Stephen Hampson

For dinner on Thursday: John Graham (Head of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department, Scottish Office), Robert Gordon (Head of Constitution Group) and Stephen Hampson (Head of Environmental Affairs Group)

Stephen Hampson, Head of Enterprise & Industrial Affairs Group in the Scottish Executive's Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department
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Stephen Hampson : Educated at the Leys School, Cambridge, where he specialised on the science side and Oxford University where he read for a first degree in PPE and a second degree in Economics. After a short spell from 1969-71 as a lecturer at Aberdeen University, he joined the public service as an economist at the National Economic Development Office. While there he carried out a number of projects with a special interest in industrial and regional economics.

In 1975 he joined the Civil Service and was posted to The Scottish Office, initially working on energy matters at the time policy towards the North Sea was being formed. In 1978 he began a four-year secondment to the Diplomatic Service working in India.

His subsequent Civil Service career has had a clear focus on industrial affairs, though with wider experience also. For most of the 1980's he worked in the Glasgow office of the Industry Department, first as an economist and later as an administrator. He held posts dealing with industrial policy in general (for example industrial closures, mergers issues and the Scottish interest in major defence procurements), and as head of the division responsible for the administration of grants to industry in Scotland. He spent a period as Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive and Chairman of the Scottish Development Agency.

He was promoted to Under Secretary in 1993 and for nearly seven years was responsible for the Environment Group in what is now the Rural Affairs Department of the Scottish Executive. This group deals with policy on sustainable development, countryside issues such as the creation of National Parks, the natural heritage, the water and sewerage industries and pollution control in Scotland. It sponsors the relevant NDPB's in Scotland, including the Water Authorities, SNH and SEPA.

He is now head of the Scottish Executive Group that deals with enterprise and industrial affairs, including the energy industries.
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In response Stephen Hampson said that it is clear that Scotland has advantages, in wind speed and exposure to the Atlantic.
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Stephen Hampson said that the SE is considering the flow of R&D into renewable generation, and reiterated that the Prime Minister had recently announced £100 million over three years.
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Fred Dinning, Robert East and Stephen Hampson for their excellent presentations and their contributions to the seminar discussion.