McGrigor backs calls for action on Supermarket Code of Practice

Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie McGrigor has backed calls to strengthen the Supermarket Code of Practice.

Commenting after the Scottish Parliament’s Environment and Rural Development Committee published its report into the Food Supply Chain, the Conservative MSP said it was time to give the Code real teeth.

Jamie McGrigor said “During the course of this inquiry the Committee heard of the difficulties many sectors face, particularly in those of dairy, red meat and vegetable production, due to a distorted distribution of power in the food supply chain.

“These sectors are left struggling to meet their costs and, as a result, in the dairy sector alone 700 family farms (a quarter of Scotland’s total) have gone out of production in the last five years, including many in the Highlands and Islands.

“So what has been done to arrest the decline? What actions has the Scottish Executive undertaken to give hope to yet another struggling Scottish industry? Nothing. The Liberal Democrat Minister has so far just sat back and allowed this erosion of the rural economy to continue.

“Now the Environment and Rural Development Committee has set out a clear number of areas in which the Executive must act. Firstly, there needs to be increased emphasis and development of local food economies with increased marketing of the Scottish brand. Next the Executive needs to ease the high level of regulation currently imposed on Scottish farmers to ensure that they are not at an economic disadvantage.

“In addition, the Executive must use its power to influence supermarkets’ contract practices to introduce greater transparency. Currently the relationship is so confused that farmers and producers were reluctant to even comment on the record to the Committee for fear of losing business.

“Finally, the time has come to strengthen the existing Supermarket Code of Practice to give it real teeth, to ensure that there is an equitable distribution of resources throughout the chain providing a fair level of profit for everyone including, most importantly, the primary producer.”

“If we truly value Scotland’s produce, and want the Highlands and Islands to continue to produce some of the finest foods that can be found anywhere in the World, then the Executive must act now. They must implement the Committee’s recommendations before it’s too late”.

McGrigor: “VisitScotland must do more for smaller Highlands and Islands tourism operators”

Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie McGrigor has said VisitScotland must do more for smaller tourism operators in the Highlands and Islands.

Following a meeting today with VisitScotland.com Chief Executive Marco Truffelli, the Conservative Tourism Spokesman said if the tourism body was to be of value it must make a substantial difference to the small establishments such as B&Bs which Mr McGrigor described as the backbone of the industry

Mr McGrigor is currently surveying tourism operators across the Highlands and Islands on the performance of VisitScotland and said responses so far were largely critical of the body.

Jamie McGrigor said “This was a very useful meeting for me and I am arranging a visit to Visitscotland’s call centre in Livingston to see for myself how they handle enquiries.
”Certainly the responses I have received so far from my survey suggest that enquiries are not being handled properly, and that the restructuring of Scotland’s tourism industry continues to cause concern and even anger.

“For example, if Visitscotland.com is to be of value, it must make a substantial difference to the small establishments that are the backbone of the industry. The views I have so far received from my survey suggest that this is simply not the case.

“Only 15 per cent of inquiries to Visitscotland.com last year actually generated bookings. That cannot represent good value for money and VisitScotland must do more to help the smaller tourism operators across the Highlands and Islands”.

McGrigor: “Urgent upgrading needed on Highland road links”

Responding to news that an internet survey of motorists conducted by the Rural Community Gateway voted major Highland routes the most unpopular roads in Scotland, Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie McGrigor said:

“This survey only confirms what those of us who regularly use the A9 and A96 already know – these roads are in serious need of upgrading.

“The A96 which, for the second year running, was voted the most unpopular road in Scotland, should be helping drive the local economy of Moray yet its capacity simply cannot cope with the demand.

“The A9, the highway of the Highlands and a critical link through Ross-shire, Sutherland and Caithness to Orkney, is Scotland’s deadliest road, with an average of 16 lives lost every year. There is real need for major improvements both north and south of Inverness.

“Both the A9 and the A96 need upgrading and they need it as a matter of priority. It’s time for Labour and the LibDems to stop talking about transport infrastructure and start acting