Dave Thompson MSP

HIGHLANDS and Islands MSP Dave Thompson has dismissed a call from a wannabe Lib Dem politician that members of the Scottish Parliament should cut back on the number of "leaflets" they send out to constituents.

Mr Thompson, a former member of the Scottish Parliament's Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee who has represented the Highlands and Islands since 2007, said it was important that all MSPs keep in regular contact with the population they had been elected to represent.

In his case, Mr Thompson issues a six-monthly report to give details of work he has carried out on behalf of his constituents but in addition to this three items have added to the total bill for this type of project.

The first of these was a major public consultation to gauge the level of concern about the high number of ungated level crossings in the north of Scotland. The following year this was followed by another localised consultation exercise on a proposal to privatise residential care in Fort William.

Each of these items were audited by Scottish Parliament officials to ensure they were non-partisan before they can be issued.

Mr Thompson said: "Given that every householder in the Highlands has seen for themselves the amount of unsolicited parliamentary mail that has landed on their doormats from the Lib Dems in recent years, I find it extraordinary that Mr MacRae should take up this issue.

"I am also surprised that he attempts to hold Westminster's expenses regime up as an example of best practice, after all the scandals that are still coming out from that institution. The difference in procedure he mentions has only been introduced in the past few months as part of a long-overdue tightening of standards there.

"His description of my two major consultation exercises on ungated level crossings and the future of Invernevis House as 'frivolous' will be regarded as insulting by the thousands of people who took the trouble to make their views known on these important issues."

Notes:

Mr Thompson's open level crossing consultation was sent to almost 14,000 households in areas with this type of crossing. This resulted in a response rate of 18 per cent and indicated that 86 per cent of the population wanted to see public safety enhanced with the addition of barriers at currently ungated level crossings. The results of this study, the most comprehensive ever carried out on this issue, are still used to inform civil servants and transport planners of public opinion on the subject and Mr Thompson is hopeful that this may soon lead to the addition of barriers.

The Invernevis House consultation paper was sent to 8,398 households in Lochaber, producing a response rate of 22.4 per cent and the finding that more than 97 per cent of respondents wanted to see the facility refurbished rather than an alternative proposal to invite a private consortium to build and run a replacement home. Following the submission of Mr Thompson's evidence, Highland Council changed its policy and earlier this month agreed to press ahead with a refurbishment of the facility.