North Lanarkshire Council profits from CoSLA conference
NORTH Lanarkshire Council has defended the cost of last week's CoSLA Conference in St Andrew's as they actually made money out of the event.
The three-day event was heavily criticised on the basis of cost with some delegates expenses, including accommodation in five-star hotels, costing their home council as much as 2,000.
North Lanarkshire says each of its seven delegates, four Labour councillors, two SNP councillors and chief executive Gavin Whitefield, cost 595 but this was mostly offset by sponsors and the council's contract to run the associated Excellence Awards means they came out ahead.
A spokesman said: "The CoSLA Conference, Excellence Awards and Convention are hugely significant in determining and debating areas of importance to our residents.
"The delegate cost represents value, subsidised by sponsors, and the council derives considerable commercial income from our contract to put on the awards."
Council leader Jim McCabe, one of the delegates, believes the conference is worthwhile but may be held too often.
He said: "This really is the only chance for us to come together both cross party and cross country to discuss the issues that affect us all and it is hugely worthwhile.
"However, I do admit that this year the agenda was a little lighter than I've seen it so perhaps we don't have to meet every year, every two years might do."
As well as running the Excellence Awards, the council also earned some as the grounds maintenance and estates team took gold in the promoting sustainability category and the social work services team won silver in the advancing community and citzen well-being category.
Full story in the March 11 edition of Times & Speaker
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Friday 25 May 2012
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