Aberdeenshire councillors will today call on Cathy Jamieson, the Scottish Justice Minister, to silence speculation over the future of Peterhead Prison by committing the Scottish Executive to finance a substantial upgrading of the jail.

Ms Jamieson is due to tour the prison, where Scotland[base ']s most serious sex offenders are incarcerated, for the first time this afternoon at the invitation of local MSP Stewart Stevenson.