CATHOLIC schools should be thrown out of the state system unless they tell pupils how to obtain the morning-after pill and abortions, according to the Liberal Democrats.

Mike Rumbles, the party’s health spokesman, has astonished the Catholic church by claiming state funding should be withdrawn from faith schools if they attempt to opt out of elements of the Scottish executive’s new sexual health strategy.

The MSP, who signed off the strategy on behalf of Labour’s coalition partners, also accused ministers of trying to wriggle out of a deal struck with the Lib Dems to force the church to comply with the new strategy.

Lib Dem MSPs claim they were assured that non-denominational schools would be forced to provide pupils with information on how to obtain emergency contraception and access to abortions.

However, they claim Andy Kerr, the health minister, and his deputy, Rhona Brankin, appeared to change their tune when presenting the proposals to the public, in the face of pressure from the Catholic church.

Rumbles said any state school that refuses to implement the new measures could — and should — have its funding scrapped and be ejected from the state system. He is prepared to table amendments making the strategy binding on Catholic schools ahead of a vote in parliament.

The row reignites an issue that Jack McConnell had hoped was settled. The conciliatory tone of the strategy, unveiled last week, appeared to have pacified Cardinal Keith O’Brien who, in The Sunday Times last year, said the proposals were “state-sponsored child abuse”.

In appeasing O’Brien, McConnell appears to have alienated his coalition partners. “There seems to be a bit of wriggling going on here but there is no wriggle room here for anyone within the state system. There is no opt-out for Catholic schools,” said Rumbles.

“I am the health spokesman for the Lib Dems and I know what I cleared on behalf of our party and what the minister said in parliament. If he (Kerr) is now backtracking in conversations that is up to him. We know what the rules are and what we agreed.”

Claiming that Catholic schools could be ejected from the state system, he added: “The Catholic church cannot resist it. That would be against the rules of the state system. Either you are in the state system or you are not. If you are in the state system you obey the rules. If the church wishes to ratchet this up, if it defies the authority of the local education authorities then you are in a different ball game. It cannot have its cake and eat it.”

The Catholic church reacted furiously, saying Rumbles and his party “utterly misunderstand the scope of education legislation”. “Collaboration and persuasion will always achieve more than threats and intimidation,” said a church spokesman. “Ministers cannot compel the headteacher of a school to do anything, not even to let in a nurse or a dentist, let alone a sexual-health worker. They can say they would like pupils to be referred to certain services but that is all they can do.”

The Catholic church is also concerned about Kerr’s decision last week to allow schools to hand out condoms to pupils.

Times Recommends

• Time-worn Freddie gives up Test matches
• Brighton company 'involved in cyber attack'
• The art of survival: it's all in the mind