MSP Neil Findlay

set out in this contract and actually delivered 87 starts with a value of £163,000.

“BLES’ contract for 2016- 17 delivery of EF is 89 starts, £193,000. This was also following an estimated 87 per cent budget cut by the UK Government before employability services were devolved recently to Scotland.

“As the local constituency MSP, I met with BLES in October to hear how I could help and assist them with the financial issues they were having.

“I wrote to the Employability Minister Jamie Hepburn on October 14 after speaking with Skills Development Scotland about BLES.

“One of the key issues is that BLES wanted to switch funding for training between 16 and 17 year olds and 18 year olds and over and I enquired about the flexibility of transfer funding between the two groups in the short term.

“I am aware that Scottish Government Ministers met with BLES in November last year and at the time a new board and chair with appropriate support structures were put in place along with a new recovery plan.”