Na h-Eileanan an an Iar SNP MP Angus MacNeil had a ‘very positive’ meeting with Greg Clark MP, the new Secretary of State for Business and Energy this afternoon (Tuesday) at the Office of the new Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy .

Mr MacNeil said he had received positive feedback from Mr Clark about his support of island renewables.

He said: “Having known Greg Clark for years, it was a very positive meeting and he was very much listening to the idea of not going through the next round of Contract for Difference (CfD) auction until the islands have state aid approval from Europe for Remote Island Wind Contracts for Difference. I welcome that he is listening to my representations for the islands on the issue.

“He also, to my delight, expressed a genuine interest to my invitation in coming to the Hebrides to hear about energy issues and to hear about energy potential here, particularly when I pointed out that the wind resource of the Hebrides is, as far as land goes, about the best in the world.

“In fact we laughed that the energy curse is so great that sometimes we are storm bound because the resource is so strong!

“I will continue to push for progress on the matter of  support for island renewables and, although early days, I am pleased that this initial meeting was certainly moving in the right direction.”