News / In brief for 8 June 2010
SIC prepares for public hearing
SHETLAND Islands Council is holding a special meeting on Thursday afternoon to discuss its submission to the public hearing being held by the Accounts Commission on 28 and 29 June.
The two day hearing at Lerwick Town Hall will hear evidence from several witnesses from inside and outside the council following a critical report into the authority by the Controller of Audit in April.
Issues under the microscope will include the qualification of the council’s accounts, the recruitment and departure of former chief executive David Clark and the way the council was managed during his tenure.
Everyone is invited to make a submission to the Accounts Commission by sending it to shetland.hearing@accounts-commission.gov.uk or by post to Mark Brough, secretary and business manager, Accounts Commission, 18 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2QU.
Submissions should be no more than four typed A4 pages and arrive by 5pm on 14 June. They will be published on 21 June at www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/ac/shetlandhearing
Lifeboat day raises £10,000
SATURDAY’S open day on Lerwick’s Victoria Pier raised £10,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, equalling last year’s record sum.
On a busy weekend in the town, more than 500 people boarded the NorthLink ferry Hrossey for the trip around Bressay that alone raised £3,500, which was successful that extra sandwiches had to be brought in by lifeboat at the back of the island.
Lerwick Ladies Lifeboat Guild president Linda Simpson thanked everyone, especially NorthLink’s staff and crew, and said “dunking the lifeboatman” and the spectacular displays by the coastguard rescue team were especially popular.
More information on the RNLI in Lerwick can be found at www.lerwicklifeboat.shetland.co.uk
Road safety
JUNIOR road safety officers (JRSO) who promote road safety in 20 schools across Shetland will be giving presentations at Lerwick Town Hall on Friday 11 June, before being presented certificates and goody bags by councillor Iris Hawkins and Shetland islands Council road safety officer Elaine Skinley.
BP fears stoked
A US pressure group has called on the UK government to launch an immediate investigation into oil company BP’s five deep water platforms in the North Sea and north Atlantic.
Washington-based NGO Food & Water Watch describe BP as “a rogue company” with a “disregard for safety” following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Food & Water Watch executive director Wenonah Hauter said: “Anywhere there are BP deepwater facilities, they should be scrutinised. Due to the location of the five BP operations in UK waters and the Atlantic currents, any BP disaster here would foul the entire North Sea.”
Industry body Oil & Gas UK has said that the safety regime in the North Sea and north Atlantic is far stricter than in the US following the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988.
Extra day’s in service
TEACHERS are to be given on extra day’s training in the next school year to make sure they are ready for the roll out of the new Curriculum for Excellence.
Education secretary Michael Russell is writing to all teachers on Tuesday to confirm an extra day’s training will take place between August and December. The move follows talks with teachers’ union EIS
Mr Russell said: “The extra in-service day I am giving to teachers will enable them to address specific issues in their own school. Curriculum for Excellence is about method much more than content and therefore every school will approach it differently and set its own priorities. Local authorities and HMIE will work with schools to ensure the training is designed to meet their needs.
Diesel down
SHETLAND Islands Council’s vehicle fleet consumed six per cent less diesel last financial year, the authority’s audit and scrutiny committee heard on Monday.
The SIC is committed to reducing its diesel usage by five per cent for each of the next four years.
During 2009/10 more than 40 tonnes of diesel were saved due to the reduction in the size of the fleet and the introduction of more fuel efficient vehicles
Head of infrastructure services, Gordon Greenhill, said making further efficiency savings in the years to come would ultimately become more difficult.
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