Key players in emergency planning throughout the Highlands and Islands will be meeting in Orkney on August 31 to hold a public seminar in association with Orkney Islands Council about disaster preparedness and the oil industry.

This is the first time that the Highlands & Islands Strategic Coordinating Group (HISCG) has met in Orkney. The Group consists of Strategic leaders from the emergency services, local authorities, health boards, the Maritime & Coastguard agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

The programme for the public seminar which will be held at the King Street Halls in Kirkwall is:

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• 1pm – Registration

• 1.15pm – ‘Shipping, pipelines and the oil industry’

Hugh Shaw, Secretary of State’s Representative

• 1.45pm – ‘Emergency Preparedness and the Oil Industry’

Jim Leitch, Talisman Energy Ltd

• 2.15pm – ‘Buncefield - Five years on’

Bill Lyons, Head of Resilience, Scottish Environment Protection Agency

• 2.45pm – ‘Response and Recovery Arrangements in the Orkney Islands’

Captain Nigel Mills, Harbour Master, Orkney Islands Council

• 3.15pm – Summing up and seminar close

Chief Executive of Orkney Islands Council, Albert Tait, said: “The Council is a key partner in the HISCG along with other councils and emergency and environmental services in the region. We have a major role to play in ensuring that Orkney is as best placed as possible to respond to and recover from emergency situations.

“We encourage anyone interested in emergency planning to attend the seminar which will look at the disaster preparedness arrangements in place to deal with the specific risks associated with the oil industry.”

The seminar is free but booking is required. To attend, call the Council on 873535 and ask for Aimee Pottinger on ext 2206

(GK)