A NEW national anti-sectarianism strategy will be announced later this year, according to the First Minister.

A NEW national anti-sectarianism strategy will be announced later this year, according to the First Minister.

Alex Salmond said full details would be revealed in October after he was challenged yesterday by Glasgow MSP Bill Butler.

Mr Butler expressed his concerns over the amount of cash being spent on projects and his fears the issue has slipped down the Scottish Government's agenda.

The Anniesland MSP asked Mr Salmond when he would bring forward a national strategy, which was promised last year.

Mr Salmond told him the national strategy was coming and highlighted the £500,000 already allocated to Nil By Mouth and Sense Over Sectarianism.

Mr Butler said: "This is a good first step but more needs to be done and quickly. We need to have in place a national sectarianism strategy which is comprehensive and effective.

"I will argue the strategy must include a national rehabilitation programme for those convicted of religiously aggravated crimes.

"We also need a pledge to address the decline in twinning schemes where denominational and non-denominational schools work closer together."

Mr Butler has been concerned over the allocation of funds from the Scottish Government's Race, Religion and Refugee integration fund, which he feels has not gone to projects dealing with sectarianism.

The fund allocated £5.5million over three years to 33 projects across Scotland, with the lion's share of cash going to projects dealing with asylum or ethnic minority issues.

Last July the Scottish Government announced the allocations, with £250,000 going to the Black Community Skills Project in Edinburgh, £244,000 to a Community Law centre in Govanhill and £240,000 each to the west of Scotland race equality Council and Maryhill Integration Network.

Mr Butler was disappointed no cash from the fund was given to an organisation dealing exclusively with sectarianism and said some projects already lost out on funds.

He added: "We cannot allow sectarianism to slip back into the darkness.

"Not a penny has been committed from the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Fund to anti-sectarianism projects and we have had confirmation no further summits are to be held.

"And yet, hundreds of people have been convicted of sectarian offences. Sectarianism remains a stain on Scottish society."