
Mr O'Connell, a former chief superintendent with Strathclyde Police, said: ''It's unfortunate and regrettable that a prisoner was released in error in the first week of the contract, but I'm confident that as we move on to other areas, the transition will be a lot easier. We are ready.''
The director added that criticism of Reliance had been unfair, after privatisation brought the prison escort service under scrutiny for the first time.
Since there was no record of statistics when the prison service and the police operated the service, Mr O'Connell said that the Reliance contract simply highlights the deficiencies of the system it inherited.
His defence of the company was backed by Scotland's most senior police officer, who yesterday attacked ''vested interests''.
John Vine, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos) and chief constable of Tayside, launched a scathing attack on those unsupportive of the new privatised contract yesterday.
He said: ''The principle is right. We don't want to fill the courts with police officers and if somebody else can do it that is entirely the right decision. I think there are vested interests in the court service who would be very comfortable with a return to the free labour provided by the police.''
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