Dave Thompson MSP

Merchant Navy Day took place on the 3rd of September. I tabled a Motion at the Scottish Parliament to acknowledge the campaign by Seafarers UK to celebrate the day, as it is important to recognise Scotland’s ancient seafaring and trading tradition, and appreciate the great work Merchant Navy sea men and women do, and the sacrifices they make all around the world.

My own father, John, was in the Merchant Navy during the Second World War as a ship's baker, travelling all around the world, taking part in Atlantic convoys, and he survived being torpedoed in the Mediterranean. Northern men in particular were much sought after in the Merchant fleet due to their seafaring traditions, so it is only right that they should be recognised and celebrated.

It was great to have my proposed Cross Party Group (CPG) on “Consumer Affairs” approved by the Parliament, as Consumer Affairs cuts across a lot of issues that are important to the Highlands. Such as, the impact of high delivery charges on rural consumers and the perennial problem of nuisance calls. We intend, among other things, to look into what a more advanced devolution settlement might mean for Consumer Affairs. This will be discussed at the first official meeting taking place on Wednesday the 23rd of September.

I am also in the process of trying to set up a CPG on “Religious Freedom”. The first exploratory gathering of interested parties took place recently and I look forward to updating readers on the group’s progress in subsequent editions, as I seek to get the group formally recognised.

The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment (RACCE) Committee, of which I am a member, are in the process of scrutinising the Scottish Government’s Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.  It is important that the valuable knowledge, experience and expertise of everyone in Scotland with a vested interest in the land of Scotland participates in the process, which is why it was appropriate to hear from a range of interested parties when the Committee met recently in the Parliament.

Tenant Farmers, Deer Management, and Marine Protected Areas are issues currently to the fore and more generally, the question of just how Scotland’s land should be owned and how that land ought to be managed to benefit us all, continues to permeate the process.

The Committee will produce a report on its findings of the Scottish Government’s Land Reform Bill by the end of 2015.