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Cabinet on tour
25/07/2008
The Scottish Government's Cabinet will meet in Dumfries next week as the first of four Cabinet meetings and associated events being held outside Edinburgh during July and August.
The First Minister will also take Cabinet to Inverness, Pitlochry and Skye, giving local communities a greater opportunity to speak directly to Ministers about issues of local and national importance.
As well as Tuesday's formal Cabinet meeting, the First Minister will host a Good Causes reception on Monday evening in each of the locations to celebrate the work of local social, charitable and voluntary organisations.
A discussion event on the National Conversation will take place after Cabinet involving the First Minister, Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers, members of the public and representatives from local civic organisations.
Ministers will also undertake a series of engagements in each of the local areas.
Speaking ahead of the Dumfries programme, the First Minister said:
"The job of Government is to act on behalf of the interests of the people of Scotland. It is only logical that we continue to take every opportunity we can to maintain our dialogue with the people we represent and listen to the issues which are important to them.
"Taking Cabinet to areas like Dumfries and Galloway is an excellent way for us to meet with local communities and listen to their concerns and ambitions for Scotland. We have a full two-day programme of visits and events around the Cabinets to allow us to engage with as many people as possible."