SNP ministers have been called on to use an underspend to pay compensation to miners wronged during the bitter strike of the 1980s.
Labour MSP Richard Leonard believes the cash should be used to back up a pardon that has already been promised.
The strike, which lasted between 1984 and 1985, saw the miners go head-to-head against a Thatcher Government determined to close pits.
Many former pit workers lost their jobs and were blacklisted after they were arrested by police and given criminal convictions.
A new law, which will issue an automatic pardon for miners convicted of offences like breach of peace during a picket or on a demo, cleared its first Holyrood hurdle recently.
The symbolic move would also apply to miners whose conviction related to travelling for the purposes of taking part in a picket.
Leonard, a former Scottish Labour leader, is trying to amend the legislation so it also includes compensation.
He said the latest available figures for the Justice directorate show a £41m underspend, the sort of sum he believes could “comfortably” fund compo.
Leonard will introduce his amendments at a meeting today of the Holyrood committee scrutinising the pardon plans.
He told the Record: “Of the 1,400 miners arrested in Scotland, 500 were convicted and 206 were sacked. I believe paying them compensation as well as giving them a pardon could be comfortably accommodated within this kind of figure.
“This is a matter of political conviction and moral judgement. The question for SNP and Green MSPs is: will you be able to look former miners and their families in the eye and tell them, hand on heart, you did everything you could to deliver the justice they deserve.”
Justice Secretary Keith Brown has so far opposed the call and claimed the powers needed to “validate and approve compensation” are reserved to Westminster.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government very much sympathises with miners who lost out on redundancy payments and pension rights as a result of being sacked by the National Coal Board after being arrested or convicted for actions whilst participating in the strike.
“By offering a pardon, the Scottish Government is doing what it can within its powers to restore dignity to miners convicted in relation to the strike. However, Employment and Industrial Relations are reserved to Westminster.
“We agree with the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee’s view that the Bill is not the appropriate mechanism for delivering a compensation scheme and will continue to press the UK Government for a UK-wide public inquiry which should also include the payment of compensation.
“The Scottish Government also considers that, if the Bill is passed, then this could add weight to calls for action to be taken by the UK Government.”
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