MSP wants answers on new Northern Isles’ ferry tender

Released – 26th September 2005

MSP Jamie McGrigor is demanding answers from the Scottish Executive over their handling of the tendering process to provide ferry services to the Northern Isles.

In a series of Parliamentary questions, the Conservative MSP has asked what considerations the Executive made in the latest tender document for a dedicated livestock/freight vessel to provide year-round transport of livestock from Orkney. Mr McGrigor also asked which groups were consulted before the latest tender document was drafted.

Jamie McGrigor said “As I have seen for myself at the County Show, Orkney produces some of Scotland’s finest livestock.

“However, this is being threatened because, just as the previous tender for ferry services to the Northern Isles failed to provide satisfactory provision for the transportation of livestock, it appears the Executive is making the same mistakes again with the latest tender.

“I’ve held meetings with concerned stakeholders in Orkney and there is real concern locally that a situation some have described as the worst in living memory is going to continue because the Minister has closed his ears to the arguments of local producers and his eyes to the real crisis that producers on the islands face.
”It appears that Nicol Stephen, when Minister for Transport, asked local stakeholders to advise him of the livestock transport needs of Orkney, only for the Executive to announce the tender document without allowing that group to report their findings. Certainly the 1st November cut off date for the consultation on the tender is too short a period for full consideration of this critical issue and what evidence is there that the Executive will listen anyway?

“As well as the questions I have tabled, I have also written to Tavish Scott to ask that he considers the use of a dedicated livestock/freight vessel and that the tender document is revised to make clear the requirement for a proper livestock system.

“He must ensure the mistakes of the past are not revisited and that a solution is found to a problem that this Executive has allowed to run on for far too long”.

Tory leader uses case of Orcadian man to highlight concerns over bail

Released – 22nd September 2005

Scottish Conservative Leader David McLetchie has used the case of Orcadian Robert Stanger to highlight concerns over the granting of bail in Scotland.

Speaking at First Minister’s Question Time, Mr McLetchie accused Jack McConnell of tinkering around the edges of the problem and said urgent action was required.

David McLetchie said “The First Minister will be aware of the conviction last week of a man who committed two rapes in Orkney. The second of these occurred while the accused was out on bail and after a condition banning him from staying in Orkney was overturned on the grounds that it breached his human rights leaving him free to rape again.

“The First Minister has talked about toughening up the granting of bail and imposing more conditions on those who are granted bail. But can he guarantee that his new conditions will not suffer the same fate and also fall foul of ECHR?

“This is a problem that requires urgent action. The Association of Scottish Police Superintendents has said that people out on bail commit 150 crimes every day in Scotland – that’s 55,000 a year. That is an appalling statistic and the response of imposing conditions such as tagging or curfews is inadequate.

“The only effective way to protect the public is to keep those charged with serious crimes in jail. We should return to the system where there is a presumption against bail for certain categories of crime such as murder and where the accused has a previous conviction for other serious crimes such as rape.

“The truth is that 5 years ago our law on bail was brought into line with ECHR and this is stopping us from denying bail to certain categories of accused persons. Isn’t it about time the First Minister stopped tinkering around the edges and got to the heart of the matter which requires a review of the Human Rights Act?”

McGrigor attacks “Governmental blackmail” over Orkney Council Tax

Released – 20th September 2005

Backing comments by Kirkwall councillor Roderick McLeod in which he described warnings from the Scottish Executive to Orkney Islands Council over it use of revenue obtained from council tax on second homes as "insulting", MSP Jamie McGrigor said:

“This is typical of the centralised attitude and interfering nature of the Scottish Executive.

“To have the gall to dictate to Orkney Islands Council that money raised from tax on second homes must be spent to the “satisfaction” of the Executive or risk having money withheld is shameful and tantamount to governmental blackmail.

“They seem oblivious or ignorant to the fact that £13million per year of government money is already withheld from Orkney through the Executive’s ongoing under-funding of the islands.

“There can be little doubt that this under-funding has lead to the increases in Orkney’s council tax and therefore I would like to see the estimated £160,000 returned to the 7,000 or so council taxpayers of Orkney in the form of a rebate”.