Angus Brendan MacNeil SNP MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar is calling on constituents to respond to the Scottish Government consultation on the Highly Protected Marine Areas which closes on Monday 17th April. The consultation is available online on the Scottish Government website or people can simply submit their views by emailing: HPMA@gov.scot and completing the Respondent Information Form, which is also available on the Scottish Government consultation website.

Commenting Angus B MacNeil said:

“I would urge people to respond to the HPMA consultation this weekend. Many people have been in touch in the last few weeks about this ill-conceived idea. I’d encourage people to make sure their views are heard, even if it is a line or two in an email to the consultation. The Greens in Government should especially listen to the views of people in rural areas. 

“This policy is so early in the process, it is a consultation and not law and therefore we still have the ability to change it by letting our views be known. If the Greens weren’t in the Bute House Agreement we could probably change this policy quite easily. The Bute House Agreement is obviously proving problematic for many of us. 

“As I have said many times this policy should be withdrawn and scrapped, and I have previously made this known to the First Minister and the Minister for Environment and Land Reform.

“A huge well done to the Scottish band, Skipinnish, who have released a protest song, ‘The Clearances Again’, highlighting once again the strength of feeling against HPMA proposals.

“The online link to the consultation is a long and complex number of questions so I would encourage people to submit their views via the email address and complete the Respondent Information Form.”

ENDS

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