Leader wants agency in Argyll and Bute

THE LEADER of Argyll and Bute Council is pressing the Scottish Government to locate its proposed new Scottish welfare delivery agency in the local authority area.

Councillor Dick Walsh wrote to finance minister John Swinney in March after reading about the Scottish Government’s plans for a new welfare delivery agency for Scotland, to deliver and administer benefits payments following devolution of social security powers through the Scotland Bill.

Now, the council leader has writtemn to all MSPs who represent the Argyll and Bute area seeking their support for Argyll and Bute as a location for the agency.

Councillor Walsh said: ‘In Argyll and Bute we have numerous potential and ideal locations for the welfare delivery agency – all fitting the bill in terms of skills and training availability, good quality affordable housing provision, low cost property and business rates, very attractive lifestyle opportunities and much more.

‘Over the past several months we have been working positively with the Scottish Government to deliver the aspirations that we share for the people who already live, work and visit in Argyll and Bute and to attract even more people to choose to come and live, work, learn and do business here. As soon as we heard about the Scottish Government’s plans for this in March, we contacted Mr Swinney to put the case for locating the agency in Argyll and Bute. Since then, we have been working on further developing and refining this, and it is now the right time to seek the support of the constituency and list MSPs who represent our area.’

Argyll and Bute MSP Michael Russell added: ‘I will strongly support any initiative that can bring jobs to Argyll. I have written to the relevant ministers about this. I have also suggested to the council leader that he meets with the Scottish Government to make the case for creating these jobs in Argyll and Bute.’