Glasgow MSP, Anne McLaughlin, has written to Strathclyde Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) in order to seek assurances that all groups including minority groups are considered when planning for emergencies.

SCGs work together to ensure organisations across the country have effective arrangements in place to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. In recent times they have had to deal with the current flu pandemic, the Glasgow Airport attack and the industrial dispute at Grangemouth.

Miss McLaughlin raised her concern during this week's (Wed 23rd Sept) Public Audit Committee, of which she is a member. Commenting, she said: "Local Strategic Coordinating Groups have a difficult role to play; they must be prepared to effectively handle any nature of emergency. Unfortunately, one such emergency was the terror attack on Glasgow Airport in 2007.

"Local community organisations and law enforcement agencies worked well together at the time; however, this did not stop a spate of attacks against Muslim businesses, Mosques and individuals.

"I have written to Strathclyde SCG to ascertain what measures they have in place to pull together community organisations, if in the future we are unfortunately faced with something similar to the Glasgow Airport attack.

"Regrettably, there are always elements in our society that will try their best to fragment communities, by any means necessary. There must be a plan in place that pulls together vulnerable communities at such a time, if such an incident occurs again."