The proposal to remove the provision of Pre School education in Castlebay from the Children’s Centre to Castlebay Primary School is to go out for statutory consultation.

Scottish government Ferries Review Report is now published: The in depth review of all ferry services across Scotland is out for final consultation. This will be the blueprint for future ferry services up to 2022 and communities have until the end of March 2012 to comment on the plans.

Local residents in Barra will be up in arms when they hear that there are proposals to cut the number of vehicles in Barra for the local fire Brigade. The proposals to remove one of the Barra fire engines will be decided before the end of January. 

Alasdair Allan Campaigns for New Barra Hospital

With the Scottish Parliament Election and the first UK-wide referendum in over 30 years taking place on 5 May, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is urging voters in the Western Isles to be ready to have their say.

Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP Angus MacNeil has written to Western Isles NHS Board and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar requesting that they attend a public meeting in Barra to update islanders on the progress being made in replacing St Brendan’s Hospital.

 A brief summary

Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to examine the proposed cuts to the Coastguard Service in response to a question from Angus MacNeil MP, who raised the issue from the floor of the House of Commons following the cancellation of the planned debate into the future of the coastguard Service throughout the UK.

The safeguarding of jobs was the focus of the meeting immediately following the Comhairle/CalMac Consultation.  A hop, skip and a jump away it was held in Castlebay School under the auspices of the ‘Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers’ Trade Union (the RMT), to which most Calmac employees belong.

A full Castlebay Hall greeted the ‘high heid yins’ from the Comhairle and CalMac on Monday night. It was an evening of consultation the Comhairle had agreed to undertake as part of the Scottish Government’s review of ferry Services. Options of services from Barra to Oban or Mallaig were considered with all those in the hall almost unanimously singing the same song - that the Castlebay to Oban service was the preferred route. Voices from the assembled crowd considered that the Barra to Mallaig service was a backward step.