More government jobs moved

More government jobs moved

Malcolm Chisholm wants to end uncertainty

A further 300 government jobs are to be moved out of Edinburgh as part of a Scottish Executive drive to decentralise its operations.

The move involves 235 jobs in the Common Services Agency, a health service administrative and support body, and 80 other executive jobs deemed suitable for moving to remote parts of Scotland.

Some of the jobs will move to Aberdeen and some will go to the west of Scotland, where final locations have yet to be decided.

The relocation move follows last week's announcement that 270 jobs at Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) would be relocated from Edinburgh to Inverness by 2005.

Two phases

Consultations among Edinburgh staff last year warned up to 80% of workers would be forced to leave the agency, because of family and personal reasons, rather than relocate to Inverness.

Unions staged a protest over the move in Edinburgh this week.

The Common Services Agency jobs will be relocated in two phases, the first of which is due to take place before the end of next year.

In the first phase, 130 jobs will move to Aberdeen and the west of Scotland, and a further 30 will be moved to an undecided location.

I feel that this is an awful decision, the worst decision I have seen from the Scottish Executive

Edinburgh City Council leader
Donald Anderson

In the second phase, another 75 jobs will be transferred to an undecided location, before the end of 2006.

Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm said the move would end a period of uncertainty for the CSA and its staff.

"It is a balanced package which sets out the future for relocated posts and for more than 800 staff who will remain in Edinburgh," said Mr Chisholm.

'Disperse jobs'

Meanwhile, Edinburgh City Council leader Donald Anderson said talks over the SNH jobs were "extremely disappointing and depressing".

Following a meeting with Environment Minister Ross Finnie, Mr Anderson said he could not understand why the jobs were being relocated.

Mr Anderson said: "I feel that this is an awful decision, the worst decision I have seen from the Scottish Executive.

Ross Finnie held talks with the council leader

"The minister did say that they wanted to disperse jobs around Scotland and I don't have a problem with that.

"But each case should be judged on its own merits and I don't believe there are any merits here."

Mr Anderson said he could not understand why jobs were being moved from one economic hotspot to another.

"This is moving a significant number of staff to an area that has only 48 houses on the market at the moment."

He urged Mr Finnie to consider West Lothian as an alternative location.