The fate of local decision-making at Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is due to be revealed by Scottish ministers next week.
Economy Secretary Keith Brown is expected to signal whether he intends to press ahead with unpopular plans to axe the agency’s board in a statement to Holyrood on Thursday, March 30.
However, opposition MSPs raised concerns last night that the decision was been revealed on the last day of the parliamentary term.
Three other ministerial statements are also due to be made on the same day, leaving little time for questioning before the Easter recess.
The Scottish Government provoked fury last year when it confirmed it wanted to scrap the HIE board and replace it with a nationwide panel overseeing all of the nation’s skills and enterprise agencies.
Critics of the move have included all opposition parties, respected former chairmen and chief executives of HIE, trade unions, the SCDI and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, with many backing the Press and Journal’s Keep HIE Local campaign.
They fear the move will centralise local-decision making and undermine 50 years of progress in the Highlands.
The concerns were not allayed by a report last month by HIE chairman Lorne Crerar, who backed the Scottish Government’s proposed shake-up but called for the retention of local “delivery boards”.
Scottish ministers insist the proposals will strengthen co-ordination and services offered by the agencies, and that HIE will “continue to be locally-based, managed and directed, providing dedicated support to the local economy”.
Mr Brown is expected to outline the next stage of the process to Holyrood next week.
However, Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles expressed concern about the timing of the statement last night.
“This is an unprecedented move by the Scottish Government who are squeezing in four major ministerial statements in one afternoon,” he said.
“This will mean that MSPs will have to wait 18 days until they are able to press SNP ministers further, which is unacceptable.
“This timetabling disrespects and undermines the role of parliament and should not be allowed to happen.”
