Yes Minister

In "Yes Minister" ,when Jim Hacker is inundated by correspondence; Bernard Woolley says he will send official replies.He explains that there are those where "the matter is under consideration"(ie we`ve lost it) and "the matter is under active consideration"(we are trying to find it).

Now Humza Yousaf is too young to know these classics but I suspect he has watched the box sets.Why is there such little action ?

I refer to the recent revelation that the Scottish Football Authorities have been collating evidence of unacceptable conduct at football matches (sectarianism, pyrotechnics etc) since 2017, but have only passed the data to the Scottish Government and Police Scotland on condition it is not published. It is likely to confirm the utter naivety of repealing the Offensive Behaviour At Football Act(2011).

The Morrow Report(2017) called for this monitoring and evaluation of religious hatred at matches. Nil By Mouth tabled requests under Freedom Of InformationLegislation but Yousaf blocked that. The Civil Service, (you can almost hear the Sir Humphrey Appleby`s voice), say it would undermine the Scottish Football Authorities` trust in the Scottish Government. Their argument, that the public interest is being served, beggars belief.

The Scottish Parliament`s Justice , and Health And Sports, Committees must undertake an investigation into the Report`s findings. Neil Doncaster is fond of saying that "Strict Liability" does not work. Does anyone truly believe that the sectarian bile, which Derek McInnes and Steve Clark endured; would have been met with such inertia, had the Guilty clubs been docked 10 points or their next match been played behind closed doors ? Why are match reports on sectarianism being ignored ?

Lets stop kicking the can down the road and tackle Scotland`s shame.
JL.