Dave Thompson MSP

I was delighted to welcome the opening of the new marina at Lochaline, which will serve the Morvern Community. This is a major expansion of the facilities for the local Morvern Community, who made a significant contribution to the costs through the Morvern Community Development Trust. The new facilities build on the recent development of pontoons in 2011.

The development includes a new Harbour office, showers, toilets, laundry and Wi-Fi on the shore of Loch Aline, only minutes from the village of Lochaline. These new facilities will improve the experience of visitors and those who live in the local community, and crucially encourage more spending in the remote community. This increased spend will have a positive impact on the local economy, and I look forward to visiting and seeing the new facilities myself.

Recently planning consent was refused for the proposed 23 turbine Druim Ba wind farm by Energy Minister Fergus Ewing. Highland Council were opposed to the proposal, and there was also a public campaign against it. The Minister refused permission on the grounds that there would be a significant adverse impact on the landscape and residents living nearby.

I believe that this was the right decision, and an important one, as it demonstrates that the planning system is working, and takes into account the advantages and consequences of each development before reaching a decision that is right for the community. The process takes into account local objections and ensures they are evaluated properly.

I remain in principle supportive of renewable energy, but only in cases where it is compatible with the planning system, and I am confident that our planning system will continue to perform this role in appraising all such developments.

The latest GDP figures for Scotland and the UK were revealed, and they show that Scotland has a higher employment rate, lower unemployment rate and lower inactivity rate than any other nation in the UK. Scottish GDP has risen by 0.4 per cent during the first quarter of 2013.

These figures show that the Scottish Government’s policies are working, but there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that there are enough opportunities for everyone in Scotland. The recovery of the UK economy is lagging far behind other European economies, with our growth rate being the lowest in the G8. Despite all this evidence that London’s austerity policies are not working, the Coalition remains committed to their current course, and Labour have admitted that if elected they would not undo these cuts, to quote Ed Milliband, “not much will change”.

The Scottish Government, along with other devolved administrations, has consistently called for more investment to speed up and strengthen the recovery. In Scotland, Independent economists have credited our better economic performance now to precisely this action taken in 2010 by the Scottish Government, despite being constrained by the UK Government’s austerity policies. Our actions in advancing capital spending in construction however limited, and targeting resources at improving employment, especially young employment are reflected in months of statistics that show, unemployment is improving faster in Scotland, youth unemployment is much lower and our GDP growth is faster. What a turnaround from just 7 or 8 years ago when Scotland consistently underperformed the UK.  An Independent Scotland would have the economic powers to ensure our recovery strengthened even further and faster.

Finally, I was very pleased to note that following a successful spring run on BBC Scotland, the four part documentary ‘Hebrides: Islands on the Edge’ is being shown across the UK throughout July. In the spring when I asked BBC Scotland when it would be broadcast UK wide, they said they didn’t know but thought possibly in the autumn. I wrote to the Director General asking that this tentative schedule be advanced as it would greatly help the tourist industry which is so important to livelihoods in my constituency. I am glad he responded with a resounding “yes”.  This is a fantastic documentary which highlights the magical terrain, seascapes, flora and fauna that our remote islands have to offer, and in this way bring more tourists to benefits our tourist industry. Good news for Bed and Breakfast owners, hoteliers, retailers, restaurateurs, camping and caravan parks and anyone else who works in a tourism related industry.