Dave Thompson MSP

Highlands and Islands MSP Dave Thompson has sought and been given assurances that the Scottish Government will ask the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) to re-examine its planned reduction of laboratory facilities in Dingwall.

Last week Mr Thompson raised the issue of Sepa's planned reduction of laboratory analysis operations at its Dingwall facility on the floor of the Scottish Parliament when he asked Finance Secretary John Swinney: "Does the cabinet secretary agree that, when a public service restructures, there should be a presumption in favour of basing any retained and enhanced facilities in the Highlands and Islands and other areas outside the Central Belt?"

He added: "Will he ask SEPA to reconsider its decision to base its two remaining laboratories in Aberdeen and Edinburgh?"

Mr Thompson's questions prompted Mr Swinney to agree to take the matter up with senior Sepa managers. Following this, Mr Thompson raised the matter privately with enterprise minister Jim Mather, an SNP party colleague, but this week he heard that Labour politicians had belatedly decided to take up the issue of the five proposed job losses in Dingwall to use as a campaign issue.

The SNP politician stated: "Labour have arrived on this issue very late in the day; I raised this in parliament last week and got an assurance from John Swinney that he would speak to Sepa about it.

"I would also call for there to be a presumption in favour of the retention of jobs outside the Central Belt when public agencies have to shed staff."

In parliament Mr Swinney added: "I listened carefully to Mr Thompson's point and will draw his remarks to SEPA's attention.

"I say to the member and to Parliament that in the years to come many difficult decisions about public resources will have to be taken.

"We will consider carefully the issues that Mr Thompson raised in his question about the laboratory in Dingwall."

Note:

Last month five of the 126 staff (or just below four per cent of the workforce) at Sepa's two buildings in Dingwall were told that their jobs had been earmarked for redundancy as part of a national drive to reduce figures by ten per cent.