Safety off our shores

The close relationship that people in Banffshire & Buchan Coast have with the sea, whether through recreational sailing, working in our fishing industry or our proximity to the offshore oil and gas sector means that we all have a healthy respect for the need to stay safe at sea.

When things go wrong, lives depend on a well co-ordinated response reaching them as swiftly as possible. That is what makes the UK Government’s decision to cut the provision of Coastguard Marine Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCC) in Scotland extremely damaging and disappointing.

Scotland is home to 60% of the UK length of coastline yet as a result of decisions to close coastguard stations on the Forth and the Clyde, will be home to only 33% of Coastguard stations.

On top of this, and of particular concern to the North East, the level of staffing in Aberdeen will drop by 25%. Coastguard staff in Aberdeen have built up an invaluable expertise in working with the oil and gas industry during emergencies and that experience will be severely disrupted by the decision to reduce staff. That expertise can simply not be replicated by additional staff working remotely from other coastguard stations or from their headquarters near Portsmouth in the event of a major oil industry incident.

Aberdeen MRCC is now expected to cover a far larger area with significantly fewer members of staff. It is a move that will cause a great deal of concern to many people in Banffshire & Buchan Coast and has come at the end of a process that has been characterised by poor handling and short-sightedness.

The original proposals would also have seen either Stornoway or Shetland MRCC close in addition to the closures that are taking place, and it is welcome news – not least to the fishing industry – that they will remain open. Yet just because the closures are not quite as severe as originally intended does not by any means make these moves anything other than severely damaging.

These moves have come soon after the scrapping of the fleet of fixed-wing long-range search and rescue aircraft and at a time when the future of the air rescue coordination centre at Kinloss is in doubt. There can be little doubt that safety at sea is being reduced in the name of the UK Government’s cost-cutting.

When lives are at stake, it is simply not acceptable and the UK Government’s approach is completely unjustifiable. If they are not prepared to ensure that such a vital service is provided as fully as possible, then they should be prepared to see it devolved so that the Scottish Government is able to in their place.

Confidence in Scotland

Recent weeks have seen a lot of hot air and scaremongering from the UK Government regarding the confidence that businesses have when it comes to investing in Scotland, in light of the coming independence referendum.

What is notable from these assertions is that not a single individual or company has been identified as previously considering investing in Scotland and now refusing to do so. This is in stark contrast to the long and growing list of major companies which clearly have no concerns over what Scotland’s future will be, given that they have made major investments and brought important jobs to Scotland.

The fact of the matter is that Scotland is the most supportive business environment in the UK and continues to work hard to support businesses of all sizes. Perhaps the many companies that have recently invested are simply convinced we can do even more with the powers of independence.

Capturing An Opportunity

When it comes to benefitting from the development of new technology, it is often the case that there is a limited window of opportunity to fully reap the opportunities that are on offer. A few months or years can make all the difference when it comes to either being a leader on a technology or playing catch up.

In 2007 it seemed that the then UK Government had completely failed to grasp this fact when its dithering and delay led to plans to develop a world-leading carbon capture facility at Peterhead power station being dropped. The proposed development instead transferred to Abu Dhabi and Peterhead had lost an incredible opportunity to be at the cutting edge of a hugely important technology.

Recently it seemed as if history had repeated itself, when a revived effort to create a Scottish carbon capture facility in Scotland – this time at Longannet in Fife – collapsed. Once again a UK Government had failed to stand behind a hugely important project which would have brought jobs to Scotland, brought opportunities to export technology and expertise in the future, and significantly reduced our carbon emissions.

It was a hugely disappointing development and a bitter blow to everyone who had been working to bring the technology to Longannet. However, the collapse of that proposal may have once again opened the door for carbon capture at Peterhead.

Such a prospect, if it does prove possible, has been made more likely by the fact that Scottish & Southern Energy have signed an agreement with Shell to store carbon dioxide from Peterhead power station under Shell’s Goldeneye gas field in the North Sea.

A report earlier this year concluded that developing this technology in Peterhead could lead to up to 937 jobs over the construction and lifetime of the project, generating £590 million GVA and £130 million per annum during its lifetime. Quite clearly it would be hugely significant to the town and to the whole of Banffshire & Buchan Coast.

Westminster has twice failed Carbon Capture projects in Scotland and it simply must do better with this opportunity. Significant amounts of time have been lost in which Scotland could have been leading the world on this technology because of their previous failure. People in Peterhead deserve better and the UK Government must commit its backing to this essential project for the area.

Supporting people with autism

Recent days saw the publication of the Scottish Government’s much anticipated Autism Strategy, aiming to significantly improve on the services offered to people with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder and their families. People with autism needs a wide range of services that cut across different aspects of the public sector, and this strategy will help to ensure better coordination to deliver higher quality support.

Local Autism coordinators will be appointed to help ensure this change in approach takes place and support is offered in a way that promotes the independence, dignity and emotional wellbeing of people with Autism. Funding will be provided to the Scottish Autism Services network to provide training and expertise to public sector workers to assist them in providing post-diagnostic support. One stop drop-in shops for people with autism to access services will also be created, to make it easier to benefit from all the support on offer.

Publishing a strategy is of course only a first step rather than a final outcome, but it is an important building block for the future and once which should significantly improve the quality of support available to people with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder in Banffshire & Buchan Coast.