Shadow Environment Minister highlights Moray recycling and waste management problems
Tuesday, August 27, 2002
The Scottish National Party’s Shadow Environment Minister, Bruce Crawford MSP, today [Tuesday] visited Moray to highlight the issue of a lack of recycling in the region. Mr Crawford was met by Moray MP, Mr Angus Robertson.
Based on the most recently available figures Moray is amongst the worst performing Councils as far as recycling of waste is concerned and has yet to complete and implement a full and sustainable waste management strategy.
Commenting Shadow Environment Minister Bruce Crawford MSP said:
“ The Scottish Lib/Lab Executive’s record on recycling has been woeful and they are only now accepting the enormity of an issue that the SNP has been campaigning on for years. There is a will amongst council officials and the departments concerned with recycling to drastically improve the current situation but they are being constrained variously by council administrations that severely lack forward thinking on waste strategies and an Executive that is failing to deliver funding to Local Authorities.
“ The SNP has produced a raft of policy commitments on waste management and recycling, including an aim to have 30% - 35% of household waste recycled by 2010. This target is substantially greater than the Executive has stated and entirely do-able.
Moray’s Westminster MP Mr Angus Robertson continued:
“ Unfortunately waste management is not a ‘sexy’ political issue for some of the woollier thinking independent and Labour councillors in Moray and, therefore, it is often consigned to the nearest landfill site along with an incredible 96.5% of Moray’s household waste.”
“ One of the biggest obstacles to improving waste management and recycling in Scotland is that funds raised from the Landfill Tax are retained by the London Exchequer. My SNP colleagues and I continue to argue that these funds should come to Scotland and in power the SNP would commit these funds to support and develop the introduction of separation at source, recycling, waste minimisation and packaging reduction measures.”
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SNP Representatives Make Moray Matter
Sunday, August 25, 2002
Leader of the SNP’s Westminster Group Mr Alex Salmond MP is visiting Moray to take part in a question time session where he will join local MP Angus Robertson to take questions from an audience comprised of people from throughout Moray.
The event, which has been organised by local Burghead man Abbey Main, has already got over 60 confirmed attendees with many more expected to arrive on spec.
Commenting Alex Salmond MP said:
“ I was delighted to be invited to this event in Burghead, which will undoubtedly be a big success. It is always a pleasure to visit Moray and support the excellent work of my SNP colleagues Margaret Ewing MSP and Angus Robertson MP, whom I work with in Westminster.
“ With Margaret’s recent diagnosis of breast cancer, and the subsequent surgery and treatment this required, it has been a concerning time recently for all of us in the SNP, however I am delighted that her recovery is almost complete and I look forward to seeing her back in action. I know that she is desperate to get back into the fray and continue what has been a very notable and successful representation of Moray, both at Westminster and in the Scottish Parliament.
“ I am also delighted to be sharing a platform with my Westminster SNP colleague, and MP for Moray, Angus Robertson. Since his election last year I have been greatly impressed by Angus’ debating skill and the incredible effort and time he puts into serving his constituents. It is particularly notable that, on the basis of contributions in parliament, Angus is one of Scotland’s hardest working MPs.
“ I hope that the open nature of the question time session serves as in indication of the SNP’s commitment to Moray and that it will emphasise the importance of next year’s Scottish Parliament elections.”
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Bypass Campaign rolls on
Friday, August 23, 2002
Schools are back in Moray this week. The end of the holidays will be a
disappointment for many children, but there is also excitement about the start of the new term. In many parts of Moray children rely on the bus service to get them to and from school safely and in good time.
Over the last few days I have been inundated by calls from concerned parents who are unhappy that the Council has cut adult supervisors from the buses. In the past an adult accompanied the children on the bus ensuring that safety belts were done up, kids got off at the right stop and that fun didn't turn into high jinks.
For some reason Moray's Independent/Labour council decided to cut the
supervisors. Parents aren't happy about this especially in the wake of the tragic death of the two schoolgirls in Soham. A parent has asked whether the Council has done a risk assessment. After all this is the Council that claimed the necessity of a risk assessment about whether a flag can be flown over the Forres tollbooth! Perhaps the Council has a good reason for their move apart from cost cutting. Now is the time that parents need to be convinced. Its only sad that they weren't consulted in the first place.
Next week will see the welcome visit to Moray by the Scottish Executive Transport Minister. Lewis MacDonald is not a stranger here having stood unsuccessfully as a Labour candidate in the 1997 election. The SNP's Margaret Ewing soundly defeated him, but I'm certain he'll remember from his visits that Moray's road infrastructure is in need of improvement.
While the minister is here he will hear the strong case for an Elgin bypass from the non-partisan campaign led by the Northern Scot. Elgin is the biggest town between two Scottish cities not to have a bypass and the traffic situation is getting steadily worse.
According to recent media reports the Scottish Executive is set to increase its spending on roads and rail. Finance minister Andy Kerr is expected to announce next month how some of this money will be spent. The good news is that Executive sources have said that public pressure for more spending is likely to benefit the transport budget. The bad news is that it is unlikely to be spent in Moray.
Earlier this year a spending package for road improvements announced by the Scottish Executive saw Moray receive the lowest amount of money of any council in northern mainland Scotland. Believe it or not the former Enterprise Minister Wendy Alexander recently claimed that the policy of the last three years had been focussed on improving Scottish rural links, and now Labour and the Liberal Democrats plan to concentrate more on urban congestion.
According to the Courier newspaper Scottish transport minister Lewis
Macdonald has "defended concentrating roads spending around Glasgow,
Edinburgh and Aberdeen". Maybe he was misquoted. I certainly hope so. With the Scottish Executive under-spending its roads budget by a staggering 32 million pounds, there are clearly resources available for an Elgin by-pass. After so many promises in the past there will be great scepticism in Moray of further reviews, inquiries, focus groups or other non-commitments. The Scottish Executive will make their spending announcements next month. Hopefully Lewis Macdonald will agree the necessity of an Elgin by-pass, commit the Executive to a deadline and then deliver.
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DTI ‘Cod War’ Surgery
Tuesday, August 20, 2002
Around two dozen north of Scotland ‘Cod War’ fishermen are attending a meeting in Banff today with UK government officials who will hear their claims for compensation. The surgery was agreed by Department of Trade and Industry officials following direct correspondence from the SNP. The surgery is taking place at the Banff Springs Hotel in Banff.
Banff & Buchan SNP MP, Mr Alex Salmond, and Moray SNP MP, Mr Angus Robertson, have welcomed the visit by DTI officials, who will be meeting with retired fishermen who were affected by the Icelandic ‘Cod Wars’ in the 60s and 70s and who are now applying for compensation under a government scheme.
While many former fishermen from the Hull fleet have received compensation under the scheme, a much lower percentage from the Aberdeen fleet have been paid out. This has been mainly because of difficulties in obtaining documentary evidence that the Ministry will accept. However, the SNP have consistently argued that the DTI could be doing more to help fishermen prove their claims, since they clearly have easier access to the sources that could provide such proof.
Mr Robertson visited Iceland to meet with the Fisheries Minister and Customs officials who indicated that they were more than happy to share customs and naval records, details of newspaper reports from the time of the ‘Cod Wars’ and court case information, which could all assist in proving fishermen’s cases.
Commenting Moray SNP MP Angus Robertson said:
“ Between Alex and myself we have many constituents whose livelihoods were put at risk during the time of the ‘Cod Wars’ and, indeed, many who had to give up fishing entirely as a result of the restrictions that were imposed upon them. For these constituents not to be entitled to compensation is a travesty.
“ I too welcome the DTI’s surgery visit and would emphasise that the officials efforts in this matter are appreciated, however I will continue to raise with the Minister the level of assistance that he is allowing his departmental staff to offer to constituents in the North East and elsewhere.”
Banff & Buchan MP Alex Salmond continued:
“ The SNP group at Westminster, led by myself, have been pursuing these issues vigorously with the Ministry and while some welcome concessions have been made I remain unconvinced that they are doing all that they can to help my constituents.
“ That being said I do welcome this visit to the area by the DTI’s officials and I hope that some of Angus’ and my own constituents will see their claims progressed as a result. I can also assure all of the claimants that we are continuing to campaign for a broadening of the rules to enable many of those fishermen who were badly affected during the ‘Cod Wars’ but unable to claim at present to do so.”
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MORAY MP RENEWS CALLS FOR COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS TO NORTH OF SCOTLAND RAF BASE
Tuesday, August 6, 2002
Moray SNP MP Angus Robertson has renewed his calls for the investigation of RAF Kinloss as an alternative north of Scotland destination for low cost commercial airline traffic. His call comes after the breakdown of talks between Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd (HIAL) and Ryanair.
Ryanair had been hoping to operate cheap flights between Inverness and London, but following unsuccessful discussions about landing charges with HIAL the deal has been put on ice.
Speaking after the announcement Mr Robertson said:
” Improved flight connections and lower ticket prices to the north of Scotland are essential and it is very sad that agreement could not be reached which would have secured Ryanair flights to Inverness and Stornoway.
" That is why I am renewing my call to the Ministry of Defence to research the feasibility of RAF Kinloss being used as an alternative to Inverness airport for regular low-cost flights.
" This option is already being used in Cornwall and RAF Strike Command is currently looking into the possibility of a similar arrangement at RAF Leuchers. I have already raised this matter personally both with UK government Ministers and the head of RAF Strike Command Sir John Day.
" Things look bleak for Ryanair flights to Inverness airport it is imperative to do everything to ensure cheap flights to the north of Scotland through alternative airports and RAF Kinloss is the most suited. Clearly there should be no negative impact on the operational work of RAF Kinloss, but senior RAF personnel have assured me that this would be highly unlikely.
" Sadly the Labour/Liberal Democrat Scottish Executive has let the north of Scotland down by not ensuring that a deal could be reached at Inverness airport. The region and its people deserve better.”
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