Dave Thompson MSP

It is welcome news that the Land Reform Bill will be brought before the Scottish Parliament during this current term and as part of that fantastic step forward I am delighted that the Scottish Land Fund, which helps communities to buy land, is to be extended until 2020.

This comes around the same time as the Community Empowerment Bill makes its way into Parliament. This bill has local empowerment at its heart, as it looks to facilitate community participation and engagement, which I wholeheartedly support.

Both these bills will be beneficial to Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch and Scotland in the long run as they will help to ensure our land is used in the public interest and for the common good.

I am pleased that Transport Scotland has confirmed that average speed cameras on the A9 are already delivering results, despite the average speed cameras not even being switched on.

Figures show that while one in three drivers had been exceeding the speed limit on the stretch of road between Perth and Pitlochry, this number has now fallen to one in ten since the installation of the cameras.  This is fantastic news as it is making the road safer for everyone who uses it.

The recent concerns that lorries might perform “rolling road blocks” amid fears that the installation of the cameras are causing delays are entirely unfounded. Lorry drivers long campaigned for raising the speed limit from 40mph to 50mph and the Scottish Government has listened with the new speed limit coming into force in the autumn.

The only folk that need to be concerned by the average speed cameras are those who persistently break the legal speed limit.

The publication of the third National Planning Framework (NPF3) and Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) from the Scottish Government will place a ban on wind-farm development in the 19 per cent of Scotland identified as National Parks and National Scenic Areas. Significant protection is provided to sensitive areas of land identified within Scottish Natural Heritage’s Wild Land Areas Map 2014, also published today. In total, approximately 30 per cent of Scotland’s landscape will benefit from stronger protection against inappropriate development.

I do recognise renewable energy is massively important to Scotland’s economy, however it is vitally important that we protect Scotland’s natural assets, and in doing so we must ensure any developments are built with this in mind.

Therefore, this publication is welcome as it acknowledges that a balance must be struck between economic development and the protection of our most valued scenic and wild areas, many of which are in Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.

With less than 80 days to go until Scotland’s historic date with destiny, I am delighted to learn that canvassing is going well around the constituency.

It is clear more folk are listening to our positive message and as a result we are getting more and more positivity on the door steps, with lots of people indicating they will be voting yes in the referendum and in doing so they will be helping to unlock Scotland’s potential!