COMHAIRLE NAN EILEAN SIAR

Minute of Meeting held in the Council Offices, Stornoway, on Thursday 29 March 2007 at 7.00pm

PRESENT	Mr Alex A MacDonald (Convener)
	Mr Angus Campbell (Vice-Convener)
	Mrs Annie Macsween
	Mr John Mackay
	Mr Roderick Morrison	Mr Norman M Macleod
	Mr Norman A Macdonald	Mr Donald J Macsween
	Mr Angus M Graham	Mr Alexander M Mackintosh
	Mr Malcolm J Graham	Mrs Annie MacDonald
	Mr Ian M Macleod	Mrs Morag Munro
	Mr Neil Campbell	Mr Donald Macdonald
	Mr George Lonie	Mr Archie Campbell
	Mr Angus Nicolson	Mr Donald MacLean
	Mr Murdo Macleod	Mr Martin C Taylor
	Mr Norman L Macdonald	Mr Peter Carlin
	Mr Keith Dodson	Mr Ronald J Mackinnon
	Mr Angus McCormack	Mr Angus Macdonald
	Mr Donald I Nicholson	Mr Donald Manford
APOLOGIES	Mr Iain Morrison

Prayer: Mr Donald I Nicholson		The meeting was opened with prayer led by Mr Donald I Nicholson.
		MINUTES
Minute of Meeting of 8 February 2007	1 (a)	The Minute of Meeting of 8 February 2007 was approved.
Minute of Meeting of 15 February 2007	1(b)	The Minute of Meeting of 15 February 2007 was approved.
Declaration of Interest	2	Mr Donald Macdonald declared an interest in item 12 of the Transportation Committee Decision Report and items 12 and 14 of the Sustainable Development Committee Decision Report.
		QUESTIONS
Written Questions to the Convener and the Chairmen of Committees	3	There were no written questions.

		TIMETABLE OF MEETINGS
Statutory Meeting and Members’ Induction C32	4	The Director of Corporate Services submitted a Report which proposed an amendment to the date of the Statutory Meeting and provided details of the dates for Members induction. It was agreed that the date of the statutory meeting be Thursday 17 May 2007.
		OUTSIDE BODIES
Ferry Users Consultation Proposals T06.03	5	The Director of Technical Services submitted a Report which provided details of the proposed ferry users consultation process which would replace the Shipping Services Advisory Committees (SSACs). It was indicated in the Report that the consultation process formerly used by Calmac, SSACs, were discontinued as part of the new tendering process and the Minister for Transport had asked the Regional Transport Partnership to put a new consultation mechanism in place for the ferry services. It was agreed to note the new consultation process being established for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services and agree to continue the appointment of the current SSAC representatives for the initial Tier 1 and Tier 2 meetings to be convened by HITRANS during April.
		COMMITTEES
Committee Decision Reports	6	The Committee Decision Reports were submitted as undernoted. The Comhairle approved the recommendations in the Committee Decision Reports unless otherwise indicated. (a) Arts and Leisure Committee – 20 March 2007 (b) Housing Committee – 20 March 2007 (c) (i) Transportation Committee – 20 March 2007 (ii) Transportation Committee – 27 March 2007 (d) Social Work Committee – 21 March 2007 (e) Sustainable Development Committee – 21 March 2007 (f) Environmental Services Committee – 22 March 2007 (g) Education and Children’s Services Committee – 22 March 2007 (h) Commercial Operations Board – 28 March 2007 (i) Audit and Scrutiny Committee – 28 March 2007 With reference to Item 6 of the Committee Decision Report it was agreed that the further Report to be submitted to the next scheduled meeting of the Committee would also address specifically the options for the future allocation of development planning and development control within the Scheme of Administration. (j) Policy and Resources Committee – 29 March 2007