A shake-up of Scotland's enterprise companies has been signalled by the Scottish Executive.

Enterprise Minister Henry McLeish told representatives of the enterprise network that a new structure will be needed to deliver success for the Scottish economy.

Henry McLeish was at Hampden Park in Glasgow to kick-off what is likely to be a period of rapid change in the way Scotland promotes business success.

Scottish Enterprise and its associated agencies have been the target of criticism that they are failing to deliver.

The critics have included some of those responsible for creating the current system.

As change gets under way, Mr McLeish promised to look at every appropriate model from across the world before considering what might work best in Scotland.

Mr McLeish said: "The Scottish Development Agency and Scottish Enterprise were huge successes and are still huge successes.

"That said, they have to move on. We have a new parliament, a very positive mood in Scotland about building partnerships with business.

Structural review

"We have a new parliamentary committee and a new department. I think it is now time to review the structures for delivering economic policy."

Mr McLeish's proposals come in a week when the Tories urged ministers to form a radical think-tank of business people and politicians to decide on a replacement for Scottish Enterprise.

SE chairman Sir Ian Wood said: "We would engage in very robust discussion, but recognising that, at the end of the day, the lords and masters, the government, are democratically elected.

"After the robust discussion, we would work very closely with them to make sure their wishes were eventually delivered."