SCOTTISH POLICE are not recording the costs of policing Orange and Republican marches, despite a government working group having asked them to do so for more than a year.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, the Sunday Herald asked Scotland's eight police forces how many Loyalist and Republican processions there had been in 2006 and 2007, and how much it had cost to police them.

Dumfries and Galloway only logged the amount spent on overtime, Northern Constabulary said a code had not been set up to capture the data, and Fife Constabulary said the costs were not readily accessible. Central Scotland police said 32 parades in 2007 cost just £126.10, but admitted this only represented a very small number.

Tayside's eight parades in 2007 cost £4765 to police while Strathclyde Police, Scotland's largest police force, revealed it spent £788,706 on policing 483 marches over a nine month period. Lothian and Borders police spent £50,000 on just one march, by the James Connolly Society, in 2006.

A recommendation from the Working Group on Marches and Parades in December 2006 said local authorities and police "should ensure they keep statistics on the number of processions taking place and the associated policing costs".

Bill Butler, Labour MSP, said he will ask ministers why police these costs aren't captured by all police services.

"I am concerned there is no detailed information available with regard to the level of resources used by police authorities. That should be in the public domain."

Richard Benjamin, spokesman for Nil by Mouth, the anti-sectarian campaign group, said the cost of policing marches "reflects the impact they have on communities".

"It would seem the more police needed, the more sectarian and disorderly behaviour is anticipated," he said. "It is vital that a part of trying to reduce this problem of anti-social behaviour is monitoring the process they're going through to reduce the costs."

He added: "We must question whether the right to march can be afforded to individual parades that prove to be an annual focus for public order offences. Through robust monitoring of costs, public consultation and an effective review process, we can ensure parades are better managed."

When asked if organisers should contribute to the costs of policing, Benjamin said: "If it's proven certain marches are consistently causing problems then the fees should be levied on the organisers - they need to take responsibility."

Robert McLean, executive officer of the Grand Orange Lodge Scotland, said that wouldn't be fair.

"There's a libertarian issue here and everyone has the right to peaceful assembly. There are hundreds of events throughout Scotland in the year and you don't hear anyone asking them if they should give money towards policing.

"As far as the Orange Lodge is concerned, since the John Orr report came out (which reviewed parades and marches in Scotland) we have started to manage it better. Orr reported in 2005 that 305 parades took place in Glasgow; the following year this was reduced to 197. The only reason for that was down to us managing the situation and taking responsibility."

David Miller, professor of sociology at Strathclyde University and co-founder of Spinwatch, a website devoted to public interest reporting on spin and propaganda, disagreed with making organisers pay for parades but said "there is a case for banning sectarian and racist marches altogether".

"We need to seriously take on the Orange Order and sectarianism. My impression is the police won't take on the Orange order or strictly police the anti-social behaviour that does exist around these parades."

A Scottish government spokeswoman said: "We recognise that the cost of policing processions can be high and would encourage local authorities and police to work together in collecting information about the number of marches and parades taking place in their area, and associated costs, to obtain clearer information about what is happening and the resource implications."