January 18th, 2011

SOLD OUT

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP has accused Scottish Enterprise of selling out Inverclyde after the regeneration budget was slashed.
In response to the news that Riverside Inverclyde is to face a 70 per cent cut with no guarantee of future funding, the MSP wrote to Scottish Enterprise informing bosses he has lost confidence them.
He also urged Scottish Government ministers to reverse the decision to cut regeneration in Inverclyde to fund job creation in the North East of Scotland.
Duncan McNeil, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, said: “The 70 per cent cut in Riverside Inverclyde’s budget was imposed without consultation and will take place with immediate effect, which is completely unacceptable.
“The proposals jeopardise current plans for the area but much more importantly with no firm budgets beyond 2012, threaten Inverclyde’s future prosperity.
“This situation has come about due an agreement between the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise to reprofile budgets which created a £70 National Renewables Infrastructure Fund, which excluded Inverclyde.
“In effect, we now have a situation that Inverclyde – despite its disadvantages – is being required to take cuts to create jobs in parts of Scotland more resilient to cuts in public spending.
“Scottish Enterprise is selling out our present and our future I have completely lost confidence in its commitment to Inverclyde.”