Empowering Scotland's Island Communities
‘Empowering Scotland’s Island Communities’ is a prospectus for Scotland's islands, recommended jointly by Scottish Ministers and Islands Council Leaders.
Appendix 1 Island Areas Ministerial Working Group
Members of the Island Areas Ministerial Working Group were:
| Derek Mackay MSP | Minister for Local Government & Planning (Chair) |
|---|---|
| Paul Wheelhouse MSP | Minister for Environment & Climate Change |
| Councillor Angus Campbell | Leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar |
| Councillor Dr Steven Heddle | Convener and Leader, Orkney Islands Council |
| Councillor Gary Robinson | Leader of Shetland Islands Council |
| Mark Boden | Chief Executive of Shetland Islands Council |
| Alistair Buchan | Chief Executive of Orkney Islands Council |
| Malcolm Burr | Chief Executive of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar |
Additionally the following Ministers attended certain meetings of the Group appropriate to their portfolio responsibilities:
| Richard Lochhead MSP | Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs & Environment |
|---|---|
| Keith Brown MSP | Minister for Transport & Veterans |
| Fergus Ewing MSP | Minister for Energy, Enterprise & Tourism |
| Dr Alasdair Allan MSP | Minister for Learning, Science & Scotland's Languages |
The Group at its first meeting agreed its focus as being to:
- Consider how the Islands Councils are and can be supported to use existing powers available to them and engage communities to deliver improved, more responsive public services and better outcomes for communities;
- Consider the development and extension of local democracy in the island groups and opportunities in the context of the referendum, including the issues raised by the Our Islands - Our Future joint position statement; and
- Agree a prospectus outlining opportunities for island communities in the future, with the Scottish Government firmly of the view that independence offers the best opportunity for such progress.
The Group was supported by a secretariat drawn from officials in each Council and the Scottish Government. The Group met on six occasions:
| 29 August 2013 | Edinburgh |
|---|---|
| 29 October 2013 | Glasgow |
| 21 November 2013 | Edinburgh |
| 17 February 2014 | Lerwick |
| 24 March 2014 | Stornoway |
| 2 June 2014 | Kirkwall |
Each meeting was supported by significant joint working by Islands Councils and Scottish Government officials to develop and explore the range of subjects set out in the Our Islands Our Future campaign.
We believe that the people who live and work in Scotland are best placed to make decisions about our future - the essence of self-determination; therefore we support subsidiarity and local decision making.
"Lerwick Declaration",
First Minister, Alex Salmond MSP, 25 July 2013
Contact
There is a problem
Thanks for your feedback