Western Isles health boss forgot about secret report

The pair at the centre of a row over a probe into Western Isles NHS deny that they deliberately misled the Scottish Parliament's audit committee. Former health boss David Currie says he had forgotten about the report into a huge blunder made by accounting staff. Finance personnel failed to inform the board that it was around £280,000 worse off until it was too late. Bosses ordered the report to find out who was responsible but insisted that they had not seen the document.

Western Isles NHS to hand over secret report

The secret report at the centre of allegations that two former health chiefs "misled" the Scottish Parliament will be surrended.

MSPs probing the long-running losses and chaos at Western Isles NHS Board have asked the body to hand over the controversial document.

Western Isles health bosses "lied" to Scottish Parliament inquiry

Controversial former bosses at Western Isles NHS Board lied to a parliamentary inquiry looking into the body's financial chaos it is claimed.

Former chief executive Dick Manson and former chairman David Currie both insisted that they had never seen the so-called Cook Report which highlighted a list of chronic failings involving the body's finances and its finance team.

But it has emerged that they handed out copies of the document to health board members at a private meeting and discussed its contents.
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Western Isles best for marine energy

The sea off the Western Isles has the greatest potential to build the UK's first major offshore renewable energy schemes but more research is required says a new report. more

Colombia mourns Hebridean chef

President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia will attend the funeral of Stornoway's Kendon Macdonald Smith who died earlier this week. Former Colombian leaders Cesar Trujillo, Ernesto Pizano and Andres Arango will also pay their last respects to the Hebridean who became their nation's best-known celebrity chef.
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Saw Doctors return to head Heb Celt Fest

The Saw Doctors will top the bill at this year's Hebridean Celtic Festival which takes place in Stornoway this summer.

The headline acts include Four Men and a Dog, Shooglenifty and top Scottish bagpipe stars, Red Hot Chilli Pipers. Also appearing are the award winning stars Seth Lakeman, Gaelic singing Julie Fowlis and there will be swing and bluegrass from America’s Hunger Mountain Boys who hail from Massachusetts and a UK debut for Belgian bagpipe outfit Griff.
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Bayble school fight may go to Scottish Parliament

Full story: Bayble school fight may go to Scottish Parliament

Point parents are considering to take up their case to save Bayble school to the Scottish Parliament. Over 700 people have signed a petition opposed to Western Isles Council's decision to shut the secondary school. Supporters are meeting on Thursday to decided on their next course of action

Search for man after boat overturns

A search for a missing salmon farm worker on Lewis has been called off for the night.

A fish-farm vessel capsized with four people onboard. The other three managed to swim to safety but there was no sign of the older man.

Coastguard teams failed to find any trace of the man and the search was called off when darkness fell.

The alarm was raised around 4.20 pm with a 999 call to Stornoway coastguards.

The men were working near a fresh water hatchery which rears young salmon and is anchored in Loch na Creige Fraoich about a mile south of Soval Lodge by the main Stornoway to Harris road.

Stornoway rescue helicopter undertook aerial sweeps of the loch and three coastguard teams scoured the moorland area round the loch-side.

The helicopter and shore squads will resume the search tomorrow morning (Wednesday).

Western Isles cheap ferry fares scheme

The RET Western Isles cheap ferry fares scheme will be implemented on all sea routes between the hebrides and the mainland. The pilot study will last for 30 months.

Manson submits evidence to health board inquiry

Link to full story & Mr Manson's letter : Health board inquiry

Dick Manson the controversial former chief executive at troubled Western Isles NHS has submitted written evidence to the Parliamentary inquiry into the board's financial problems.

Western Isles health bosses give evidence to inquiry

Full story Manson and Currie to be examined by health probe

Two top bosses in charge at Western Isles Health Board during its controversial period of increasing losses and low staff morale will face a parlimentary probe on Wednesday.

The inquiry by the Scottish Parliament's audit committee - launched after three consecutive years of deficits - will take evidence from Dick Manson and David Currie.

St Kilda wreck to be salvaged

Link: St Kilda wreck to be salvaged

The stricken fishing boat stuck on rocks at St Kilda in the Western Isles will be recovered by Netherland-based salvage experts Mammoet.

The trawler is jammed and will required a heavy lift crane to removed her.

Mammoet was involved in the lifting of the sunken Russian nuclear submarine Krust from the seabed in 2001.

Salmon farmer admits damaging protected ground

Full story Western Isles salmon farmer admits damaging protected machair

Salmon farmer Lighthouse Caledonia has damaged environmentally protected machair at Reef beach in Uig on Lewis.

Cheap ferry fares to be revealed

Links:
Cheap ferry fares to be announced

Ret-what-is-to-be-announced

Details of a reduced ferry fares pilot scheme for the Western Isles is due to be officially revealed tomorrow (Tuesday). It is hoped that the Cal Mac ferry arrives in the port of Stornoway on time to provide the necessary photo opportunity backdrop for transport minister Stewart Stevenson. Core information of the RET pilot have been already leaked.

Hedgehog hunters wanted

Full story: Hedgehog hunters wanted

SNH are looking for hunters to trap live hedgehogs on Benbecula for relocating from the Western Isles to the Scottish mainland.

Turbine self destructs

Wind farm campaigners say a turbine which went haywire and exploded in high winds in Denmark on Thursday is an example of how dangerous these machines could be.

Eishken wind farm passed by Western Isles Council

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The decison by Western Isles Council to approve a large windfarm at Eishken, Lewis, is to be notified to the Scottish Government.

The same 13 turbines are to be scrutinised in a forthcoming public inquiry but the council insists that its decision is legal.

Western Isles pupil treated for TB

A senior pupil at a secondary school in the Hebrides has contracted TB.

The student in the Nicolson Institute in Stornoway, Lewis, has now recovered from the infection.

Western Isles NHS will screen her fellow pupils for the disease from Monday.

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Two Western Isles schools to close

Western Isles Council has voted to close two rural secondary schools - the first of seven on a hit list.

At a meeting in Stornoway councillors agreed to shut Bayble School in Lewis and Daliburgh in South Uist in a cost-cutting exercise.

Another five rural secondary units plus certain primary schools across the Outer Hebrides also face the axe.

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Air Discount Scheme secured for three years

The Air Discount Scheme which offers lower air fares to the Western Isles and other Scottish islands has been saved with only two weeks before it was due to finish.

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Cheap ferry fares scheme leaked

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A new scheme for cheap ferry fares to the Western Isles is unlikely to be as attractive as hoped for it is claimed.

It has been leaked that the fares will be based on 60 pence per sea-mile rather than the 40 pence level requested by various groups including Western Isles Council and HIE.

Development agency supports giant wind farm

The directors of HIE Innse Gall, formerly Western Isles Enterprise are urging the Government to pass the controversial Lewis wind farm development on the Barvas moor.

The renewable energy developers say it would need 400 people to build the scheme and - if it is propely managed - the profits from the community benefit would create 150 jobs over 25 years.

EU Commissioner wants intelligent development on protected land

EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas has made it clear that building on environmentally protected land like the Lewis Peatlands is allowed - provided it is carried out in a intelligent manner.

His comments comes as Comhairle nan Eilean Siar makes strong accusations that the designations on seem to be preventing any development on the islands' moorlands.

The Habitats Directive has resulted Lewis Windpower receiving a "minded to refuse" decision for its proposal to build a giant windfarm on the Lewis moor.

Cheap ferry fares for Hebrides

The Government will soon announce which Western Isles sea routes will participate in a trial cheap ferry fares scheme. The pilot RET study will examine the case for implementing the measure across all Scottish ferry routes. Island politicians are now urging the Government to run the pilot study on all sea links across the Minch this year which will allow all islands to beneift from the experiment.


More: Call for all islands to participate in cheap ferry fares trial

Go-ahead for delayed North Harris community wind farm

The small North Harris community wind farm finally gets official approval.

Progress on the three- turbine development at Monan, North Harris, was stalled after a public inquiry was ordered.

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Long delayed Harris wind farm eventually gets official approval

Rural is exciting


New internet ideas, renewable energy, and digital media is making rural communities an exciting places to be in the 21st century

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Rural areas “full of promise”

Council criticised over its failure to help orphange children


Western Isles Council failed to undertake a prompt assessment of two young adopted Russian girls who have learning difficulties.

The family who relocated to Scalpay in 2005 are now moving to Moray where they say their children will receive more help.

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Council criticised over its failure to help orphanage children