17 June 2005
Scotland's deputy finance minister, Tavish Scott, has defended the Executive's civil service relocation policy following a setback that forced it to drop plans to move a quango from Edinburgh.
The Mental Welfare Commission was due to move from the Scottish capital to Falkirk under the Executive's relocation policy. However, senior officials in the commission, having taken legal advice, found that ministers had no power to force them to move and refused to do so.
Scott admitted that the decision was a setback to the Executive's policy. But he added: 'Our policy of relocating public sector jobs out of Edinburgh is about bringing government closer to the people and aims to ensure every part of Scotland benefits from devolution. There is no doubt that relocation has already delivered real benefits.'
The plan to move the commission to Falkirk, a distance of under 30 miles, was announced in March by Deputy Health Minister Rhona Brankin. She said it would ensure the commission was well placed to carry out its requirement to visit people throughout Scotland.
The commission said the organisation held a 'uniquely independent position' because of mental health law.
A spokesman said: 'At a recent meeting, commissioners unanimously endorsed our consistently held position that the best interests of service users would not be served by relocation from Edinburgh at a time of great change in mental health and learning disability services.'
Brankin said: 'We have agreed that the MWC can defer their relocation until the new Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 is bedded in. After this, we may look again at this issue.'
PFjun2005
