SNP MSP for Fife Mrs Tricia Marwick today (Thursday) blasted Fife Council's decision to delay their report into the Third Age Group and the conduct of Fife Council to the Scottish Parliament's Audit and Standards Committee. Mrs Marwick said:

"Douglas Sinclair, the Chief Executive of Fife Council, had no problem bringing the original report forward in December when he said no further action needed to be taken. Yet now it seems something has made him change his mind.

"This decision forces me to repeat my demand for Audit Scotland to carry out an independent report. I have serious concerns over the ability of Fife Council to produce such a report and this delay merely adds to those concerns.

"The people of Fife quite rightly expect answers to the questions raised by myself and by members of the media, but those answers are still not forthcoming.

"Fife Council has paid out public money to an organisation that doesn't exist. This is a serious matter and it is clear that Fife Council cannot get to grips with it which is why Audit Scotland must, as a matter of urgency, instigate an inquiry and look after the interests of the people of Fife."