Caithness.org News Bulletins -  October 2002

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First Minister Jack McConnell today pledged action to ensure that rural communities throughout Scotland benefit from the dispersal of public service jobs.

He said the Executive’s relocation policy review would require bodies and departments covered by the policy to identify two areas of work that could be carried out in remote locations without compromising efficiency.

The First Minister will told the Convention of the Highlands and Islands in Oban that the review aims to identify small numbers of jobs that could be successfully carried out in remote areas where it was difficult to find other ways to promote economic activity.

Mr McConnell said:

"Job relocation does not always have to mean transferring vast departments or hundreds of jobs. For a small community, a handful of jobs can be a lifeline, breathing life into rural areas. By boosting the local economy, these jobs will help secure a viable future for local schools, shops and vital public services.

"I saw for myself when I visited Benbecula, the positive impact of relocating Highlands and Islands Enterprise jobs to the island. Now I want to see rural communities throughout Scotland – from the Highlands and Islands to the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway – enjoying similar benefits."

Mr McConnell will outline further details of the new policy at the convention. Environment and Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie; Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Minister Iain Gray and his deputy Lewis Macdonald; and Peter Peacock, Deputy Finance and Public Services Minister, will also attend the event.

The convention will focus on a number of issues including:

Mr McConnell said:

"People living in rural and remote areas have particular concerns and we need to address these to ensure they have access to the same opportunities as people in other parts of Scotland.

"To ensure that rural communities flourish in future we must work together to find solutions and innovative ways of using new technology that will allow this to happen. The Convention of the Highlands and Islands is an ideal opportunity for Ministers to interact with local councils, key agencies and communities to make this happen."

The convention is normally held twice a year and brings together the Executive, local authorities, local enterprise companies, area tourist boards and other institutions in the Highlands and islands. It is a forum for discussing a range of economic and social development matters of importance to the area.

The membership of the Convention comprises two representatives from each of the following:

One representative from each of the following:

One representative from each of the following:

One representative from each of the following:

Two representatives from:

One representative from each of the following: