Dave Thompson MSP

MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch received assurances from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill that as many specialist Police back up and support services as possible will be spread around the country, including the Highlands.

In a debate in the Scottish Parliament last Thursday Mr Thompson asked the Cabinet Secretary what the Scottish Government’s view is on distributing jobs across the country. Mr MacAskill responded by saying that it was a desire of the Government to distribute jobs, and ensure that services were shared across the country. Mr Thompson said, “Legislation on the single police force is progressing through the Parliament and I want to ensure that the Highlands and Islands get our fair share of specialist, support and backroom jobs. That is why I asked the Cabinet Secretary in the Stage 1 debate in Parliament last week to confirm the principle that jobs will be decentralised.

“The Cabinet Secretary reaffirmed the Scottish Government’s commitment to distributing jobs across the country and I am optimistic that we will gain high powered jobs for the Highlands and Islands.

Note:

Question:

Dave Thompson (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP): The cabinet secretary will know that, in the past, I have raised the issue of specialist back-up and support services. Obviously the appointment of the chief officers and the boards will be crucial in that respect. I am sure that he will agree that as many as possible of those services should be spread around the country and that striving to do that should be a basic principle for the boards, the new chief constable and the new chief fire officer.

Kenny MacAskill: We share that view; indeed, it has always been a desire of the Government. Ultimately, the matter is one for the boards, the authority and the respective chief officers, but we expect the board and authority to reflect Scotland?s communities not only in respect of gender and ethnicity but geographically and to ensure that the benefits of a single service—by which I mean specialisation, the availability of services and other such fruits—are shared across the country. In any case, we are working hard to achieve all of this and expect the chief officers and chairs of the boards to be in place in autumn 2012.