Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, has hailed the launch of a consortium, spearheaded by the Elsie Normington Foundation, as a truly valuable move to further improve the lives of children and young people with disabilities in the Highlands and support their families and carers.

The Elsie Normington Foundation worked tirelessly for a decade to secure the funding needed to build the Haven Centre on the outskirts of Inverness. The centre, which is Scotland’s first multi-purpose centre for children and young people with severe learning disabilities, opened in August 2023.

The Haven Centre is a specialist play centre for children and young adults with complex needs in Highland, with an additional building providing three respite suites and a community café which is open to everyone and supports the running costs of the Haven Centre services.

The consortium brings together five leading Highland charities in disability care and supports collaborative working to provide better, more effective support services for disabled young people, their families and their carers.

Rhoda and her former colleague, David Stewart, are great supporters of the Haven Centre and worked together to help secure the funding for the building of the centre.

Mrs Grant said “The efforts of Elsie Normington herself and all the staff at the Haven have already provided immeasurable support to disabled young people and their families and I am delighted to support the launch of the Haven Consortium which will work collaboratively to provide further support services for centre users and those who support them.

“Respite facilities are also available in addition to a well stocked Café which is open to everyone and helps bolster the running costs of the centre.

“It really is something to be celebrated and I would urge the communities in the Highlands to support the café when they can which will help to fund the responsive support services our disabled young people in the Highlands need.”

The Haven Consortium partners are The Elsie Normington Foundation, Special Needs Action Project (SNAP), Thriving Families, Connecting Carers, and Encompass Caithness.

The picture above shows Rhoda with Kirstin Mackay, Service Manager, Elsie Normington Foundation, during a visit to the Haven Centre last year.

For three years, Ukraine, led by the democratically-elected President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has defended itself against the odds. Last week I and my Scottish Labour colleagues joined the Ukrainian community in Scotland to mark the anniversary of the illegal full-scale Russian invasion and commemorate the lives lost. Countless Scots have supported Ukraine’s fight, whether by supporting refugees or showing solidarity in other ways.

No one wanted to see the scenes that unfolded on Friday night at the White House, but it has become clear that this could be a generation defining moment for peace and security in Europe. It requires serious, grown up leadership, and Keir Starmer spent this weekend meeting world leaders, including President Zelenskyy, assembling a coalition of the willing to find a path that will ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty is backed up by strong security guarantees. As one of Ukraine’s biggest backers so far and one of the major players on the world stage, it is important that the United States is brought along on this process, even if Europe must now do the heavy lifting to assure peace on the continent.

What everyone should now be focused on is how we get a resolution that delivers a lasting peace. This means finding a way to work together for long-term peace in Europe, not only agreeing the terms of a peace deal, but ensuring that peace is then robustly defended. This also means taking tough decisions like prioritising defence spending, which the UK Labour Government is doing, increasing defence investment to 2.5% by April 2027.  This is the biggest boost to defence spending since the Cold War, and is clearly now vital for keeping Scotland, the UK and our allies safe. But, ultimately, if the result is a lasting peace in Europe, it will have been worth it.

Scottish Labour will continue to support a free and democratic Ukraine and the UK Government’s determination to bring a just peace and end the danger of further war on our continent.

Rhoda Grant Scottish Labour MSP for the Highlands and Islands has expressed her concerns for her constituents who have not yet had a smart meter installed exposing them to the risk of unnecessary higher energy costs for years to come.

Mrs Grant says she has learned that although the Radio Teleswitch Meters (RTS) are due to be switched off in Scotland in June of this year the smart meter rollout is still behind its stated targets, and this leaves an imminent risk to households in the Highlands and Islands.

Mrs Grant wants all constituents to know that as it stands those that have RTS affected heating and hot water, will need to get a meter change. Some RTS electricity meters can also turn heating and hot water systems on and off during certain hours. When the RTS signal is switched off these meters will no longer function as intended. This means that from June, these meters could be left on peak time rates.

Mrs Grant said “If constituents do not get a smart meter, their heating/hot water could either stay on all the time or not come on at all. Both are worrying prospects for households”.

Mrs Grant fully agrees with the plans and encourages people to switch over to digital smart meters. She says “It is true however that there are issues with the pace of the installation process from request through to final installation. There have been examples of people being faced with no heating or hot water. I have been working with Energy Action Scotland on pressing the regulator on ensuring that it is not possible for an installer to leave anyone without heat or hot water”.

Mrs Grant understands the regulator, Ofgem, will be issuing further communications for households. Mrs Grant urges householders not to wait but to contact their supplier to check the type of meter they have and to book their meter exchange if necessary. If constituents are concerned there is help available: ALIenenergy (alienenergy.org.uk) works across Argyll & Bute, and into Highland and Energy Action Scotland (eas.org.uk), provides a postcode checker on their website to help householders find advice, help and support in their area. Council and social tenants should speak to their landlord.

Many constituents have been in contact with me to highlight the need for fast and fair climate action. I understand and appreciate the concern.

The high number of emails I have received is evidence to the feeling and importance of this issue.

Scottish Labour have spoken out against the dropping of annual climate targets by the Scottish Government, pushed for a stronger bill on carbon budgets, and my colleague Sarah Boyack MSP, as spokesperson for Net Zero, Energy and Just Transition, successfully amended legislation on the Circular Economy Bill to accelerate Scotland’s move towards a greener future.

I understand the need to meaningfully tackle the urgent climate emergency, and it is concerning how little priority was given to the issue in the draft Scottish budget for 2025/26. However, in the coming months, Scottish Labour will be closely scrutinising upcoming carbon budgets in the Spring, as well as the forthcoming Climate Change Plan. It is important this is delivered on-time and features measurable commitments to action.

I will also be working with colleagues to ensure that the nature restoration and heat in buildings policies and are as good as they can be as we cannot afford half-hearted legislation on such important issues.

We need a new direction for Scotland to really embrace a greener future. The SNP have been in power for 18 years and have repeatedly failed to take sufficient action to tackle the joint climate and nature emergencies.

Scottish Labour will ensure a sprint to clean power, green jobs for our remarkable workforce, sustainably warm homes for everyone, better sustainable transport options that people can use and investment in further climate action both to mitigate and adapt against the impact of the climate and nature emergencies.

Many constituents have contacted me around concerns on a proposed tourist tax.

The Visitor Levy consultation is currently being carried out by Highland Council. This consultation will run until March 2025, and looks at the scope for introducing an accommodation tax on visitors.

This process is devolved to the Highland Council and as an MSP, I have no locus in local authority matters. If you have not done so already, I would recommend responding to the consultation, which is available here:

Visitor Levy | Visitor Levy Consultation Document

This consultation process follows from powers granted through the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act that gives local authorities discretionary powers to introduce a visitor levy in their area, for visitors staying in overnight accommodation.

For years, the SNP’s underfunding of local authorities has seen key services like waste management, roads, and libraries are stripped to the bone across the Highland area. Resources are stretched across the board.

Scottish Labour supported the Visitor Levy Bill and supports granting local authorities more agency.  However, any proposals for a tourist tax must be practical and equitable for the businesses and organisations that will be affected. There is significant concern in the proposed structure of taxing revenue on businesses which is different to normal taxation practice.

I and Scottish Labour colleagues will continue to raise this issue and scrutinise proposals put forward.

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, has welcomed the news that vaccinations will again be carried out by GPs in the Highlands.

The MSP has been pressing both NHS Highland and the Scottish Government for three years to have the policy of a centralised vaccination programme reversed amid fears that the elderly and young parents who would expect their babies to be vaccinated locally would be faced with costly and lengthy journeys for routine vaccinations.

Rhoda Grant said “There are huge delays in getting people in the Highlands vaccinated and many GP practices are keen to be involved in this, to move things forward.

“Most Highland GPs voted against this change to the GP Contract in 2018 due to the impact this would have on rural health care.

“Children’s vaccinations and flu vaccinations for eligible groups in particular are being badly impacted.

“I have been in touch with NHS Highland over many months about this and just last week I sought an update from them on this. Indeed, my colleague, Jackie Baillie, raised the issue in the Parliament yesterday so I am glad common sense has prevailed.

“Those who have not yet been vaccinated need to be seen quickly, with a catch up on children’s vaccinations being given priority.”

The transcript of Jackie Baillie’s topical question is copied below.

Topical Question Time

Meeting date: 21 January 2025

Jackie Baillie

The First Minister has pointed to the flu outbreak as the reason for the crisis in our hospitals this winter, but that is little wonder when one considers that this year’s flu programme is operating at least a month later than the programme in either of the past two years. Vaccinations are later, uptake is much lower and, consequently, thousands fewer people have been vaccinated.

Some general practitioners, particularly in NHS Highland, have called for vaccinations to return to being delivered by GPs. Does the minister support such a move?

Many constituents have been in touch, contacting about amendments submitted to the Welfare of Dogs Bill which would add questions to the code of practice on the use of electric shock collars (ESCS) and restrict the use of other training tools.

I and Scottish Labour colleagues are supportive of the Bill and the amendments aimed at restricting the use of harmful training tools on dogs, such as prongs and choke collars, as well as ESCS. Welfare organisations, charities, and the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission have stated that their use should be prohibited. The Scottish Government have already stated through their ‘Guidance on Dog Training Aids’ that the most effective method of training dogs is positive training and do not condone the use of static pulse collars or any other method of inflicting physical punishment or negative reinforcement on dogs.

Scottish Labour is committed to strengthening animal welfare protections and have a proud track record of delivering progress on animal welfare in government, from ending the testing of cosmetic products on animals in 1998, to stopping the cruelty of fur farming in 2000, introducing the Hunting Act in 2004, and bringing in the landmark Animal Welfare Act in 2006.

I and my Labour colleagues believe animal welfare must always have a high priority in legislation – animals cannot speak up for themselves, so we must protect them from harm on their behalf.

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, has said the findings and conclusions highlighted in the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee report into the A9 Dualling Programme must be given “absolute priority” by the Scottish Government.

The Committee carried out an inquiry into the A9 Dualling Programme following a petition being submitted to Parliament by campaigner Laura Hansler.

There have been 52 fatalities on the road between 2011 and September 2022, the majority of which have occurred on single carriageway sections. During the course of the Committee’s inquiry (2023-2024), 11 people have lost their lives on the A9.

The SNP previously committed to dualling the A9 by 2025 from Inverness to Perth. However, the SNP Government has now set a new deadline to dual the A9 by 2035 but already there are concerns about potential delays with this new date.

Speaking after the debate in the Scottish Parliament earlier today, Rhoda Grant said “The inquiry undertaken by the Committee has been both meticulous and robust and I welcome its findings.

“The Scottish Government previously committed to dualling the road by 2025. We are now looking at 2035 but already there are concerns about potentials delays.

Ministers were heavily criticised during the debate for not having prioritised the route and for allowing the 2025 deadline to drift past.

There are also safety concerns on the A9 north of Inverness. The Scottish Government is focused on its failing commitment to dual up to Inverness from Perth however, safety concerns will continue to remain between Inverness and Scrabster. There are a concerning number of accidents north of Inverness too and they are just as important but overlooked.

Mrs Grant continued “The Committee report calls for clarity in key decision points for the rest of the A9 Dualling Programme including specific dates when funding requires to be available or released.

“It also recommends that a dedicated Parliamentary Committee should be established to provide oversight on major infrastructure projects like this. A Parliamentary Committee was established to oversee the Queensferry Crossing project in the central belt so the same level of priority should have been put in place here too but it wasn’t.

“The people of the Highlands, and the wider Islands, have been treated abysmally but more than that, families are grieving the deaths of their loved ones who have died on this road.

“The Scottish Government must now make this an absolute priority.”

A clip of Rhoda’s participation in the debate can be accessed via the following link:- Meeting of the Parliament, Continued from 16/01/2025

The Committee’s conclusions and recommendations are detailed below.

• The Scottish Government’s failure to reach agreement on programme funding significantly contributed to progress stalling as the programme was reaching the procurement and construction stages. In addition to the funding issue, an unwillingness from Transport Scotland to address industry concerns about the balance of risk in its design and build contracts also led to programme drift.
• The Committee believes this could have been avoided and challenges addressed more efficiently had there been an individual whose main or only focus was to progress the A9 dualling programme.
• A lack of open, external discussion of the challenges being faced in the delivery of the A9 dualling programme has negatively impacted public confidence in Transport Scotland and its ability to deliver major infrastructure projects within the timescales it says it will.
• The Committee would welcome clarification from the Cabinet Secretary on where exactly the A9 dualling programme sits within Transport Scotland’s priorities for capital funding, and what provisions, including staff resource, have been allocated to support delivery of the programme over the next decade.
• The Committee welcomes the commitment that Transport Scotland will provide six-monthly updates to both the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, and other interested Members of the Scottish Parliament on the progress of the A9 Dualling Programme.
• The Committee recommends that, in addition to the six-monthly updates to both the Net Zero, Energy and Transport (NZET) Committee, and other interested Members of the Scottish Parliament, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport also provides statements to Parliament at key milestones, aligned to the delivery plan published in December 2023.
• The Committee recommends a dedicated Parliamentary committee should be established to provide oversight on major infrastructure projects being pursued by the Scottish Government, specifically where the project is likely to run over multiple parliamentary sessions.
• The Committee remains concerned that funding will be available when it needs to be, and is unconvinced by the then Cabinet Secretary’s assurance there is a contingency to use capital funding to ensure the project is completed by 2035 should MIM be unsuitable. The Committee asks that the Scottish Government, in its response to this report, clearly sets out the key decision points for the rest of the A9 dualling programme. This should include details of key funding decisions, specifically dates when funding requires to be available or released.
• The Committee is concerned that there is already an anticipated delay to the completion of the Tomatin to Moy section, and seeks detail from the Scottish Government, in its response to this report, on the action being taken to prevent and mitigate against further delays to the A9 Dualling Programme.
• The Committee recommends that the Scottish Government consult on the proposal for a national memorial, by engaging with the petitioner and affected families on what kind of memorial they would like to see. This consultation should also explore possible locations for an appropriate memorial.
• The full report is available via link:- https://bprcdn.parliament.scot/published/CPPP/2024/11/1/8f65ceeb-cf08-4cd6-8450-58602b333637/CPPPS062024R02.pdf

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, says she is “astonished” at the complete lack of accountability from the Scottish Government over VisitScotland’s closure of its 25 iCentres throughout Scotland. This comes as Mrs Grant’s latest plea to the Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead, to step in and stop the closures while concerns of Unions and VisitScotland staff are fully addressed, has been rejected out of hand.

The MSP has been raising concerns with VisitScotland and with the Scottish Government since the closure programme was first announced at the end of March. 94% of VisitScotland’s core funding from 2024/25 comes from Scottish Government Grant in Aid and 6% comes from other sources, such as retail and commercial income.

The phased closure programme began in September with the Centre in Stornoway being one of the first to close the following month. The closure programme is due to end in March 2026 as VisitScotland claims that the demand for information centres has reduced while the demand for online information and booking has continued to grow. Twelve of the Centres facing closure are within the Highlands and Islands region.

Rhoda Grant said “The demand for the iCentres did plummet during the pandemic as no-one was allowed to travel for recreational purposes but they have increased year on year since then with 1.37million people visiting a centre in 2023.

“Indeed eight of the centres have increased sales from their pre-pandemic figure including four in the Highlands and Islands region – Craignure, Lerwick, Rothesay and Ullapool.”

In her latest plea for a moratorium on closures, Mrs Grant asked specific questions on redeployment opportunities within the organisation; the commitment to no compulsory redundancies which is only in place until March 2025; the quoted footfall numbers; the fact that no real work has been put into diversifying the operations of the iCentres to try and increase numbers and offer a more attractive visitor experience; whether staff from the Stornoway iCentre have been redeployed, on or off island, or if they have taken voluntary redundancy and what will happen to the issuing of Citylink bus tickets for onward travel from the Stornoway-Ullapool ferry now that the iCentre has closed.

She continued “I am astonished that having put very detailed questions to the Cabinet Secretary, his stark response addresses none of those concerns but instead bats the issue over to VisitScotland as an operational matter for them. The Scottish Government funds 94% of VisitScotland’s budget but that appears to be of no concern to the SNP Government.

“I say again, with depopulation being one of the biggest challenges facing Highland and Island communities it makes absolutely no sense to remove jobs and services from these areas.”

VisitScotland’s website has a section on Island Communities Impact Assessments and why they need to be carried out when decisions of this nature are taken. VisitScotland didn’t carry out Island Impact Assessments and instead carried out their own screening assessment. They claim the impact the closures will have on island areas won’t be significantly different to the impact they will have in mainland areas.

Mrs Grant said “This will have a far bigger impact in island communities and will only seek to add to the depopulation of our islands which depend on tourism for their survival.

“I am seeking a meeting with the new Chief Executive of VisitScotland to encourage her to freeze this decision while the concerns of staff, customers and Unions remain.”

The Freedom of Information response shows that in 2023 visitor numbers decreased in three centres which are understood to be operating on reduced opening hours (Aberfoyle, Aviemore and Oban) and a negligible reduction was recorded in the Dumfries and Pitlochry centres. However the total visitor numbers throughout the network have increased year on year since the pandemic:-

2019 – 2,004,516
2020 – 264,996
2021 – 511,292
2022 – 1,163,685
2023 – 1,370,060

Total staff numbers affected is unclear – VisitScotland advise that 90 individual staff members (as opposed to FTE) will be affected. Scottish Government says it’s around 130 staff.

The link to the Island Communities Impact Assessments can be accessed via the link:- Impact Assessments I VisitScotland.org