Wednesday 23 September 2015
Guernsey's Chief Minister Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq has been in Edinburgh today and yesterday to meet with members of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament.
Yesterday afternoon the Chief Minister met with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and with Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who is responsible for finance, constitution and economy issues.
Deputy Le Tocq said:
"I am very pleased to have met the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in Edinburgh. Scotland's relationship with the UK and the British Isles continues to evolve following the referendum a year ago, the work relating to the Smith Commission, and the Scotland Bill. It is very important for Guernsey to understand that evolution, as well as the opportunities it might bring to develop a broader relationship between Guernsey and Scotland.
"The First Minister has been leading Scotland's response to the refugee crisis in Europe, and so the meeting was also an opportunity to see what we can learn from Scotland's response.
"As well as leading on Scotland's constitutional relationship, the Deputy First Minister leads on Scotland's investment objectives, and it was useful to hear more about how Scotland is approaching that in order to support economic growth."
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:
"I am delighted to welcome Chief Minister Le Tocq to Scotland.
"The Scottish Government is looking to strengthen our relationships across these islands through bilateral relationships as well as through our membership of organisations such as the British Irish Council.
"This visit will help to develop stronger links with Guernsey that will be of mutual benefit going forward."
The Chief Minister also met with Fiona Hyslop, the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs, and who is responsible for cross-government co-ordination on European Union and international relations, and with Keith Brown, the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, to discuss issues including transport connectivity.
Deputy Le Tocq said:
"It is valuable to understand how one of our friends in the British Isles works with the European Union, and is meeting the challenges of transport connectivity, particularly in the context of economic growth.
"I am also pleased to have the opportunity to meet a number of members of the Scottish Parliament who represent island constituencies, in order to understand how we can meet shared challenges in relation to issues such as the changing demographics and particular issues that affect small island communities."
The Chief Minister also met with the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce to discuss the potential for closer economic links between Guernsey and the Scottish capital.
-ENDS-
