Purvis calls for crunch meeting of quango bosses (Paisley Liberal Democrats)

Paisley Liberal Democrats <smcdonald21@ntlworld.com>

Purvis calls for crunch meeting of quango bosses

January 31, 2010 5:22 PM
Originally published by Scottish Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat Finance spokesperson Jeremy Purvis MSP has written to the Finance Secretary urging him to call a crunch meeting of all quango and agency bosses to find out who is receiving a bonus this year.

Mr Purvis is still waiting for an answer to his Parliamentary Question about these bonuses, following the Finance Secretary's letter sent back in June. The question was due for answer in November, but the First Minister admitted at Thursday's question time that the Government hasn't had all the responses back.

Commenting, Mr Purvis said:

"In the current economic climate, no quango boss should be receiving a bonus.

"The Government's excuse for not answering my question is that they haven't had all the responses to John Swinney's letter, sent back in June. That simply isn't good enough. The Finance Secretary needs to remember that he is the boss and quango chiefs answer to him.

"I have written to John Swinney urging him to summon the Chief Executives of all Scotland's quangos and agencies to a crunch meeting so we can find out once and for all who is taking a bonus this year.

"The SNP have signed up the pay packages, contract and terms and conditions of the top three quango bosses in Scotland - the Chief Executives of Scottish Water, Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Futures Trust. Three of these appointments have been during the deepest recession in a generation.

"All details about their pay packages, including bonuses, should now be published by the SNP Government."