McGrigor calls for Executive rethink on tail docking

The Scottish Executive must rethink its planned ban on tail docking, according to Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie McGrigor.
Following a meeting at Parliament with Scottish Gamekeepers Association Chairman Alex Hogg on Wednesday, the Conservative MSP, who has previously bred spaniels, has written to Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Ross Finnie urging an exemption for working dogs.

Jamie McGrigor said “Many constituents across the Highlands and Islands have contacted me with their concerns over the possible banning of tail shortening for specialist breeds of working dogs such as spaniels, terriers and pointers.

“The Executive’s plans are causing particular concern amongst land and wildlife management professionals and, as someone who’s bred Springer Spaniels myself, I know there is a real risk of increased suffering for dogs if this ban goes ahead.

“It comes despite an exemption for working dogs in England and Wales and despite the Scottish Executive originally planning such an exemption for Scotland. Unfortunately, as is so often the case with this Executive, they have now changed their minds and u-turned on the issue, and we risk having the ridiculous situation where the law differs across the UK.

“This ban won’t just affect privately owned dogs and I would be interested to know what representations the Executive have had from police and rescue services about the welfare of the spaniels they use in often dangerous and confined situations.

“Working professionals are devoted to their dogs and would never do anything to deliberately cause them pain. By tail shortening in infancy, they are only trying to protect the welfare of their dogs in adulthood. This Animal Welfare Bill should help them to do this rather than the reverse”.

McGrigor calls for better support for established Highlands and Islands tourism projects

MSP Jamie McGrigor has called for better support for existing tourism groups in the Highlands and Islands.

The Scottish Conservative Tourism and Sports Spokesman raised concerns at Ministers’ Question Time that new initiatives were being funded at the expense of older, more established projects.

Jamie McGrigor said “There are many well-established and highly successful tourism initiatives across the Highlands and Islands.

“However, concerns have been raised with me by people within the Highlands and Islands tourism industry that funding is being concentrated on new tourism initiatives at the expense of other long-established tried and trusted successful projects.

“One such established scheme is Golf Highland which represents many smaller courses in the region. Despite golf playing an increasingly important part in the success of local tourism, Golf Highland is apparently unable to apply for funding and is forced to rely on their membership subscriptions.

“I hope the Minister look at this situation and ensure that Golf Highland, and other well-established groups like it, are not penalised for their success”.

Education Minister Peter Peacock, who was standing in for the unavailable Tourism Minister Patricia Fergusson, said he would raise the issue with Ms Fergusson.

Heating schemes extension welcome but better delivery needed, say McGrigor

Responding to today’s announcement by Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm that the Central Heating Programme and Warm Deal scheme will be extended for another two years, Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP Jamie McGrigor, who last year exposed problems with the delivery of the schemes, said:

“I welcome news that the schemes will be extended but the problems I highlighted last year were problems of delivery.

”The Executive must ensure that applications are dealt with quickly and efficiently, that work is carried out on time with the minimum of inconvenience to householders and that local companies are allowed to play a greater role in installation work.

”I know EAGA has worked hard to deal with the cases I raised but we cannot afford another situation like last year where older people, many of whom were vulnerable, faced a winter without adequate heating because of delays in the delivery of the scheme”.

McGrigor: “Executive can’t afford repeat of Northlink tendering fiasco”

Commenting after state-owned Caledonian MacBrayne were confirmed as the Scottish Executive’s preferred bidder for the Northern Isles ferry contract, Conservative Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie McGrigor said:

“The Scottish Executive’s handling of the tendering for ferry services to the Northern Isles has been poor from the start.

“I just hope the Executive have learnt from the mistakes of the past and have ensured CalMac are fully aware of all the obligations of maintaining these lifeline services for Orkney and Shetland.

“We cannot afford a repeat of the fiasco the last tender process resulted in as the Scottish taxpayer will not be prepared to pick up the bill again for more Executive mistakes”.

MSP hopes new website will encourage people to “Get in Touch”

MSP Jamie McGrigor hopes his new website will mean more constituents will get in touch.

Launching http://www.jamiemcgrigormsp.com/, the Conservative MSP said the site would make it easier for him to update people across the Highlands and Islands with his latest news, as well as making it easier for them to raise issues with him.

Jamie McGrigor said “It’s so important that people feel they can contact their local representatives and I hope this new site encourages my constituents to get in touch.

“The new site is designed to make access to information as simple as possible. As well as holding all my latest news, it also has an online diary in which meetings and events I am attending will be published, making it easier for people to see the work I’m doing their area.

“Constituents can also register for Email Updates and this allows me to keep them up to date with the very latest news of what I’m doing and what’s going on at Parliament in general. I’m also hoping to include an online surgery facility soon.

“I hope people will visit the site and contact me with any suggestions as to content and other services, and that this will help me better serve my constituents across the Highlands and Islands”.

Visit the website – http://www.jamiemcgrigormsp.com/

McGrigor on Orkney Council cost cutting exercise

Responding to Wednesday’s statement by Orkney Islands Council Chief Executive Alistair Buchan that cost cutting is to be introduced, Highlands & Islands MSP Jamie McGrigor said:

"In a letter to me recently, the Finance Minister described Orkney’s under-funding crisis as "perceived” and that Orkney was only in a "seemingly” poor position – I doubt if he would dare say the same today after this latest news.
”The Council has said that it will try and protect vulnerable service users “as far as possible” and I’m sure that will be of some concern to those that rely on Orkney Islands Council to provide them with social services.

"Surely now the Lib/Lab Executive must realise the seriousness of the situation in Orkney – a situation their under funding of the islands has caused”.