14 April 2006
Finance Minister Tom McCabe has raised doubts about the Scottish Executive's plans for public sector reform by suggesting that its long-awaited 'think-piece' document might be further delayed.
He told the annual conference of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in St Andrews that he was concerned that some people might use the document to 'defend their own space'.
The minister's statement, made over a video link from Washington where he was attending 'Tartan Week', came as a surprise to senior councillors and officials attending the conference.
Some council leaders see his decision not to press ahead with the think-piece as a sign of division in the Scottish Cabinet over the issue. There have been suggestions that some ministers are concerned about the prospect of controversy over the proposals in the run-up to the 2007 Scottish Parliament election.
In his speech, McCabe stressed that there was no blueprint for the future of public services in Scotland and no hidden agenda. He said: 'We want to take part in an open and constructive dialogue with you and other parts of the public sector.
'I have already spoken about publishing a think-piece. It's still the intention to do so. But I increasingly worry about the publication of a piece of paper that allows a range of different people to defend their own space, to see shadows within it that don't exist and therefore cloud the important debate that we need to have.'
Cosla, which devoted its entire two-day conference to public sector reform, has already decided to take a lead role in advance of any plans from the Executive. It is encouraging individual councils to prepare for 'voluntary reform' by considering the amalgamation of councils and the joining up of IT, payroll, income collection, ledger systems and the arrangements for processing payments.
Two councils, Clackmannanshire and Stirling, are understood to be considering joining their management services and there is a possibility of a merger of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils.
Cosla chief executive Rory Mair called for equal recognition that reform should apply to the whole of the public sector, not just local government.
PFapr2006
