The week ahead...

While the Council is in recess for July I still have a number of commitments this week:

Monday
A full day at work. In the evening I am visiting Quarrier's Village with my colleague James McColgan to meet some constituents who are trying to establish a community allotment. I will then be attending a meeting of the Kelburn Action Group in Clune Park Resource Centre.
Tuesday
At work until late afternoon then down to Greenock for a meeting of the River Clyde Homes Board at the Beacon Arts Centre.
Wednesday
At work in the morning. In the afternoon I am being interviewed by Inverclyde Radio and then I have my weekly meeting with the Chief Executive. In the evening I will be touring the ward with my colleague James McColgan to identify those roads and footpaths in most urgent need of repair to help inform our submission to officers on the Council's priorities for future financial years.
Thursday
A full day at work with an evening meeting.
Friday
Another full day at work.
Saturday
Hope to get along to the Woodhall Park open day for an hour or two.

Response to comments by SNP Group Leader...

I am disappointed that the SNP Group Leader is seeking to make political capital out of the Riverside Inverclyde Mid-Term Review.

If he had checked his facts he would have been aware that one of his SNP colleagues – former Councillor Chris Osborne – replaced me on the Board in 2008 and served through to the Council election in 2012.

I am sure that Scottish Government Ministers will be equally disappointed by his political opportunism. Riverside Inverclyde has been the subject of Ministerial oversight during the last 7 years. The Chair and Chief Executive have met regularly with Ministers and civil servants. RI’s business plans and funding bids have been closely scrutinised and subject to Ministerial approval. There is a standing invitation for civil servants to attend meetings of the RI board.

Scottish Government Ministers would not have provided RI with tens of millions of pounds of public money if they had not been satisfied that it was doing a reasonably good job in an extremely difficult economic climate.

The Mid-Term Review is a fair, balanced and honest assessment of the progress RI has made to date. It provides a blue print for greater focus for regeneration activity in Inverclyde so that we can make the most of reduced public funding in the years ahead.

Now is the time for parties to work together in the interests of the people of Inverclyde, not to indulge in petty political point scoring, which serves no useful purpose.