Ministers are to undergo compulsory training in dealing with child abuse, it was announced yesterday. The assembly supported an investment of #60,000 for ministers to attend an in-service training day on the protection of children and young people in the church.

Earlier, convener of the board of ministry, the Rev George Whyte, said the Kirk had to send a signal to the wider community that it was following ''best practice'' when it came to child protection. He said: ''If #60,000 saves one child from a life of debilitating hurt and shame and guilt, would it not be money well spent?''

Only one voice dissented. Mr James Harris, of Blyth Bridge, said it was easy to understand the anxiety on the issue of child protection. However, the #60,000 cost was ''suspect financial stewardship and questionable value for money.

''The time and cost involved in compulsory training was wasteful, unnecessary, and did not address what he suspected were the expectations of the assembly.''

He failed to find a seconder for a counter motion, that ministers should be instructed to work within the guidelines of the Church's authorised code of good practice.

The Rev G M Allan Fawkes, of the Presbytery of Buchan, is prison chaplain at Peterhead, which has a specialised sex offenders unit.

He said he could not stress too strongly how important it was for people to go through all the procedures being suggested for the Church. ''Paedophiles don't go around wearing horns,'' he said. They knew all the right phrases and all the answers and could con people ''so easily''.