Top to bottom: A young resident of the new housing project at Bayble • Residents of the Trianaid Home, North Uist• Children play at Nicolson Lewis swimming pool • Proud member of the winning Gaelic Debating Team

I am pleased to introduce this Annual Report on the work of the Comhairle during the years 2002/03. This was a particularly significant year for the Comhairle as it was the last full year of the election term of four years.
I am particularly pleased and proud to say that the Comhairle has met aspirations and ambitions in all areas of our work and elsewhere in this report the details of those achievements are available. As usual, there remains much work to be done and whilst we can be proud of our achievements, we must look to continual improvement as the way forward.

At the core of the business of the Comhairle is the provision of services. I am pleased to report that there has been improvement across the board with the Comhairle achieving over the vast majority of the Key Tasks set at the beginning of the term of office.

On the economic development front, the Western Isles continued to make progress. Renewable energy was the subject for a major conference in March of this year. The then Energy Minister, Brian Wilson, gave the keynote address to the conference and the message was clear that the islands must seize the opportunities that are available from this developing industry. Arnish has continued to be developed and work will start there later this year on producing wind towers for renewable energy projects.

Last year I had to report that there had been job losses within the Comhairle’s DSO operation. Although these were kept to a minimum, it was still a painful, though necessary, process. I am pleased to say that the recovery of the DSOs has continued thanks to rigorous scrutiny and a determination on the part of the workforce, management and Members to work together to ensure a sustainable future. The DSOs are well on their way to a clean bill of financial health in 2003.

The year ahead will bring elections and new faces to the Comhairle. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the officers of the Comhairle for their assistance over the past four years and the Members of the Comhairle for their support. The next few years will bring their own challenges. I am confident the Comhairle is in good shape to face those challenges and continue to serve the communities of the Western Isles.

Alex MacDonald, Convener
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Abbreviations used in this report