I WONDERED if I was alone in finding the timing of a new review of Multi-Agency Protection Partnership Arrangements (Mappa) in Scotland rather odd.

There is nothing wrong with the principle of the review, being carried out by the Care Inspectorate and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMCIS) - it is the first time arrangements for protecting the public from known sex offenders have been revisited formally since they were introduced seven years ago.

Mappa were designed to ensure agencies such as health, social work, education and the police work together to ensure sex offenders living in the community are not a threat to those living around them.

There have been significant changes since Mappa were brought in, not least the arrival of a single police force and the current review of community justice arrangements.

But it is the latter change that makes this review puzzling. Scotland's 12 Community Justice Authorities (CJAs) are being abolished and the 32 councils will take over most of their duties. Several organisations, including the police, Cosla, the NHS and the CJAs themselves have queried the impact this will have on Mappa. The government's plans make little mention of such impact, but the CJAs are responsible for reporting back on Mappa to ministers and also are the conduit for some funding of local co-ordinators.

In their consultation response, CJAs warned of significant dangers to public safety if Mappa management and effectiveness was diluted or if decisions on funding were made dependent on other priorities.

It turns out I'm not alone: One senior social worker told me that, with CJAs being abolished within a matter of weeks, there was a risk existing structures would "melt away" long before the review gets to the point of talking to anyone face to face.

The Care Inspectorate and HMCIS say their review will be prepared over the next few months, with a report next autumn. A lot could have changed by then.

There is no crisis in Mappas and there is a recognition that only a minority of sex offenders will reoffend. But Mappa doesn't always work. Diane and Holly Fallon were murdered by sex offender Thomas Bennie Smith while he was meant to be being monitored by police. The public are not willing to tolerate such failures. Important questions need to be answered long before this new inquiry is concluded.