The public sector across the Highlands is united in opposing any centralisation of decision-making at Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the health board chairman has said.
David Alston gave his backing to the Press and Journal’s Keep HIE Local campaign amid ongoing controversy over Scottish Government plans to create a new board to oversee all of the nation’s skills and enterprise agencies.
The NHS Highland chairman said: “As chair of NHS I attend the Convention of the Highlands and Islands, and I think it was very clear there that, across the public sector, HIE are valued and are valued because of their ability to make decisions within the Highlands.
“For us it has been particularly important. The co-operation on the Centre for Health Science at UHI – that’s vital for the health science sector.”
Mr Alston made the remarks as Scottish ministers faced demands to make an urgent statement to Holyrood on the future of HIE.
Economy Secretary Keith Brown had been expected to reveal his decision this week, but it is now not clear if the statement will be made before the parliament goes into recess at the end of next week.
Liam McArthur, Liberal Democrat MSP for Orkney, said: “Parliament has now rejected the minister’s plans to centralise decision-making over enterprise and skills, not once but twice.
“Yet there is still no sign of the minister coming before MSPs to explain how he intends to respect the will of parliament and the demands of those in the Highlands and Islands. That is simply not good enough.”
It is understood that the schedule for business at Holyrood next week will be agreed today.
