The Scottish Government will meet on Shetland later this year as part of its sixth year of summer cabinet meetings outside Edinburgh, Finance Secretary John Swinney announced today.
Speaking at the Convention of Highlands and Islands at the Mareel Centre in Lerwick, Mr Swinney confirmed the Cabinet will visit in July and that an announcement will be made shortly on other dates and locations in the 2013 summer cabinet programme.
This is the sixth year of summer cabinet programmes outside the capital. Over the last five years people have participated in events in Skye, Renfrew, Orkney, Dundee, Melrose, Stornoway, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dumfries, Inverness, Pitlochry, Isle of Bute, Dornoch, Stirling, Kilmarnock, Fort William, Stranraer, Kirkcaldy and Elgin.
In addition to the formal cabinet meetings, Ministers hold open meetings for the local communities as part of their visits and the public are encouraged to attend the sessions, where Ministers will be on hand to answer questions.
Finance Secretary John Swinney said:
“The summer cabinet programme provides an excellent opportunity for the Scottish Government to meet hundreds of people from communities across Scotland.
“The Highlands and Islands make a substantial contribution to Scotland’s economy and culture. I am delighted to announce at the Convention of Highlands and Islands today that my cabinet colleagues will be meeting in Shetland this summer to hear first hand about the issues important to the people of Shetland and to set out what the Scottish Government is doing to support the growth and prosperity of these islands now and in the future.”