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Summer Cabinet programme
24/06/2009
Community centres, universities, colleges, arts venues and a rugby club will play host to public meetings and receptions when the Scottish Government Cabinet takes its business across Scotland this summer.
Cabinet is holding five meetings outside Edinburgh over the Parliament's summer recess period, starting in Dundee next week (June 29 and 30).
Ministers today announced the venues for Dundee and for the other Cabinet programmes in Melrose, Stornoway, Aberdeen and Glasgow.
This follows on from last year's ground-breaking Summer Cabinet programme where several hundred people attended events in Dumfries, Inverness, Pitlochry and Skye.
As well as the formal Cabinet Meeting, Ministers will take part in National Conversation public meetings, host Homecoming receptions, and undertake visits and engagements around each visit.
The schedule is:
The Cabinet meeting will be held on Monday afternoon at the University of Abertay, with a Homecoming Reception that evening in the city's Contemporary Arts Centre. The National Conversation public meeting will take place in the University of Abertay's main Lecture Theatre on Tuesday morning.
The Homecoming reception on Monday evening, and Tuesday morning's formal Cabinet meeting will both take place at Melrose Rugby Club, with the National Conversation public event being held early afternoon at the town's Corn Exchange.
- August 3 and 4 - Stornoway
Lews Castle College UHI will be the venue for all of Tuesday's activities - the morning meeting of Cabinet and the early afternoon National Conversation public meeting. Monday evening's Homecoming reception will take place at the An Lanntair Arts Centre.
- August 17 and 18 - Aberdeen
All the events will take place at University of Aberdeen facilities. Monday night's Homecoming reception will take place in Elphinstone Hall; Tuesday morning's Cabinet at the Old Town House; and Tuesday afternoon's National Conversation public meeting in the MacRobert Building Lecture Theatre.
- August 31 and September 1 - Glasgow
The Summer Cabinet programme concludes in Glasgow with the Homecoming reception on Monday evening at the Pearce Institute in Govan and both of Tuesday's events - Cabinet and the National Conversation reception - in the Molendinar Community Centre on Royston Road.
Looking forward to the start of the Summer Cabinet programme, First Minister Alex Salmond said:
"Last summer's ground-breaking Cabinet programme brought government closer to the people, a process that was widely welcomed by the public and Ministers alike.
"It is vital that we take government to the heart of our communities, discussing a range of issues - local and national - with members of the public right across Scotland. That is even more important this year, as we work together to fight recession.
"By holding events in community centres, universities, colleges, arts centres and a rugby club, this year's programme will take the Ministerial team into the heart of communities in Dundee, Melrose, Aberdeen, Stornoway and Glasgow to hear the views and concerns of wider Scottish society.
"This will be invaluable in helping the Scottish Government keep close to the communities we serve. We also held this programme cost effectively last year. Our entire programme of Cabinet meetings outwith Edinburgh cost less than one of the UK Cabinet meetings held outside London."
Full details for each visit will be announced prior to each event, but the key elements of all five programmes will be:
- A formal meeting of the Scottish Cabinet (and a post-Cabinet briefing for the media)
- A National Conversation public meeting based around the Scottish Government's aspirations, with the opportunity to formally question Ministers at a Q&A session, followed by informal discussion opportunities afterwards
- A reception to mark the Year of Homecoming, celebrating the efforts of local individuals and organisations who are involved in the comprehensive Homecoming programme
- A series of local visits and engagements by Ministers