In addition to Councillor Walsh’s mysterious secretiveness Continue reading
Tag Archives: commission
Unbelievable – move for council to proceed with school closures
This is beyond believing but we understand on very good authority Continue reading
Moratorium on school closures creates a score draw for Argyll and Bute Council
In footballing terms, if you were an amateur side, one up in the closing stages Continue reading
‘Dalriada’ premieres across Argyll
Scottish composer, Dr Oliver Searle is pictured above on his reconnoitre of Argyll, prior Continue reading
Lochhead’s high level Brussels meetings today set out Scotland’s priorities
Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Fisheries and Continue reading
Oban railway footbridge at Soroba to be replaced
Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) has commissioned Continue reading
Mhairi Killen’s Absent Voices speak in Shetland, Inverness and Glasgow
The Tobermory arts centre, An Tobar, commissioned Continue reading
Islay Slate Company: setting pace and style
Only a year old, steady on its feet and running away with enterprising initiatives, the Islay Slate Company Continue reading
Scotland two-thirds off the hook over EU repayments on HIE’s historical errors on Structural Funds project management
The Scottish Government confirmed this morning that a ten year-old issue over a European funding audit in the Highlands and Islands has been resolved.
Following extensive negotiations between the Scottish Government and European Commission, it has been agreed that Scotland will repay Euro 10.42 million (£9.47 million at current exchange rate) to the Commission. This is two-thirds less than the Commission sought to reclaim from Scotland in its original demand in 200.
The agreement brings to a close the outstanding issues concerning the 1994-99 Highlands and Islands Structural Funds programme.
Scottish Ministers have already budgeted for the repayment. This means that it will have no impact on the delivery of public services.
The issues relate to inadequate audit trails and document retention among projects managed largely by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) over a decade ago. The European Commission had originally sought Euro 31.9 million.
Enterprise Minister Jim Mather says: ‘Having made every effort to minimise this repayment, I welcome the Commission’s decision to significantly reduce the repayment amount. This follows the considerable efforts of Scottish Government officials and partner organisations and constructive liaison with the auditors.
‘These are issues that date from more than a decade ago, but the Scottish Government takes its audit and compliance responsibilities very seriously and we have made budgetary provision to meet the repayment in full.
‘We can now focus on the very positive role the current 2007-13 European Structural Funds programme can play in the Highlands and Islands, building on the Government’s economic recovery programme to help Scotland emerge stronger from the current downturn’.
Is there a conflict of interest in Bord na Gaidhlig’s £250,000 mygaelic network site?
It has come to For Argyll’s notice that the Acting CEO of Bord na Gaidhlig, Rosemary Ward – is also, with Gillian Thompson, one of the two people creating and promoting the controversial new Gaelic social networking website – mygaelic.com.
The site is to be launched at the end of this month (January 2009), possibly with a glitzy event in Glasgow’s George Square. It has been commissioned by Bord na Gaidhlig for an eye-opening fee of £250,000.
The question of potential conflict of interest has to arise. In any country with a small population and within a specific community of interest, it is often impossible to maintain a fully reassuring distance between decision takers and service providers. But this connection is an uncomfortably close one for Bord na Gaidhlig.
Note: In a recent article, For Argyll has already raised questions on philosophical and cost issues around the concept and the commissioning of mygaelic.com. Site visitors reading this article have added questions on the relationship of the programming involved to the commission fee; and drawn attention to at least one existing Gaelic social networking site created altruistically by a young highlander.