Around 175 homes in Orkney have been supported by this funding over the last year with more than £1.5m spent on measures such as loft, wall and underfloor insulation and modern high heat retention heaters.
Freeports are able to attract outside investment by offering lucrative deals which other areas cannot do. It means the Freeports have a significant weakening effect on areas not within their sphere. Around the world Freeports are known for being tax havens, for laundering money and for ignoring workers rights.
The farmers were joined by the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Mairi Gougeon MSP and about 40 MSPs including Orkney Constituency LibDem MSP Liam McArthur.
“. Given that demand for housing in our islands far outstrips supply, the need to find a solution could scarcely be more urgent.” Liam McArthur MSP
“The blame for the billions of pounds that consumers throughout the country will now have to pay back as a result falls squarely at the UK Government’s door for its failure to regulate the energy markets properly on behalf of consumers” Michael Matheson
The National Islands Plan “will see a total of £8.3 million invested in critical infrastructure projects.” John Swinney, Deputy First Minister of Scotland
” It is directly because of the feedback from islanders that we are changing our approach.” Mairi Gougeon Rural Affairs and Islands Secretary, in the Scottish Government
Hoy has been named as one of six islands which will be supported by the Scottish Government to be carbon neutral in 18 years time.
There are calls for an investigation into how HIAL handled the Remote Towers project and the spiralling costs it involved.
Last week hundreds of flights were cancelled at UK airports due to high rates of staff sickness due to Covid.
