Enterprise agencies to come under one committee

SCOTLAND’S enterprise agencies are set to come under one national board which will be created by Holyrood legislation, according to a government report.

A new service has also been proposed for the south of Scotland in a series of recommendations for the reform of the enterprise and skills bodies.

It was feared that Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) was to be merged with Scottish Enterprise (SE) in an attempt to save public money.

In the current year HIE has a budget of £79.5 million and a staff of 300. SE’s budget is over £300m and employs 1,270.

Jobs have already been shed, but it is understood ministers believe there are still areas where the agencies duplicate work.

The report of the first phase of the review of enterprise and skills services has now recommended closer working, but still separate operations. It also specifically highlights the need to protect HIE’s role while creating a new service for the south of Scotland.

HIE was established in 1991 as the successor body to the Highlands and Islands Development board which was created by Harold Wilson’s government in 1965, largely to address the Highland problem of chronic depopulation.

Economy Secretary Keith Brown said: “We are proud of our enterprise and skills agencies, and in recent years their efforts have contributed to real improvements in our economic performance.

“But we know that further improvement is required – our ambition is for Scotland to rank among the top OECD nations for productivity, equality, sustainability and wellbeing.”