17(1)Where a person becomes an employee of Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise in consequence of his acceptance of an offer made under sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 16 above, then, for the purposes of the [1978 c. 44.] Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978, his period of employment in the Scottish Development Agency (including any period of employment in the Scottish Industrial Estates Corporation or the Small Industries Council for Rural Areas of Scotland which, under paragraph 6 of Schedule 3 to the [1975 c. 69.] Scottish Development Agency Act 1975, falls to be regarded as continuous with that period of employment) or as the case may be in the Highlands and Islands Development Board or the civil service of the State shall count as a period of employment in Scottish Enterprise or as the case may be Highlands and Islands Enterprise; and the change of employment shall not break the continuity of the period of employment.
(2)Where a person receives an offer under head (a)(i) or (b)(i) of sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 16 above (whether or not by virtue of the exception to that sub-paragraph), none of the agreed redundancy procedures applicable to an employee of the Scottish Development Agency, or as the case may be of the Highlands and Islands Development Board, shall apply to him; and where the person ceases to be such an employee—
(a)on becoming an employee of Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise in consequence of that paragraph; or
(b)having unreasonably refused the offer,
Part VI of the said Act of 1978 shall not apply to him and he shall not be treated for the purposes of any scheme provided or maintained by virtue of paragraph 10(2) of Schedule 1 to the Scottish Development Agency Act 1975 or paragraph 14(1)(b) of Schedule 1 to the [1965 c. 46.] Highlands and Islands Development (Scotland) Act 1965, as having been retired on redundancy.
(3)A person who ceases to be an employee of the Training Agency on becoming an employee of Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise by virtue of paragraph 16 above, shall not be treated, for the purposes of any scheme under section 1 of the [1972 c. 11.] Superannuation Act 1972, as having been retired on redundancy.