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Scottish Cabinet in Stornoway
03/08/2009
The Scottish Cabinet will gather for a historic first meeting in the Western Isles this week.
It is the third of five Cabinet meetings and associated events being held outside Edinburgh during the Scottish Parliament summer recess period.
First Minister Alex Salmond has already taken the Cabinet to Dundee and Melrose. This week's meeting in Stornoway will be followed by further Cabinet meetings in Aberdeen and Glasgow over the summer.
Today there will be an announcement relating to Gaelic education at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on Skye before taking the ferry from Uig to Tarbet where he will make an announcement relating to the Government's Road Equivalent Tariff policy.
A reception to mark Homecoming 2009 will be hosted by the First Minister in the An Lanntair arts centre in Stornoway this evening.
The First Minister will then chair a formal meeting of the Scottish Cabinet at Lews Castle College on Tuesday morning. A discussion event on the Government's National Conversation will be held after Cabinet, also in Lews Castle College. The National Conversation event will be chaired by the Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution with the First Minister and Cabinet Secretaries and other Ministers also taking part. Representatives from local civic organisations and members of the public will be in attendance to ask questions.
Speaking ahead of the two-day programme, the FM said:
"In Stornoway, the Scottish Government is taking Cabinet directly to the people. We have already been to Dundee and Melrose this summer, and I am looking forward to coming to the Stornoway for this historic first meeting in the Western Isles.
"As a Government, we are committed to staying in touch with the people and the issues. Taking the Cabinet out of Edinburgh provides us with a greater opportunity to meet many individuals and organisations from the local communities and listen to their views on a range of issues.
"Last year's Summer Cabinets programme was so successful that we have extended this year's programme to include five venues."