Two senior officials at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have received substantial 'golden goodbye' packages worth nearly £500,000, sparking controversy and criticism.
Two senior officials at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency ( SEPA ) have received substantial 'golden goodbye' packages worth nearly £500,000, sparking controversy and criticism. Ian Buchanan, SEPA 's former chief officer, received £50,457 in compensation and another £191,007 after his pension was bought out. David Pirie, the former Executive Director for Evidence and Flooding, will receive £68,229 in compensation and a pension buyout of £178,935.
These payments come despite criticism of SEPA's funding cuts and its declining performance in tackling environmental issues.Labour MSP Monica Lennon criticized the expenditure, stating that SEPA's budget should be allocated to protecting the environment and the public rather than providing lucrative exit packages for senior staff. She emphasized the need for SEPA to improve its performance, particularly in light of the rising number of pollution complaints and the absence of successful prosecutions against polluters.The Scottish Conservatives also condemned the payments, claiming that taxpayers would be outraged to learn that former quango chiefs received almost half a million pounds in golden goodbyes while ordinary people struggle with rising bills. They called for fairness and justice for taxpayers and demanded an end to this culture of excessive payouts. A SEPA spokesperson defended the severance program, stating that it was a carefully considered step to ensure the long-term sustainability and efficiency of the organization. They argued that the packages reflected the length of service of senior staff and allowed for new talent to join the agency. However, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton criticized SEPA's failure to effectively address sewage dumping, despite being responsible for protecting Scotland's environment. He called for a Clean Water Act to improve the sewage network and enforce stricter regulations on discharges
SEPA Golden Goodbyes Environmental Protection Funding Cuts Pollution Scottish Government
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