Dave Thompson MSP

"The level of grant support available to help crofters build and improve their homes is to be significantly increased. From April 1 this year, crofters will be able to apply for up to £28,000 under the new Croft House Grant Scheme and up to £38,000 if they live in island and specified mainland communities and as Westword readers will know, there are many crofters on the west coast.

I have been campaigning for increases in the Croft House Grant Scheme for some time and I made that known in my contribution to the recent consultation on the matter.

I want to see our remote, rural and island communities flourish and the recent changes to the scheme are a positive step in that direction. I am reassured that the Scottish Government has listened to the views of crofters, who will benefit greatly from the remodeling.

At a recent (20/01/16) meeting of the Rural Affairs, Environment and Climate Change Committee (RACCE) I welcomed my colleague, Graeme Dey’s amendment, to the Land Reform Bill, which will create a register of persons of significant control in relation to the proprietors of land.

Transparency is an essential component of Land Reform and I was struck by the broad agreement right across society that that is essential.

We do not need to look far in my constituency at this very moment to find situations in which transparency would be helpful. A couple of estates have changed hands recently. Indeed, including one, where the companies buying them are registered in Jersey and this is not an isolated example. Therefore, it is essential that we have information on who owns land in Scotland.

I am understandably concerned that Rio Tinto have announced a review of their Highland assets and I have written to the Scottish Government to ask that every assistance is made available to minimise the potential impacts on employees and the local area. This comes at a concerning time when Marine Harvest have also announced news of restructuring and job cuts.

So, it is with great interest that I will be attending an economy meeting in Fort William on Tuesday the 9th of February with the Business Minister, Fergus Ewing, and the MP for Ross, Skye, and Lochaber, Ian Blackford, to hopefully find ways to ameliorate the impact on people and businesses in the area.

I welcome the news following my meeting with the Cabinet Secretary, Richard Lochhead, his officials, and members of MNWFA, that the laying of the Management Order of the Small Isles MPA will not be going ahead.

The economy of the west coast is heavily dependent on a viable fishing industry and so, I support the modest changes proposed by MNWFA, which will mitigate the economic impact of the MPA fishing restrictions, and I look forward to further discussions before a revised Order is laid.

The new plan for the future of Gaelic by Highlands and Islands Enterprise is welcome as it will enhance how Gaelic is utilised for social and economic gain, which follows recent research showing the economic value of the Gaelic language in the Highlands to be £5.6million. This is great news and will it builds on the progress made in the organisation's previous plan which covered the period from 2012-15.

I will be standing down in 2016, which comes with a tinge of sadness after 9 years as, first a regional MSP, and then Constituency MSP, however I am confident I am passing the baton onto a younger and talented SNP candidate in Kate Forbes and I will campaign hard to ensure she is elected as your representative for the Black Isle after the Scottish Elections in May".