This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Civil service jobs good news for Kinlochleven
21/06/2005
More public sector jobs have moved from the central belt to the Highlands today.
The Executive's Central Enquiry Unit was officially opened in Kinlochleven by Public Service Reform Minister Tavish Scott.
He said new quality jobs are essential for the Highlands and Islands.
Mr Scott said:
"The devolved government of Scotland is determined to play its part in bringing quality jobs to the Highlands and Islands.
"Moving even a small number of public sector jobs to rural communities can make an important contribution to local communities and businesses. It not only reinvigorates the existing community but also encourages others to consider moving there to live and work.
"Relocating the Central Enquiry Unit to Kinlochleven has the potential to deliver long term benefits for the area.
"The Executive is committed to dispersing public sector jobs across Scotland. This year in the Highlands and Islands we have opened small units for the Crown Office and the Procurator Fiscal Service in Dingwall and Tain and relocated the Crofting Building Grants and Loans Scheme Unit to Tiree.
"We want to see all areas of Scotland benefit from the dispersal to ensure that the advantages of devolution are evenly spread and give a boost to the areas that need it most. The devolved government's Small Units Initiative will help us deliver on this by specifically targeting the relocation of public sector jobs to more remote and rural areas."
Chairman of Lochaber Enterprise, Drew Macfarlane-Slack, said: "We are delighted to see these quality jobs coming to Lochaber, and in particular Kinlochleven, on the back of the closure of Database Direct at the end of last year. It's fantastic to know that when people are calling the Scottish Executive in Edinburgh with a wide range of enquiries, they will be dealt with by the staff here in Kinlochleven. This is a great example of how, through the Executive's jobs dispersal policy, a relatively small number of jobs can bring great benefit to our smaller rural communities."
The Central Enquiry Unit is the central point of contact for all Scottish Executive departments and offices, providing a switchboard service for telephone and email enquiries.
All staff for the unit, which comprises a team of eight full time and one part time worker, have been recruited from the local area which was identified recently as a priority by Highlands and Islands Enterprise due to the fragility of the economy.
The Small Units Initiative was established in October 2002 to bring benefits to small rural communities throughout Scotland by relocating small numbers of public sector jobs.
In 2004/05 the following small units have been relocated:
- Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service transcription unit (January 2005) - Dingwall (5.5 jobs) and Tain (3 staff).
- Crofting Building Grants and Loans Scheme Unit (June 2005) - Tiree (8 jobs)
- National Health Service Central Registrar (June 2005) - Dumfries (17 jobs)