Finance Minister won’t meet McGrigor over Orkney under-funding

Conservative MSP Jamie McGrigor has pledged to continue to seek a meeting with the Scottish Executive over Orkney's council under-funding.

The Highlands & Islands MSP received a letter this week from Finance Minister Tom McCabe saying the Minister could not find the time to visit Orkney to discuss the matter. Mr McGrigor said, while he was disappointed, he would be writing again to press the issue.

Jamie McGrigor said "I'm sorry that the Finance Minister is unable to find the time to visit Orkney to discuss this important issue.

"He has taken over four months to reply to my original correspondence and all he has been able to come up with up with is a three page brush off which claims the under-funding is "perceived” and that Orkney is in only a "seemingly” poor position.

"These are not perceived disparities as the Minister suggests but a real under-funding that sees Orkney receiving significantly less per capita than the other island communities. I would like the Minister to explain to me how that is only “perceived”?

“Despite Orkney’s Band D council tax passing the £1,000 barrier for the first time, the gap between what the other islands communities and Orkney receives is increasing and the Scottish Executive seems either oblivious or unconcerned to the real seriousness of the problem.

"I will be forwarding the Minister’s letter on to Orkney Islands Council for their comment and will be writing again to Mr McCabe to ask him to visit Orkney to allow him to discuss the problems first hand with those the under-funding effects most".