Dave Thompson MSP

It is great news that works on the replacement of the 105 year old Muir of Ord road bridge will begin in December.

This will cost £3.3m and will see the removal of the existing single lane traffic signal restrictions and will replace the bridge that carries the A862 road over the main Inverness to Dingwall railway line.

It will take 18 months to complete and is extremely positive for Muir of Ord and I look forward to seeing this long overdue replacement progress as we head into 2016.

I have written to the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, to urge him to issue an interim report on the first stages of investigations into raptor deaths around Cononbridge and copied the letter to Highlands and Islands, Chief Superintendent, Julian Innes, and the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Michael Matheson.

This follows 22 birds of prey, including 16 red kites, being found dead in one small area around Cononbridge in 2014. As yet, the culprit for these killings has not been brought to justice and the investigation remains on-going.

I appreciate the need to await the full review into the investigation, especially as the case is live, and, as such, we must be sensitive to the investigative process, however, I feel that an interim report into the initial stages of the investigation would be of benefit to us all.

As Convener of the Cross Party Group on Skin and Associated Rheumatic Conditions, I was delighted to sponsor the Psoriasis Scotland (PSALV) awareness event in the Scottish Parliament.

The work of PSALV is essential in raising awareness of Psoriatic Arthritis and of its impact upon those affected.

I wish PSALV all the best going forward in all the great work that they do and hope the event itself went some way to raising awareness of the prevalence of Skin and Associated Rheumatic Conditions in our society.

I recently ordered an eco-friendly electric car in an effort to do my bit, however small, for the environment and I am looking forward to collecting it in the coming weeks. There are a number of “fast” (22kw) and “rapid” (50kw) charge points in the Highlands but we need more, particularly “rapid” ones as “fast” charge points take several hours to charge a car when a “rapid” takes half an hour to an hour.

So it was apt timing that I was able to utilise a Rural Affairs, Climate Change, and Environment (RACCE) Committee to highlight that if transport emissions are to be significantly reduced then crucial transport issues must be addressed.

I asked the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Aileen McLeod, to consider installing more rapid charge points in rural areas as in the Highlands, in particular, there are not enough. I am grateful to the Minister for agreeing to write to the Minister for Transport and the Islands, Derek Mackay, to relay my thoughts on the matter, including my view that there should be better coordination and mapping of where the charge points actually are.

I was delighted that my proposal for a Cross Party Group on “Religious Freedom” was approved by the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments (SPPA) Committee.

The group will provide a forum for MSPs, enabling discussion and the widest possible engagement with the multi-faith community, locally, nationally, and internationally.

I look forward to working with, and inviting, the broadest range of religious groups and other interested societies, to ensure the widest possible representation, and I urge interested parties to keep their eyes on the Scottish Parliament website, where notice of future meetings will be advertised.

Recent polls have shown that the SNP remains on course to win a second historic landslide in next May's Holyrood election.

The most recent poll shows the SNP is still significantly ahead in folk’s voting intentions for the Scottish Elections in 2016 and that the Conservatives have gained ground. The SNP polled 50% in the Constituency vote, 20% for labour, with the support for the Conservatives up six points to 18%. The Scottish Liberal Democrats stand at 7%.

A recent survey for TNS backed this trend showing strong support for the SNP. This poll suggested that 58% intend to back the SNP in the constituency vote, which is up two points on last month, Labour polled 24%, the Conservatives 12% and the Liberal Democrats struggling at 4%. This is astonishing polling for SNP after two terms in Government, but we must never be complacent, especially when the conservatives are on the ascendancy, which is why I will be fighting hard for every vote in the lead up to the Scottish Elections in 2016 and why the SNP will always stand up for Scotland.