Dave Thompson MSP

At a recent (20/01/16) meeting of the Rural Affairs, Environment and Climate Change Committee (RACCE) I welcomed my colleague, Graeme Dey’s amendment, to the Land Reform Bill, which will create a register of persons of significant control in relation to the proprietors of land.

Transparency is an essential component of Land Reform and I was struck by the broad agreement right across society that that is essential.

We do not need to look far in my constituency at this very moment to find situations in which transparency would be helpful. A couple of estates have changed hands recently. Indeed, including one, where the companies buying them are registered in Jersey and this is not an isolated example. Therefore, it is essential that we have information on who owns land in Scotland.

As Strathy readers will know I recently bought an all-electric Nissan Leaf, which has raised a number of interesting issues around how to make electric car travel more user-friendly.  I recently (14/01/16) used a question in the Scottish Parliament to ask the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Aileen McLeod, if the number of rapid (50kW) electric car charging points in the Highlands and Islands should be increased to make ownership of electric vehicles in the Highlands and Islands more attractive.

I was pleased that the Minister agreed with me that there should be more rapid charge points and it is good news that there are already 43 available for public use, and better still that a further 10 is to be commissioned in the coming months, and that Scotland is developing one of the most comprehensive networks of rapid charge points in Europe.

I was interested to read of the debate around whether a new junction to Aviemore should be created from the A9 which would enter the centre of the village. I don’t suppose this one will be concluded for a while yet and I look forward to hearing who wins the argument from a safe distance as a mere member of the public!

The new plan for the future of Gaelic by Highlands and Islands Enterprise is welcome as it will enhance how Gaelic is utilised for social and economic gain, which follows recent research showing the economic value of the Gaelic language in the Highlands to be £5.6million. This is great news and will it builds on the progress made in the organisation's previous plan which covered the period from 2012-15.

I recently showed my support for Kidney Cancer Scotland and Melanoma UK for their work in advancing the cause of cancer treatment by signing the pledge in the Scottish Parliament to support cancer patients.

This was important as new and exciting advances in the treatment of cancer offer patients the prospect of improved long-term survival from cancer across a range of tumour types.

I will be standing down in 2016, which comes with a tinge of sadness after 9 years as, first a regional MSP, and then Constituency MSP, however I am confident I am passing the baton onto a younger and talented SNP candidate in Kate Forbes and I will campaign hard to ensure she is elected as your representative for Strathy after the Scottish Elections in May.