Dave Thompson MSP

In an article in the Ross-shire Journal of Feb 5 this year Dave Thompson MSP was quoted as being surprised at the late arrival of Liberal Democrat and Labour politicians to a review of SEPA's strategy for Dingwall, which he had already raised in Parliament and discussed with Cabinet Secretary John Swinney:

He is disappointed to see that figures within the Liberal Democrats now accuse him of doing nothing on this issue.

Both Labour and Liberal Democrat letters and statements to the local media stated that he should have been doing more to allay concerns about the effect of any reorganisation. But these concerns have been raised only by opportunist Labour and Liberal politicians through their release of misleading information about the impact of changes examined by SEPA.

It has been implied that any change by SEPA will result in the loss of up to 50 jobs but the reality is that four posts will be lost through the removal of SEPA's metals analysis function in Dingwall. Of the five employees affected, three have accepted a voluntary severance package while the other two have been assigned to new roles within SEPA in Dingwall. A further three posts will be lost when Ecology and Microbiology routine volume testing ends, but the staff are also to be redeployed elsewhere with SEPA in Dingwall. Further, SEPA have confirmed that the necessary economies have been reflected across Scotland with nowhere, and in particular Dingwall, singled out for disproportionate cuts.

"The suggestion that I have been inactive whilst SEPA has been shedding staff in Dingwall could not be farther from the truth," Mr Thompson stated from his regional office in the town.

"Even before these politicians spotted that they could use uncertainty over the future of SEPA in Dingwall as a stick to beat the Scottish Government with, I had been in touch with the organisation to discuss their plans for their two offices in the town."

"In addition I raised the subject in parliament and received an assurance from John Swinney that he would liaise with SEPA to ensure the organisation took steps to minimise the impact on Dingwall."

"I have also urged SEPA and other public bodies to presume in favour of the retention of jobs outside the Central Belt, especially at a time when all agencies will feel the effects of the reduction of Scotland's block grant from the Westminster Government."

"To complain that I have done nothing is the exact opposite of the truth and quite simply ridiculous, particularly when the main impact achieved with this misinformation from certain Labour and wannabe Lib Dem politicians has been to irresponsibly raise public fear in a desperate bid to further their own political ends."

Just to confirm my position reported in the Ross-shire Journal on February 5, SEPA has issued a fresh statement to correct the latest misleading allegation to have emanated from an increasingly desperate Lib Dem party in the Highlands.

Monica Straughan, chief officer for strategic communications at SEPA, stated: "SEPA has a continuing commitment to and a significant presence in Dingwall, where it is a major employer. Our operations are currently housed in two buildings. In light of the need for all public sector bodies to respond to current economic pressures, one of these buildings is to be closed and put up for sale or lease. The circa 50 SEPA staff based in the building that is closing will be relocated across the road to our other Dingwall building, Graesser House. Innovative flexible working arrangements are being developed to ensure best use of the space, a good working environment for our staff and the potential for future expansion.

"We are discontinuing some scientific activities in Dingwall: metals analysis, which involved the redeployment of four posts, and in the autumn Ecology and Microbiology, which will involve redeploying the equivalent of three staff. The roles shed from the Dingwall science team involve the more routine type of scientific analyses, which use expensive scientific equipment designed for high volumes. Centralising those analyses in Aberdeen and elsewhere represents better value for the public purse at this time of major economic constraint.

"On 1 April, SEPA implemented a new corporate structure that reduced the number of Directors from four to three and enabled 71 SEPA staff to accept voluntary severance (VS) packages. There have been no compulsory redundancies and of the 71 staff who left SEPA in March under VS, only 10 were from Dingwall. The remaining 61 were distributed across the central belt and other parts of Scotland. At the start of the year there were 135 SEPA staff based in Dingwall, as of now there remain, and will continue to be, around 125 staff.

"As a result of these combined corporate changes, along with breakdowns of some aging equipment, there has been a temporary suspension of a small number of lower priority scientific analyses.  Business critical services are not affected and once the temporary suspension has ended SEPA’s scientific functions will continue to be delivered across Scotland.

"Dingwall will retain a strong core of high value scientific services. Indeed it is set to become SEPA’s national centre of excellence for aquaculture issues for the whole of Scotland."