Wednesday 13 October 2010

Questions over Huhne snub

Rob Gibson SNP MSP for Highlands and Islands has questioned why Chris Huhne snubbed the Scottish Parliament's Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, preferring instead making a repeat announcement on a £2 million grant for Scrabster harbour development by the NDA.


He said, "on Tuesday this week the Secretary of State for DECC Mr Huhne agreed to give evidence to Holyrood's EET committee. We agreed to shift our normal meeting time from Wednesday mornings to accommodate him. Ten days ago the committee was told his plans could no longer fit in an evidence session. The respect agenda towards MSPs by the London minister is shaken by Mr Huhne's action.


Mr Gibson went on,

"News that Mr Huhne visited Caithness instead and reannounced a welcome £2 million grant from the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency to help develop Scrabster Harbour. Newspapers carried this grant news two weeks ago. Why did Mr Huhne not announce the release of the Fossil Fuel Levy, raised in Scotland and locked up by Treasury rules? That would have helped bridge the funding package needed to get renewable related work at Scrabster going more quickly."

"All in all, Mr Huhne's visit to Caithness and then Shetland were LibDem party oriented. When he snubbed the Scottish Parliament he did not have the decency to bring new funds from the London coalition that can allow prime Scottish wind, wave and tidal resources to produce clean electricity that is vitally needed to meet UK carbon reduction targets."

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