Tories win vote on HIE independence
Scottish Government has been defeated in a vote at Holyrood after opposition parties united behind calls for Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to retain its own board.
Ministers want a new management body to oversee all of Scotland’s enterprise and skills agencies.
The Conservatives said the loss of a separate board “effectively means the end of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise as we know it”, but Economy Secretary Keith Brown insisted HIE would still be locally managed.
The Tories’ motion calling on the Government to “reverse this decision and ensure that the HIE board continues to take all strategic, operational and budgetary decisions” was backed by 64 votes to 63.
Tory MSP Donald Cameron said the debate was not just about the “dry technical structure of just another Government agency”, but concerned “the fundamental nature of HIE and what it does”. He told the chamber: “We mustn’t be sentimental, HIE hasn’t got everything right ... but undoubtedly it has been a force for good.”
He said 20 per cent of Scotland’s enterprises are in the Highlands and islands, despite the region having only nine per cent of the population. “If this illconceived proposal goes ahead, everything will change,” he continued.
Mr Brown said: “The review that we undertook has focused on how best we can ensure that our agencies are working together.”