Enterprise Agency won't have separate HQ

by DOUG COLLIE

The South of Scotland Enterprise Agency, due to kick-start efforts to regenerate the region's struggling economy from next April will "co-locate" with other local organisations rather than having its own base.

Confirmation that the office-sharing option was being pursued was given at the weekend by Fergus Ewing, the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy, in a written Parliamentary answer to Borders Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton.

Mrs Hamilton, who represents the Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire constituency, asked Mr Ewing where South of Scotland Enterprise would be based. Any decision to build a shiny new headquarters for the Agency in either Scottish Borders or Dumfries & Galloway could well prove controversial with protests from the losing local authority area.

The minister told Mrs Hamilton: "South of Scotland Enterprise will operate across the South of Scotland, in a way that is accessible to all wanting to access its services and support. As I outlined in my letter to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee on 21 March, Scottish Government officials are taking forward work to deliver the commitment that South of Scotland Enterprise will be accessible to all.

"This includes looking at options and arrangements for co-locating with other organisations which would not only be cost-effective but would help joined-up delivery and ensure that the organisation operates effectively across the area."

Mrs Hamilton also asked the Scottish Government what measures it will take to ensure that economic growth in the south of Scotland is inclusive and sustainable.

Mr Ewing replied: " In recognition of the unique challenges and opportunities in the South of Scotland, the Scottish Government is committed to establishing a new enterprise agency to serve the region from April 2020. South of Scotland Enterprise will play a key role in driving forward the economy, sustaining and growing communities and harnessing the power of its people and resources. As the draft Bill makes clear, supporting inclusive and sustainable economic growth is a key action in the draft Bill which the new agency can take towards delivering its aim to further the economic and social development of the South of Scotland."

The Cabinet Secretary added that: "Whilst we work to establish the new enterprise agency, the Scottish Government has set up the South of Scotland Economic Partnership (SOSEP) to take a fresh approach to economic development across the region. SOSEP has invested in a range of projects, based on strategic priorities defined in consultation with local people, and over £13 million has been made available to support its activity in the current financial year.

"Alongside this, in March this year, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity announced that the Scottish Government has committed £85 million to support the South of Scotland through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. The UK Government will also invest up to £65 million to support activity in the South of Scotland through the deal. The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal will support a range of strategic projects on priority themes defined by local authorities to help to achieve a step change in economic growth in the South of Scotland."

The Bill which will result in the establishment of the new Agency has been debated at length in committee at the Scottish Parliament. Unfortunately there has been little or no media coverage of these debates despite the importance of SOSEA to the vast South of Scotland region.

For example, Mr Ewing told MSPs during consideration of the Bill last month: "We can all agree that low wages and the gender pay gap continue to be among the most serious issues that hold back the economy of the south of Scotland. Although Government research suggests that there has been improvement, they are serious issues and they persist.

"That should not be the case in 21st century Scotland. It is my firm belief that the new enterprise agency can achieve the aims of sustainable and inclusive growth only by tackling poverty and inequality, and by advancing social and economic policy. Achieving those aims will, by definition, tackle poverty and inequality."

One regional list MSP, Colin Smyth (Labour) has outlined some of his priorities for the Agency during detailed contributions in committee.

He told a debating session in May: "The upward migration of young people and the increasing imbalance in the demographics of the region were raised by many stakeholders and are seen as major challenges facing the south of Scotland. I believe that that should be clearly stated in the bill. 

"Dumfries and Galloway is the lowest-paid part of Scotland. Wages in the Borders are also below the national average. The region needs high-quality, well-paid and secure jobs: that should be clear in the bill. It is about the new agency having a very clear leadership role

"It is not about the new agency having responsibility for making the A75 a dual carriageway. It is about the agency having leadership in driving the importance of improving the infrastructure in the region—infrastructure that, I have to say, is holding the region back".

And Mr Smyth pointed out there were about 500,000 acres of community-owned land in the Highlands and Islands, but in the south of Scotland there are only 800 acres of community-owned land. 

He said: "There are significant initiatives around the Mull of Galloway and Lochmaben, but we are far behind the Highlands and Islands on community ownership, so it is important to include community ownership in the bill as a clear aim of the new agency."