This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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MWC to move to Falkirk
15/03/2005
The Mental Welfare Commission will be moving to Falkirk
when the lease on its central Edinburgh office lease
expires at the end of March 2006, it was announced
today.
After carefully considering the options, Ministers have
decided that Falkirk would meet the MWC's needs for a
central location while also taking account of the
Executive's relocation policy.
The MWC will now proceed to identify suitable property
over the coming months.
Deputy Health Minister Rhona Brankin said:
"The Mental Welfare Commission plays a very important
role in the protection of people with mental disorders.
"The Commission needs to be able to visit people
throughout Scotland in hospitals and in the community.
Location in Falkirk will ensure that the Commission is well
placed to continue to carry out its important functions in
an efficient manner."
Deputy Finance Minister Tavish Scott, who has
responsibility for the relocation policy, said:
"I welcome the choice of Falkirk as the location for the
Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. It is further
evidence of the Executive's determination to ensure that
public sector posts and the benefits they bring are spread
throughout the country."
The role and functions of the MWC are defined under the
Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 and the Adults with
Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000.
It is an independent organisation set up by the Scottish
Parliament with responsibility for protecting the welfare
of people with mental health problems.
The Mental Welfare Commission has a workforce of 76. Of
these, 22 are Commissioners and 23 are directly employed by
the Commission.
There are also 31 administrative staff on secondment
from the Executive who may go to Falkirk or be redeployed
by the Executive to other posts in Edinburgh.
The MWC examined each option on the agreed short list,
taking into account the needs of the Commission in terms of
its efficiency, its need to balance good transport links
and availability of property with the socio-economic
benefit the Commission would bring to any new location.
The Executive's policy on relocation has been in
operation since 1999. When a new unit or Agency is
established, or if an existing unit is merged or otherwise
reorganised, the policy requires that a location review is
undertaken to ascertain where the body will be located. The
presumption is that it will be located outside
Edinburgh.
For existing bodies, where a significant property
breakpoint is reached, for example the termination of a
lease, a relocation review should be undertaken and options
- including Edinburgh - should be considered.