The Scottish Executive has signalled its intention to get tough with Scotland's public bodies.

Finance Minister Jack McConnell has announced to the Scottish Parliament that appointments to all public bodies are to be reviewed.

Mr McConnell said he wanted to widen access to so-called quangos and make them more accountable to the general public.

He said: "There is a widespread desire in Scotland for a more open and accountable style of governance and I believe fundamental questions should be asked now to ensure arrangements for making appointments are consistent with the new context in which we were elected.

'More diversity'

"This consultation sets out the executive's commitment to achieving more diversity in public appointments and to making the boards of public bodies more representative of, and accountable to, Scotland as a whole."

He said that Scottish ministers were responsible for the appointment of 3,900 people to public bodies which spend around £6.5bn per year.

He went on: "The executive is determined to do more to improve the diversity of appointments, particularly in boosting the number of women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds and people with disabilities, who are appointed.

"We are not at this stage prescribing particular changes, but the executive does want to modernise the appointment procedures so they are fit for the purpose of a new Scotland."

Scots 'deserve better'

Scottish National Party MSP Alex Neil said: "Any new procedures introduced by the executive must set out clearly which quangos will be covered.

"Public confidence in quangos is already very low and we must see an end to appointments like that of Caledonian MacBrayne which took place recently.

"The SNP wants to see a broad review, which includes the judiciary and puts an end to discrepancies such as that of a specific individual who runs two major quangos while also sitting as a director on fourteen other bodies.

"The Scottish people deserve better, particularly when it is their £6.5 billion being spent every year by these quangos."