FIFE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS UNITE TO SAVE SCOTTISH ENTERPRISE FIFE

5.17.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 25th Sep 2007

North East Fife MSP, Iain Smith, and Dunfermline West MSP, Jim Tolson, have written a joint letter to the Enterprise Minister Jim Mather seeking his assurance that he does not intend to announce the abolition of Scottish Enterprise Fife or its absorption it into a larger 'Metropolitan Region'.

The letter is sent ahead of the Ministerial Statement on the Enterprise Networks due to be made in Parliament tomorrow.

Mr Smith said: "Scottish Enterprise Fife, whilst less than perfect, plays an important role in Fife's economic development. A significant advantage of the current framework is that Scottish Enterprise Fife shares its boundaries with other important public sector bodies such as NHS Fife and Fife Council. It also has established links with the Further and Higher Education institutions in Fife.

"This is economically, environmentally and socially unsustainable"

Mr Tolson said: "There is genuine and well founded concern that Metropolitan Regions would focus economic development into the cities at the expense of areas like Fife.

"We must ensure that that the benefits of Scottish Enterprise Fife are not lost in reckless restructuring of enterprise networks"