- Click here to visit the Scotland home page for the latest news and sport
- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source
Staff at a controversial quango are bickering with bosses over the size of their kitchen.
asserted
Staff → click → kitchen
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) – one of two government agencies managing Scotland’s woodlands – benefitted from £37.5million of taxpayers’ money last year
But now arguments have broken out over the layout of their base in Edinburgh, which has already been refurbished with £580,000 of public cash.
asserted
which → manage → cash
A working group has drawn up plans to rejig the office, which will include new quiet spaces for ‘neurodiverse’ employees plus several ‘conversation pods’.
However, disgruntled staff are complaining about ‘the reduction in the kitchen seating area’ and oppose the scrapping of a ‘well-being room’ even though it is barely used.
asserted
it → work → room
The squabble comes as First Minister John Swinney is vowing to save money by ditching some of Scotland’s army of wasteful quangos.
asserted
Swinney → come → quangos
Arguments have broken out over the layout of Forestry and Land Scotland's base in Edinburgh
The forestry quango is headed up by chief executive Kevin Quinlan
Critics have already questioned why ministers need two agencies to manage the nation’s woodlands.
asserted
ministers → break → woodlands
John O’Connell, chief executive at the TaxPayers’ Alliance campaign group, said: ‘Taxpayers will wonder why a forestry quango is obsessing over kitchen tables and well-being rooms.
asserted
quango → say → tables
‘If this is what bosses on six-figure salaries discuss, John Swinney’s search for public-sector dead wood should start here.
asserted
search → discuss → wood
‘Forestry chiefs should focus on trees, not office furniture.’
asserted
chiefs → focus → trees
Scottish Conservative public service reform spokesman Murdo Fraser added: ‘Scots are being hammered with high taxes while SNP quangos continue to burn through millions.
asserted
quangos → add → millions
‘This is a staggering waste of time and taxpayers’ money and shows exactly what happens when you have a bloated public sector with too many quangos and too little accountability.
asserted
you → show → quangos
Taxpayers need action - not more false promises.’
asserted
Taxpayers → need → action
FLS was created in 2019 to manage state-owned forests and land while Scottish Forestry is in charge of strategy and regulations.
asserted
Forestry → create → strategy
Together they received £96.5million of government funding in 2024-25 and paid ten senior officials six-figure salary packages.
asserted
they → receive → packages
They include FLS chief executive Kevin Quinlan, who received between £205,000 and £210,000.
asserted
who → include → 205,000
Its office at the Apex complex in Edinburgh is leased from another quango, Scottish Enterprise – which oversaw the pricey refurbishment in 2016.
asserted
which → lease → 2016
FLS was created in 2019 to manage state-owned forests and land
The latest layout reconfiguration is being led by the head of fleet and buildings at FLS.
asserted
reconfiguration → create → FLS
It would see 16 more desks – taking the total to 45 – as well as creating a new meeting room, extra ‘two-person pods for confidential conversations’ and ‘quieter areas to support neurodiverse colleagues’.
asserted
It → see → colleagues
But minutes from July’s board meeting show ‘several concerns remained’.
asserted
concerns → show → meeting
They state: ‘The balance between proper desks, breakout areas and social space was also challenged, particularly the reduction in the kitchen seating area.
asserted
balance → state → area
‘There was also discussion that the Well-being Room is generally light[ly] used, and when used seems to be as an auxiliary meeting room.’
asserted
Room → be → room
The minutes also stated that the director of corporate services and transformation had ‘fed back that removing the Well-being Room risked being misunderstood by some colleagues’.
asserted
removing → state → colleagues
The board agreed to seek opinions from other organisations in the building, with issues including ‘whether the current lunch table should be reduced (good social gather space Vs some staff concerned about noise)’.
asserted
table → agree → noise
FLS said it previously leased half the office but has recently taken on the whole floor to accommodate more staff wanting to work extra hours there rather than from home.
asserted
it → say → home
A spokesman added: ‘Planning the layout of the available space will optimise its use and allow greater numbers of people – and different teams – to collaborate more effectively.
‘
asserted
numbers → add → people
FLS generates the majority of its income from commercial activity, including timber sales and from leases for renewable energy developments.
asserted
FLS → generate → developments
The quango was criticised in 2024 after it emerged that it had chopped down 1.3m trees in the previous year to make way for wind turbines on state-owned land.
asserted
it → criticise → land
Mr Swinney announced earlier this month that Scottish Forestry may be merged with several other bodies into a single environment agency as part of his reforms.
uncertain
Forestry → announce → reforms
The Aporia
