Angus MacNeil MP calls on Calmac to save island Wedding

Angus MacNeil MP has again been in touch with Calmac this morning regarding the unacceptable situation of the cancellation of all sailings between Oban and Castlebay on Friday and Saturday due to a technical fault with the MV Isle of Lewis.

Angus MacNeil said “It came to our attention late last night that the   Friday and Saturday sailings between Oban and Castlebay were to be cancelled in their entirety leaving Barra with no connections.

There is a big wedding on the Island this weekend so clearly this situation is not acceptable. It is very important that the MV Isle of Mull can serve Barra on Friday to get the wedding party and band to the island.  There are a lot of people coming to the wedding over and above the normal and very important tourist and business connections at this particularly busy time of year.

The best solution would be to deploy the MV Isle of Mull on the Barra run, and I know that Calmac are actively working on this and are looking for crew to enable this to happen. So I would appeal to all involved at Calmac to do their best to get a sailing from Oban to Castlebay today.

For Saturday, deploying the MV Lord of the Isles to run to Barra during the day has also been suggested locally as another possible solution.  This makes sense as sailing to Islands must be prioritised rather than sailing to ports that can be and are connected by road.

Calmac are working to resolve this issue but Island frustration is evidently huge given the time of year and the various pressures that people are feeling. Particularly for those involved in the Island wedding time is critical.”

Impact of Tourist Office closures greater in rural areas says MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar

In a letter to Joan McAlpine MSP Chair of Holyrood’s Committee on Culture Tourism, Europe and External Affairs, Angus MacNeil MP has asked for the impact of the closure of Tourist Information Centres to be investigated.

Commenting Mr MacNeil said

“A 70 mile stretch of my Constituency covering a number of Islands will go from having three Tourist Information Offices to having none. Visit Scotland appear to have decided to close Tourist Offices purely on the basis of footfall without regard to the geography of the area or to the number of visitors compared to the size of the resident population.

Castlebay Tourist office had 17000 visitors in 2016 – 17 times the population of the Isle of Barra, Lochmaddy saw 6,000 visitors, more than 4 times the number of residents. With few other sources of information in these rural areas the impact on tourism could be substantial.

I have asked Joan McAlpine MSP and her Committee to look into how Visit Scotland made their decisions and the impact on tourism in remote and rural areas such as the Islands of these cuts.”

Sign the petition and make your view known to RBS says Isles MP

Commenting on the RBS bank closures Angus MacNeil MP said

“A petition is circulating in all constituencies targeted by RBS and I encourage all constituents to sign this and make their view on this closure clear to RBS. I will be delivering the petition to the House of Commons in early January.

This morning Mr MacNeil received the staggering information that RBS will be reducing the opening hours of the Lochboisdale Branch in order to provide a mobile service to Barra and communities in Uist.

“This is an ill-conceived plan which has not been thought through. First they said Castlebay customers could go to Lochboisdale but turns out now that this will be closed half the time and searching for a bank van across the countryside is  not realistic at all” said Mr MacNeil. “Servicing Barra from South Uist is not sensible and will be subject to weather conditions, availability of ferries and of course will be placing an increasing burden on the remaining staff.

“RBS say that they will be informing customers – why not consult with customers who are also taxpayers and therefore shareholders in this largely Government owned Bank.

“This is not good enough and again I am calling on the Government to intervene. Collectively, we own RBS. Above all else, RBS was saved to provide banking services to our communities.’ It’s time for the Government to take action”

Isles MP’s disappointment at closure of Tourist Offices.

 Visit Scotland has been accused of ‘Relinquishing its responsibilities to rural areas’ following the announcement that Tourist Information Offices in Lochmaddy and Castlebay are to close. This follows on from last year’s closure of the Lochboisdale office and means that there is now no Visit Scotland presence in Uist and Barra – the 70 mile stretch from Vatersay to Berneray.

Western Isles MP Angus MacNeil said

“I am very disappointed at Visit Scotland’s decision to close the tourist information centres in Lochmaddy, Isle of North Uist and Castlebay, Isle of Barra. Following the closure of the information centre in Lochboisdale last year this means that there is no Tourist Information centre in Uist and Barra

“At a time when tourism is increasing and the season extending this seems a strange decision and suggests that Visit Scotland are relinquishing responsibility to rural areas.

“I wrote to Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs and asked her to intervene following closure of the Lochboisdale office and I have again written to her following the latest closures seeking her intervention to change this decision. ”

A year round Visitor Information centre remains in Stornoway with a seasonal office in Tarbert but Mr MacNeil expressed concern for the future of these offices also given the closures elsewhere.

Politicians wear it pink for breast cancer fundraiser

Angus MacNeil MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, has dressed in pink to lend his support to Breast Cancer Now’s flagship fundraiser, wear it pink, which will see thousands of people across the UK adding a splash of pink to their outfits on Friday 20 October and raise vital funds for breast cancer research.

Angus MacNeil MP, joined by fellow parliamentarians in Westminster earlier this month showed his support for the thousands of women and men affected by breast cancer each year, encouraging people across the UK to take part on wear it pink day.

‘MPs were asked to dress up for a photo call and being a good sport, Angus MacNeil took part to support this important cause.‘

Angus MacNeil MP said:

“Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. One in eight women will face it in their lifetime, and every year around 11,500 women and 80 men lose their lives to the disease. This is why I’m urging everyone in Na h-Eileanan an Iar to take part in wear it pink on Friday 20 October. It’s such a fun and easy way to support Breast Cancer Now’s vital research, and help stop breast cancer taking the lives of those we love.

Anyone can take part in wear it pink, which brings together schools, workplaces and communities. All you need to do is wear something pink, or hold a pink event at home, work or school, and make a donation to Breast Cancer Now. The event, which takes place during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is in its 16^th year and has raised over £30 million to date for Breast Cancer Now’s life-saving research. Whatever you do, you’re helping the charity achieve its aim that, if we all act now, by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer will live.

To take part in wear it pink this October, please visit wearitpink.org/2017 for further details, fundraising ideas and how to register for your free fundraising pack.

Week in Westminster – 17^th – 21^st July

The final week in Westminster before recess and a busy week it was too

  On Tuesday I met with Richard Harrington, Minister at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. This was a positive and productive meeting where the Minister give his assurances that he was committed to island contracts for difference. This will give many in the industry room for optimism and has been a long time coming.

On Wednesday I presented my Private Members Bill on Refugee Family Reunion, which would allow child refugees to sponsor their parents to come to the UK. It would also allow parents to bring children who are over 18 into the UK and assist them with legal aid. Early in the week I met with the Refugee Council and Oxfam to discuss the bill and I am grateful to MP’s from all parties across the House of Commons who co-sponsored this bill

Between now and the second reading of the Bill on Friday 16^th March 2018, I will have to finalise the wording and seek support from a greater number of MP’s across the house and from a wide range of organisations. I already have the support of Amnesty UK, Oxfam GB, British Red Cross, the UN Refugee Agency and the Refugee Council.

On Thursday I was in the chamber to attend DEFRA Questions in my new role as SNP Spokesperson for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). I asked the Minister if he would put it on record that farming and fishing could be controlled in Scotland post Brexit: http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/4b1a2c2e-80a8-452f-a1a6-9e36a3845b3e?in=09:42:27&out=09:43:28.

During the week I also had interesting discussions with the Jo Cox Loneliness Commission, discussing loneliness in rural areas and later I met with Martin Foley from Apostleship of the Sea and spoke about their work in supporting non-EEA fishermen in the Western Isles and across Scotland.

Seems as if the Islands have been enjoying good weather this week. A bonus for islanders and visitors alike at Highland Games and events throughout the Islands. Hope that this keeps up for the Heb Celt Festival in Stornoway this weekend.

 Although Parliament is in recess there is still lots of work to do. Please  continue to contact myself or the office it there are any issues I can help with.

Isles MP demands Immigration Minister Visits fishing communities on the West Coast.

 Isles SNP MP Angus MacNeil has today written to the Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis asking him to go and meet with fishing groups in the West coast of Scotland to deal with crewing issues.

Commenting, Mr MacNeil said: “Yet again we have seen another boat lose a perfectly capable fisherman from Ghana due to the spurious argument that they are not fishing outside the 12 mile limit which the UK Government calls international waters. Calling out with the 12 mile limit, international waters is a very interesting concept given that post-Brexit the UK Government wants to have control of waters up to 200 miles.

The reality is that this is something within the gift of the UK government, they are damaging industry in Scotland because of their particularly strange view of migrant workers and a lack of understanding. The only way this is going to change is if the Minister Brandon Lewis comes to the Islands, sees fishing boats and fishermen and tries to help rather than, as we have had from successive immigration ministers, the blocking and hindrance to what is required. Particularly in the West Coast of Scotland which has the largest national fishery area classified within 12miles by the European Union, although most of it is more than 12 miles from land.”

Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP Angus MacNeil held a productive meeting with Richard Harrington, Parliamentary under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on Tuesday afternoon.

Commenting Angus MacNeil said: “I am glad I called for and pursued this fruitful meeting with the Minister where he told me that he was determined to progress with island Contracts for Difference (CfD) and he said he was “committed to doing this.” Off course he knows that this has to go through state aid clearance at the European Commission and through the House of Commons, but following this Autumns CfD auctions from Pot 2, which will be known by 11^th September, it is intended to use this information to inform the case for the official notification to the European Commission probably about a week later around September 18^th for the intention of having an island wind category. This would enable the islands to compete for CfD’s from Pot 2.

Post receiving a green light from the EU the next stage would be getting legislation through the House of Commons but given the volume of Brexit work this might have timetabling issues. However, the upshot means we should see an auction in the first quarter of 2019, about 18 months away, for island CfD’s.

This should give many room for optimism. We have money committed and a timetable in place, we have measuring sticks on this path from this September to the auctions taking place.

Many people will wonder about the community schemes and various schemes competing against each other but we aren’t really at that stage yet because of the hurdles we have to get through to get to that point. However, there is an awareness of the various community offers that there are available for communities across island groups which the Minister, Mr Harrington himself raised.

Finally, I would like to thank both the Secretary of State Greg Clarke for visiting my constituency earlier this year, at my invitation, and I’d like to also thank Richard Harrington for his openness and frankness in answering my direct questions and for his seeming intention of getting on with the job.

Refugee Family Reunion Bill to be presented to the House of Commons by Isles MP.

Na h-Eileanan an Iar MP Angus MacNeil plans to fight for the rights of refugee families when he presents his Private Members Bill in the House of Commons on Wednesday 19th July. Mr MacNeil was one of 20 MP’s drawn in the Private Members Bill ballot which allows MP’s to bring forward their own piece of legislation.

After considering a number of potential pieces of legislation to bring forward, Mr MacNeil felt that the plight of refugee families under the current family reunions rules needed to be addressed. It is also an issue which many constituents have got in touch with him about in recent months.

Specifically the bill will; expand the definition of family member as currently only spouses and children under the age of 18 are allowed to join their family in the UK; give refugee children the right to be reunited with their parents as under current reunion rules children cannot sponsor their parents to come to the UK leaving them alone; reintroduce legal aid for refugee family applications, which stopped in 2012. It is likely the bill will be debated in the Commons in early 2018.

Angus MacNeil has already secured the support from the Refugee Council, UNHCR the UN Refugee Agency, Amnesty International, the British Red Cross and Oxfam GB. In the coming months he will put pressure on the Government to support this piece of legislation which will offer families a chance to be reunited and to escape danger.

Commenting on the bill, Mr MacNeil said:

“It is a great honour to be drawn in the Private Members Bill ballot. I am glad to have been given the opportunity to help develop the debate. I think the most important area for me to develop a debate is on the humanitarian side.

“Currently if children come to the UK first then their parents cannot later follow them but if parents come first then the children under 18 can join them. This is a cruel and unnecessary bureaucratic step when the aim should be to reunite families who have left very difficult and perhaps war torn situations. They shouldn’t then fall fowl of the choreography of crossing the UK border.

“There should also be legal aid available for refugee families to help them through the difficult system. We should not only be glad that they are alive but do everything in our power to help them to thrive. We see from many other communities of refugees around the world, be it Vietnamese in Canada, when people are given a chance they usually thrive and enrich their lives, enrich the community life and enrich the national life. We all have a stake in this economically and we certainly have a stake in this morally and from a humanitarian perspective. Hopefully my bill will change the law to help people and at the very least it should prick consciences to change bureaucracy.”

International Trade a ‘big issue’

Western Isles MP Angus MacNeil has been today confirmed as Chair of the Select Committee on International Trade, a post he held prior to the General Election.
Select committees are cross party groups whose role is to scrutinise the work of the associated Government department. Mr MacNeil says that at the present time, during Brexit negotiations, International Trade will be a big issue.
Mr MacNeil said:
“With Brexit negotiations ending many of our current trade agreements with European partners and the Government actively looking for new trade deals across the World, there will be much work for the committee to do to ensure that this Tory Government get the best possible outcomes for Britain and for Scotland.
“Failure to reach new trade deals would leave the UK as one of only a handful of countries without regional trade deals and expose us to the threat of tariffs for our exports and increased costs of raw materials and products on imports. This could have serious implications for fishing, textiles and other industries relied on not just in the Western Isles but throughout the Country.
“I look forward to the challenges and to working with cross-party colleagues to hold the government to account in the days and months ahead.”