Culture secretary quizzed on HES board's sudden u-turn on CEO suspension
Culture secretary Angus Robertson was questioned about his knowledge of a string of issues at Historic Environment Scotland
The board of under-fire Historic Environment Scotland (HES) called for its chief executive to return to work just six weeks after pushing for her suspension.
Katerina Brown, the quango’s CEO, was suspended from work on October 5 last year following a collective grievance filed by seven HES directors.
Yet just over a month later the board backtracked and wrote to the Scottish Government saying they wished for her to return.
October 5 was also Hugh Hall’s, the former chair, final day in office before he stepped down early from the post.
Culture secretary Angus Robertson was pushed for answers on the board’s change of heart while giving evidence to a Holyrood committee on Thursday.
Mr Robertson said no investigation into Ms Brown’s conduct had been concluded in that time, however “new leadership” accounted for the rapid pivot.
The SNP MSP also refused to say whether he had confidence in the board’s ability to handle a litany of issues at the quango.
He was further asked for answers on a situation that arose between the director of HR at HES and the director of marketing, which was first revealed in The Scotsman.
Under questioning from Scottish Labour MSP Neil Bibby, the Culture Secretary said he has “a very high degree of trust and respect for Sir Mark Jones”, but asked if he has confidence in the rest of the board,
Under repeated questioning, Mr Robertson insisted he had “chosen my words very carefully”.
He added: “I am pleased that progress is being made in turning around the situation in Historic Environment Scotland.
“The board is playing its part, under new leadership, in doing that.
“So I think, under new leadership and following the internal investigations and then reporting, I am confident that Historic Environment Scotland, under new leadership, will be in a profoundly different place to where it was before.
“I am not going to sit here and generalise about the entire board, or the entire senior leadership team, or indeed the chief executive.”
Sir Mark Jones was appointed chairman at the end of last year, taking over from Dr Hall, and was tasked with getting the body back on track.
A culture review of the organisation is currently underway, led by former Dundee City Council chief executive David Martin.
A HES insider described the board as in “complete disarray”.
They said: “First they block the CEO’s return to work, then they suspend her on the former chair’s final day in office before dramatically changing their mind a few weeks later.
“Sir Mark clearly has the confidence of the Scottish Government but he has his work cut out with the behaviours of those who were there before him.
“We all deserve better.”
Mr Bibby also questioned the minister over a situation in which the HR director appeared to suggest marketing director Stephen Duncan take sick leave just before he was due to be suspended.
Mr Robertson was also questioned on his knowledge of “single source” procurement issues at HES that were also first revealed in The Scotsman.
Mr Robertson appeared alongside senior Scottish Government official Kenneth Hogg, who told the committee he was the one who withheld an invitation to a board meeting from the previous chairman of HES for Mr Robertson.
The Culture Secretary said in a statement to Holyrood in November he had not been made aware of the invitation, which had come at the height of controversies surrounding the heritage body.
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