Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Press Release
27 August 2008
Priorities Agreement Signed
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and the Scottish Government have signed off the Comhairle’s Single Outcome Agreement, a list of local and national priorities which will guide the Comhairle’s actions over the next year.
The agreement was signed by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Convener Alex MacDonald and Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead.
The Single Outcome Agreement is a set of objectives and targets in relation to the range and quality of services enjoyed by residents of the Outer Hebrides. The agreement will form the basis for future funding alignments, tailoring local services to meet national and local priorities.
Mr Lochhead said: "The Single Outcome Agreement we are signing today signals a new relationship with local government, reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and enabling councils and their partners in the community to deliver the services people want and need.
“This agreement gives the council more freedom than ever before to deliver for the people of the Western Isles. It is an excellent example of how we can integrate the delivery of our local public services, improving the quality of life for people across Scotland.”
Mr MacDonald said: “The Outer Hebrides offer a quality of life second to none but face major challenges such as peripherality, supersparsity and demographic imbalance all of which put a strain on the provision of services. Through partnership working at a national and local level, we can continue to improve the quality of life for our citizens, deliver first class services, meet local challenges and contribute to national objectives.”
. . . . . . .
Nigel Scott
Communications Officer
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Tel: 01851 822622 (Work)
Tel: 07884 236103 (Mobile)
email: nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk
Ruairidh Maciver
Communications Assistant
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Tel: 01851 822615 (Work)
Tel: 07881 774601 (Mobile)
email: ruairidh.maciver@cne-siar.gov.uk
