Timing of 'summit' defended by Salmond

Published on Tuesday 23 September 2008 22:10

ALEX Salmond last night defended his decision not to bring forward a meeting of the Council of Economic Advisers to help deal with the fallout from the HBOS takeover.

The First Minister set up the council soon after coming to power last May.

The high-powered team of economists, professors and industry experts was brought together to find the right policies to grow the Scottish economy.

The economic advisory group, which is chaired by Sir George Mathewson, the former chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland, is due to meet next week.

A spokesman for Mr Salmond said there was no need to bring that timetable forward because of the other organisations and meetings taking place this week in the immediate wake of the HBOS takeover.

The Council of Economic Advisers is itself advised by a wider group, the Scottish Economic Forum, an organisation which includes trade unions and business groups among its members.

That body is due to meet the following week, on 8 October, and Mr Salmond said yesterday that both organisations would consider the implications of the HBOS takeover for the Scottish economy.

The First Minister said: "The Council of Economic Advisers meets a week on Thursday. That will be a reasonable timing for a discussion to take place."