Holyrood resumes this week
Westminster enquiry
Marchmont & Sciennes Community Council meeting
City planning
New boss for Conference Centre
Holyrood resumes this week following the recess for the Referendum vote. Although there is no formal business today there will be a statement by the First Minister Alex Salmond tomorrow and a debate on that during the afternoon.
After the decision in the debate there will be time for members business including this motion presented by Gordon MacDonald MSP on the continued success of Dad’s Rock:
S4M-10546# Gordon MacDonald: Dad’s Rock, International What’s On 4 Junior Award Winner 2014—That the Parliament congratulates Dads Rock, Scotland’s only network of free playgroups for dads and kids, which won the Most Outstanding Baby and Toddler Group at the International What’s On 4 Junior Awards; notes that the international annual awards, now in their eighth year, celebrate the best children’s activities, classes and party providers in the UK, Ireland and Australia; congratulates Steve Leslie of Dads Rock on winning the Most Outstanding Community Group Volunteer for Children or Families award; understands that nearly 90,000 international votes were cast by parents and carers, including from the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency, and considers that this is a fantastic achievement for a small charity that was only established in 2012.
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The UK government Political and Constitutional Reform Committee has agreed to hold an inquiry looking at the future of devolution in the United Kingdom, in the light of the referendum result.
Chair of the Committee, Graham Allen MP, said:
“The consequences for our democracy of the referendum result will be examined by the Select Committee and a report issued to Parliament and the public. The inquiry is likely to include a consideration of the need for the levels of devolution being offered to Scotland to be offered to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a written constitution to entrench that settlement, and other matters that will require an immediate view from Parliament.
We are living through very exciting times for our democracy and I am keen to seize this chance to consider the future of devolution. My own view is that if it’s good enough to offer to Scotland, it’s good enough for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
I want to hear the views of the leaders of the main political parties on the way forward for our democracy.”
Detailed terms of reference for the inquiry will be issued shortly.
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Click to access 2014-09-mscc-meet-poster.pdf
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The city’s planning committee has come in for a bit of criticism recently and we are still to hear whether the latest decision on the proposed development at Craighouse is to be called in by The Scottish Ministers or not.
Meantime we found this TED talk about the importance of open spaces in a city and thought it worth sharing with you.
What do you think of our city’s open spaces?
Are there enough of them? Do they offer enough to us and our city visitors? Where is your favourite public space in Edinburgh? Share it with us here on our EdinburghReportage storyboard.
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Marshall Dallas has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC).
He will join the company on 1 October 2014 succeeding Hans H Rissmann OBE who has held the role for 21 years.
Marshall Dallas has a wealth of experience in the hospitality sector, having held senior management roles at MacDonald Hotels, Queens Moat House, Gleneagles Hotel and Trust House Forte during a hotel industry career spanning almost 25 years.
His most recent executive roles have been in the private healthcare sector, most recently at Nuffield Health, where he has been a Director since 2013. He was previously an Executive Director of BMI Healthcare for two years.
Hans H Rissmann OBE will hand over operational responsibility on 31 October 2014 following a month-long transition.
A report detailing his appointment will be noted at the City of Edinburgh Council meeting on Thursday 25 September.
EICC Chair and City of Edinburgh Councillor, Gordon Munro, announced the appointment. He said: “I am delighted with Marshall’s appointment after what has been a wide ranging search and we are confident that he has the skillset required to take the expanded, award-winning business forward.”
Marshall Dallas said: “I am delighted to have been given this exciting opportunity to lead one of the world’s most cutting-edge conference and exhibition centres. Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh has much to offer both national and international business tourists.
“While, the addition of the new Lennox Suite, with its unique hall-wide moving floor system, puts the venue in the first rank of city centre destinations in a global meetings marketplace.”
Marshall Dallas was born in Dumfries and now lives in Central Scotland with his wife and two children.
EICC, a company owned by the City of Edinburgh Council opened for business in 1995, underwent a major expansion in 2013, doubling in size, and is regarded internationally to be redefining city centre conference and event space.
The business is winner of the European Foundation for Quality Management award, was first in class to achieve Environmental Management Standard, ISO14001 and is the reigning UFI Sustainable Development Award winner across the global exhibition industry.
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