Watchdog jobs for Livingston

A NEW government body responsible for building standards in Scotland will be based in Livingston, it was announced yesterday.

The move will bring more than 40 jobs to the town - 17 existing Scottish Executive staff based in Edinburgh who will transfer to the new Scottish Building Standards Agency, and up to 30 new jobs.

The move was announced by Mary Mulligan, the deputy communities minister, who said Livingston had been chosen from a short-list of 13 options.

The agency will implement the new building standards system introduced by the 2003 Building Scotland Act.

This is the latest step in the Executive’s controversial drive to move civil service jobs out of Edinburgh.

Ms Mulligan said: "A new agency needs a new location. Dispersing public-sector posts across Scotland allows more communities to benefit from public-sector jobs."

She went on: "Even small numbers of additional jobs can make a significant difference to social and economic conditions.

"I expect that many of the new jobs will be recruited locally, although the agency may need to recruit experts from outwith the area to fill particular posts."

The agency will take over the role of the existing building standards division of the Scottish Executive, who will form the core of the new agency.

Officials said the agency was expected to expand over the next few years as the necessary staff were recruited to implement the new building standards system.