Dundee LibDems slam Scotland Office inefficiency (Dundee Liberal Democrats)

Dundee Liberal Democrats <info@dundeelibdems.org.uk>

Dundee LibDems slam Scotland Office inefficiency

August 3, 2007 6:58 AM

Dundee Liberal Democrats have today (Friday 3rd August) slammed the Scotland Office for its "gross inefficiency."

LibDem Shadow Scottish Secretary, Alistair Carmichael MP, has uncovered that the Scotland Office employs 20 policy officers with a responsibility for answering correspondence, despite receiving just 39 letters from MPs and Peers in the past year. However, the department still managed to spend almost £18,000 on stationery.

The Scotland Office also increased its spending on hospitality by 32%, spending over £23,000 in the past year.

Mr Carmichael said, "As tensions between Westminster and Holyrood grow, the Scotland Office appears to be more concerned with hosting soirées than communicating with Edinburgh."

Here in Dundee, LibDem Councillor Helen Dick said, "It strikes me that the Scotland Office is grossly inefficient and a waste of public money."

Cllr Dick said she backed calls for the Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Offices to merge to create a Department for Nations and Regions, with a full time seat at the Cabinet table.