Marine Biopolymers Ltd

With £10m in public funding potentially going into Lochboisdale, it is vital that there is no perception of conflicts of interest, or possibilities for personal financial gain.

Sunlight is, as they say, the best disinfectant.

Project Fingal, the grandiosely named collaboration between HIE, CnES and Storas has led to the creation of Lochboisdale Development Ltd to take forward the marine and seaweed related plans.

In June, Marine Biopolymers confirmed that Angus MacMillan was an advisor to Marine Biopolymers Ltd.  Mr MacMillan is, as we all know, also the MD of Storas and one of the directors of Lochboisdale Development Ltd.

But, ooops, what is this that seems to have been omitted from the Register of Interest in Storas?

On 10 August 2011 Mr MacMillan became a director of Marine Biopolymers, and the most recent Annual Return shows that he owns 403,333 shares in Marine Biopolymers (or 16.67% of the company).  It is not clear when, or how, these shares were acquired.

With Minutes of Lochboisdale Development Ltd not being in the public domain, it is unclear if the new financial interest has ever been disclosed, as it doesn't seem to have been disclosed to Storas at subsequent meetings.

So we now have the position where £10m in public money is going to a "community project" that is being run by a person with a financial interest in the seaweed test site at Crooked River, and a financial interest in the company developing site, and the Chairman of the community company, and its subsidiaries.

If all the business was conducted openly and with publicly accessible minutes, then it would be a different matter, but with secrecy and obtuse answers to simple questions, it looks like there is something to hide.

Now, let me make it very clear for the benefits of the legal profession, that there is no suggestion of impropriety; and that the other directors were fully aware of the position, as required by the various Companies Acts; and there is no suggestion that the updating of the Register of Interest as anything but an oversight; and that there were no undisclosed conflicts arising at any meetings of Storas or Lochboisdale Development; and that both CnES and HIE were fully aware of the new business relationship.

However, going forward, there is an enormous question over the ability of Mr MacMillan to be in virtual control over almost every aspect of this investment, given that there are numerous potential conflicts which may impede the development going forward.


I think the other directors need to seek independent legal advice - to make sure they do not accidentally fall foul of the law should a Chairman's conflict of interest (accidentally) arise - and the funders need to review issues of probity and transparency, as a matter of urgency.

After all, we wouldn't want cries of "self interest" to delay the rejuvenation of Lochboisdale, or cast unnecessary aspersions on the work of Storas.

6 metre vehicles

With the announcement via Am Paipear that vehicles up to 6m will now enjoy what passes for RET, another inequity is resolved.  Careful reading indicates that inter-island fares appear to continue to be excluded from the fare reductions.

But look at the manner of this; a Ministerial announcement is released early by the Constituency MSP. 

Unusual?  Extremely.

No sign of the announcement appearing on the Government website, and no doubt the Parliament will be a bit put out.

Of course, there is a major policy consultation on ferries going on, which includes an opportunity for the public to have their say on this very issue.  Which is all now a bit redundant, and doesn't exactly give you faith in the  consultation process when the Minister makes a unilateral decision (albeit the right one) on one aspect of the process shortly after the consultation starts.

How does this impact on the rest of the consultation?  Does it actually matter, given that the whole exercise is nothing more than an arse-covering delaying mechanism?

However, it does indicate the panic in the ranks of the Government at the prospect of a bullish, bolshy, and representative group* sitting the other side of the desk.  This is a sop to try and show the 'listening' Government and distract from the main issue.

However, I am sure that the group will not be dissuaded by minor concessions or by the vacuous blandishments of our MSP desperately trying to defuse a situation he has inflamed.

The silence of every would be SNP Councillor on this issue is very telling.  Puppets on a string.

* The deliberate exclusion of Norman MacAskill, Drimore, at the instigation of the MSP is a shocking disgrace.

Fair Fares

A news release hits my inbox:

Proposed changes to Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) for commercial vehicles
 
The Outer Hebrides Transport Group (OHTG) has recently been formed with the aim of working together to fight the Governments decision to remove RET for commercial vehicles from island ferries.
 
The OHFG would like to hear your views on how it will affect your business, your customers and the economy of the Outer Hebrides.
 
Please contact Gail Robertson, Co-ordinator of Outer Hebrides Transport Group

Tel: 01870 602916
Mobile: 07919 622377
Email:  outerhebridestransportgroup@aol.co.uk

The horrendous impact of these price increases of up to 175% will make the small savings on the pseudo-RET scheme look like small chage.

The 'extension' and the 'permanance' of RET has been announced in glorious technicolour by the Government, the MSP and the MP on a number of occasions,   Without a concrete promise of implementation, far less an implementation date.

The penalising of everyone who relies on the freight traffic has been introduced immediately.

David Wood, owner of Lewis haulage firm, Woody’s Express said: “This proposal from the SNP Government is economically illiterate and will have a devastating impact on the islands. The Scottish Government sneaked out this massive price hike without the courtesy of consulting any of those who will be affected.  

This will have the impact of making all the incoming food deliveries, all the fish and shellfish exports, tweed exports and every other product coming from the islands much more expensive.  Indeed, the much vaunted designation of Arnish as a centre for renewables will be undermined by this very policy.

Our MP briefly spoke out against the policy (after being severely bollocked in Barra by businessmen), before being gagged by his own party, whilst our MSP seemingly has no view on the matter.  None of the would be SNP Council candidates has had anything to say on the matter - with one notable isolated exception - despite their planned campaign slogan of "Fighting for the Islands".  The slogan is now being changed to "Tutting quietly, as instructed, in the islands."

One major area of concern is the inter-island commercial traffic, which is likely to be decimated by this increase.  One businessman has told me that he will now turn back to the mainland, rather than locally, as it is going to be more efficient overall.  10-20 years of hard work developing the inter-island business destroyed by a Government who say one thing and do another behind your back..

Now the Council and sitting Councillors need to get behind this campaign, which has the potential for inflicting serious economic damage to the islands.

Remind me again how this SNP integrated transport strategy works?

Doublespeak

How to try to keep your constituents happy without actually agreeing with them...

Western Isles SNP MSP, Alasdair Allan, has today responded to the consultation on the proposed marine Special Area of Conservation for the Sound of Barra.

Alasdair Allan commented: “My constituents, not only in the fishing industry but in the community more generally, have expressed their clear opposition to this proposed designation and believe that the designation is still unnecessary."

Translation for the general public:

I've been told in uncompromising terms what to say, but I don't believe a word of what I write...

Water, water everywhere......

I am told, first hand, that some households in Benbecula have been without mains water for 6 days, and may only have been reconnected today.


The problem lies either with a burst pipe, which emptied the storage towers, or the fact that someone forgot to ensure that they were being continousoly refilled.


The fact is that after the tank was refilled, airlocks have prevented the water being delviered to households.


At which time Scottish Water found they didn't have proper maps of the pipe network, and have been using a mixture of guesswork, householder information and hole digging to find the pipes.  Whilst Scottish Water have been providing drinking water, toilets, showers, baths and washing machines have been impossible to use.


Roll on the 18th Century and technological advancement.......

SNH deceit

The most obvious factor to be extracted from the duplicity of SNH over the designations in Barra is the almost total lack of involvement of Europe in the process.

Sure, Europe asked for nominations to cover a wide range of marine habitats, and yes Europe did give the final approval for the designations to go ahead, but the leaked emails indicate that SNH were deciding upon the areas to be designated before they undertook the appraisal and without evaluating the facts.

Contrast and compare the real situation as established by Cllr Manford, with that portrayed by Yesman1 and Yesman2.

The SNH consultation phase ploughs on regardless

Angus Brendan MacNeil said: ‘The people and fishermen of Barra and Uist did not want this environmental designation and it is an example of the uncontrollable freight train that is EU Commission bureaucracy.  Once they have decided on a course of action governments in either Edinburgh or London or their attendant civil servants are powerless to do much about it.

and

“I appreciate that the process of designation is driven by the European Commission and backed by the very real threat of fines on countries who do not comply, but I reiterate my opposition to these unwanted designations.”

When the reality as unearthed by Cllr Manford was that SNH were lying left right and centre:

“As I am confident the minister at the time can confirm she was unaware of these actions, it falls to Ian Jardine to explain why he unnecessarily offered-up the Sound of Barra for designation while he was insisting the opposite to the minister and the community.”

Any politician worth their salt would be outraged at being lied to by a senior official, and should be demanding a head on a stick pour encourage les outres.  Unless, of course, they were party to the deceit.

The silence is rather telling, isn't it.

SHAMED are angry (and quite right too) - press release

Time to name and shame those who have conceded two marine Special Areas of Conservation (SAC's) in the Southern Hebrides

The recent announcement from Environment Minister, Stewart Stevenson, that the Government has approved a marine SAC at East Mingulay and that the site will be forwarded to the EU for approval, has prompted an angry reaction from SHAMED, a local campaign which is opposing plans to designate two marine SAC's in the sea east of Mingulay and in the Sound of Barra.

The Minister has also stated that proposals for the Sound of Barra will be going out to public consultation in the near future. SHAMED has noted the political statements simultaneously issued by the MP and MSP for the Western Isles alongside the Minister's announcement.

Reacting to these statements, Angus MacLeod, chairman of SHAMED and a crofter-fisherman from Barra, said :

"It is with utter disbelief that I read what Angus MacNeil MP has again been saying about EU requirements. He has been quoted as stating that once the EU 'have decided on a course of action, governments in either Edinburgh or London or their attendant civil servants are powerless to do much about it.'

Mr MacLeod explained : "Early in 2009, our MP issued a press release saying he was writing to the EU to demand that Brussels bureaucrats come to Barra to explain to us why the designations were needed. At the same time, our MSP went to Brussels to tell EU officials face-to-face that the designations were not wanted. Both were clearly told by the EU that the selection and designation of SAC's is up to the member states and regions within member states, a fact that was well known within the community. So, whatever spin politicians try to put on this, the decision to consult on East Mingulay and now the Sound of Barra is entirely a Scottish Government matter."

After almost three years of research and campaigning, SHAMED has gained an insight into how the SAC designation process works and, thanks to information received under Freedom of Information, it can be seen that it is SNH that drives the selection process in Scotland.

"Certainly it is true to say that the EEC Habitats Directive of 1992 compels Member States to set aside areas as SAC's but how this is handled within the UK and how UK policy affects Scotland is a local issue but one that has never been raised by our parliamentary representatives or, indeed, the Scottish Government," added Mr MacLeod.

Given that Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, has been prepared to speak out for Scottish fishermen and farmers at UK and EU level, SHAMED can only speculate as to why no-one in power is prepared to do the same over environmental issues.

"It is now apparent," continued Angus Macleod, " that the SNP government has bowed to pressure from environmental lobbies, with the local MP and MSP making empty promises in the run-up to elections. Clearly their policies are no different from any previous government. Thankfully at least our local SNP councillor, Donald Manford, has the backbone to stand up and publically voice his dissatisfaction; for this we applaud him and for giving us the proper representation that this community deserves."

As to what the group's next steps would be, Mr MacLeod reports that SHAMED has twice been refused a meeting with Richard Lochhead but that in the Cabinet Secretary's last response, he confirmed that the Environment Minister would meet with them and that a date was be set. One of the issues for discussion with the Minister and Marine Scotland officials would have been evidence previously submitted to them showing their data on vessel activity within the Mingulay site was inaccurate.

"We were under the impression that the Minister was to be supplied with the corrected data and that we would have had the opportunity to discuss the issues with him before he made his decision. We therefore feel betrayed by the Scottish Government for taking such a misinformed decision," added Mr MacLeod.

He confirmed that SHAMED was stepping up its fight and that no stone would be left unturned in order to expose what the campaign group feels are the irregularities within the designation process for the two SAC's.

Barra fishermen sold out

It is a disgrace that a Marine SAC has been imposed on the area South of Barra, against the wishes of the fishermen.

The site was already being preserved and looked after by the fishermen, but now their livelihoods have been significantly affected, by a decision that was flagged up as having been taken before the Government started the assessment process.

Indeed, the proponents of the designation were the very ones who undertook the "independent" assessment, and reported back to Government.

Nice work if you can get it, as SNH now stand to get extra funding to protect the seabed from ......?

Of course, this was a process started and controlled by the Scottish Government; overseen by the Scottish Government; and only run under EU rules.

This point was previously conceded by our elected representatives only under great pressure for the Barraich,but let's not let that stand in the way of a series of faux-angry press releases which promise no action what so ever.

Roll-on the empty wilderness of the Western Isles where humans won't get in the way of "conservation".

BTW: Cllr Manford's views might be quite interesting.....

Eriskay School

These poor parents in Eriskay must be confused about the actual status of the school closure, er... discussion, er... consultation, er... whatever, er...nothing at all

According to the Bleader's Log (as it is affectionately called in the Executive Corridor), the initial discussion about the school, was not a discussion about the School in Eriskay but a discussion with the community about education provision in Eriskay, that may or may not included a discussion - and most definitely not a consultation - about the school in Eriskay.

Further clarification of the clarification makes it perfectly clear that the planned discussions weren't going to happen anyway.  At least not in the terms that were previously de-announced.

That this contradicts the position taken by the Comhairle at it's last meeting, and reiterated in private at the COSLA Meeting, and explained to Members as the outcome of the COSLA decision is neither here nor there.  I saw some of the detail last week from the unusual sources.

As the Bleader puts it:

Parents deserve to have the correct information.

Perhaps an FOI to see the internal emails and discussion might help the parents have the correct information.

Make no mistake, education provision in the islands needs reform - that's code for rationalisation, or closures - unless the birth rate picks up dramatically, but the least the Council can do is be honest about it and point out that the absence of kids is not conducive to the continued existence of a school.

The moratorium might not be right, or fair, or economically advantageous, as far as the Council is concerned, but the Government wield the big big, big stick and sometimes a different approach is required.

(Declaration of interest: I first went to Eriskay about 1975, and I loved the place.  Even just driving through it is blissful.)

The truth will out.....

Casual readers may wonder why the Council would bother to block a modest little blog such as this.

Council leaders will claim that I am undermining the operation of the Council and the trust and working relationships they are spending years building.

To that claim I can only laugh; as they seem quite competent at undermining their own relationships.

A prime example is the (private) contempt in which Storas Uibhist is held whilst the public front of support lubricated with large sums of money continues.

Talking about development in South Uist; how is it possible for a major Council development in Uist to actually cause local businesses to close?

The answer I am told lies with simple incompetence and a massive failure in the drafting of legal documentation.
 
Fairly recently I saw a letter in the public domain from Stephen MacAulay of Askernish Quarry, about the rock being used at Ludag (link will follow when I find it again).  I was intrigued and started to dig deeper and what I found was a murky tale of startling decisions and unbelievable oversights.

Amongst the bids for the development was one which involved the transportation of rock from Askernish on the public roads to which a risk or cost factor was applied to reflect the damage to the roads and the general upheaval.  This made it more expensive than transporting the rock from Argyll.

Ooops, but the transportation from Argyll forgot to factor in any costs for using the foreshore, or indeed any permission, and Storas were not aware of that plan.  When their costs were added, that made that bid more expensive.


So a third bid was assessed and found to now be cheaper and this was the one selected.  Only now are there questions about the assessment process, given that the rock is coming from North Uist.

It is at this point that the Council realises that they haven't factored in the risk premium for transporting the rock on the roads; leaving the contractors free of any obligations.  Contracts accepted.  Deal done.

But let's cut to the chase: the outcome is that the local taxpayer is going to carry the extra costs for damage to the roads; the council will try and bury the bad news; no-one was responsible; Councillors in the dark.


Sunlight is the best disinfectant.  I'm only trying to be that little ray of sunshine for staff and Councillors.

Project Fingal Pt 1.5

Just realised that a lot of the information I had was lost when my last computer crashed and destroyed the HD.  I'm hoping that the sources can resend or I can restore, failing which I'll have to rework Part 3 into Part 2.

Project Fingal pt 1

Project Fingal may have been hidden in the shadows over the past few years, but it is one I have been tracking - thanks to some well placed moles, and some excellently accurate prophesies - for a few years now.

Today, just some background.

The Chairman of Storas, Angus MacMillan, is well placed to understand the algenate industry, as his father was the manager of the plant at North Boisdale seaweed factory many years ago; before the industry crashed in the 70s.

Coincidentally, Storas seem to have been applying pressure to the current occupant of the factory to give up the lease and the seaweed rights.  Some might say "pressure", some could say "threats", others have said "with menace", but that seems utterly unreasonable.  Doesn't it?

Now, ignoring the inconvenient fact that there probably isn't enough seaweed in the west of Scotland to meet the needs of a factory of the proposed size, just where is the power going to come from?

Coincidentally, Storas have had a huge battle over their inter-connector connection and the ability to develop a windfarm in Uist.  There were very strong suggestions - obviously untrue - that Angus MacMillan had financial interests in windfarm developments that might be in some obscure fashion tied into the Storas connection.

Indeed, a libel action was raised - with great publicity - when it was suggested that there might be some personal benefit, whilst the defendant apparently had evidence of financing being lined up via third parties.  (Anyone know what has happened to this legal action?)

Thankfully, with former MP Brian Wilson of AMEC on the Board of Storas, the opportunity to use the Lewis windfarm to power economic development in Uist makes it all look good,  Conversely, Angus MacMillan sits on the Board of Harris Tweed Hebrides - Chairman? Brian Wilson.

Unfortunately, it looks to me that the maximum power output from any (all?) Lewis windfarms won't be enough to meet the power needs in Uist if the factory goes ahead.  The energy requirements are immense - remember your school lessons about electrolysis?

Thankfully, the AMEC cable was suggested to run to Whitehaven, where AMEC have some business interest, including the renewable energy plant at Sellafield.

And where Brian Wilson chairs the "Energy Coast" forum for West Cumbria, in his role as AMEC representative.

Only the insane would suggest that the interconnector to Windscale IN beautiful West Cumbria could be used to import nuclear power to the islands from an AMEC facility.


Meantime, the two existing seaweed businesses in the Western Isles are about to be undercut by subsidies from CnES and HIE to an incoming business, and see their suppliers and markets potentially destroyed.  Despite years of trying to get assistance to grow.

Still, attracting new grant-migrating incoming businesses is so much better than supporting the useless locals.

More to follow

Staying on the education theme....

Stoneybridge School has apparently reopened.

Normally, this would be the source of some joy in the local community, but I understand that it has been opened to accommodate one young pupil from Lionacleit.  That is one young, but very disruptive, pupil.

To meet the needs of this pupil, 4 adults are required on site to provide the education and provide security for each other.  Plus the cost of the building.  This must be probably the most expensive pupil in the UK.

Assuming that neither the entire cohort of teachers in Lionacleit, nor the very expensive management can control this child, then whatever happened to good old-fashioned suspension or expulsion?

Are the inevitable social workers demanding that the child be pandered to, rather than being made to face up to the result of his actions?

Either way, isn't all this attention going to encourage the other children to do one better?

There are rarely easy answers in education, but there seem always to be lots that could should be more easily resolved.

Castlebay School

And still the problems mount up.

I was told last week about another subject where exam results were very, very, much less than satisfactory. 

It surely cannot be true that the prelim results in music were so bad, that the school have decided to claim that none of the pupils actually sat the exam. 

I understand why they have done so - because a very poor mark won't help any children with borderline results in the final exam.

But, was is the root cause of the succession of educational failures in this school?  And what is being done to resolve them?

It could be your kids next, in another school, and I am sure that you would want the Comhairle to urgently take serious action.... 

Barra air service

Half a cheer for the news that a new plane is going to be bought to service Barra (and Tiree and Campbelltown) before the existing Twin Otters finally fall to pieces.

This provides some security for the people of Barra ahead of the re-tendering exercise.

The plane will be owned by Ministers - it appears - and leased to the successful bidder for those routes.

I haven't seem the Government Press Release yet, but what does it mean that "Work will start over the next 12 months on buying a new aircraft"?

Does that mean that the process hasn't actually been approved, and that we are just in the later stages of the early stages of assessing the position; before actually coming towards a conclusion?

Surely not.

School closures; a different way

My visit to Uist resulted in lots of very useful information, pointers and general rumour. 

Sometimes some facts come my attention that were quite unexpected.

With all the conflict in Lewis over the closure of schools on a scale that hasn't been seen since a similar exercise happened in Uist, it was intriguing to hear about about a parental view that was just that bit more nuanced.

Normally the pupils at Carinish would go to Paible school for their secondary education.

I am told, by one of the parents, that all P7 pupils have elected to go to Sgoil Lionacleit instead, effectively precipitating the closure of Paibleas there will only be one pupil in Secondary 1 in the coming year.

The reasons are many, but appear to focus on the large class sizes and the opportunities to mix.  Apparently some of the pupils have had the same teacher - and only the one teacher - for their entire primary education, which cannot be good when the rest of us have had to appreciate and endure the teaching vagaries of the excellent, the vague, the criminally insane and the dangerously neurotic occupants of the staff room.

The parents believe that a bigger school will deliver more opportunities and will secure the future of Sgoil Lionacleit with bigger and better facilities.

Are they right, or are the Lewis parents who reject that view right?  I suspect that in the long run the Uist parents are right, painful as that might be for the local communities.

Life is never that black and white, and making difficult decisions is never easy, but you have to appreciate that parents can sometimes take a seemingly perverse view for all the right reasons.  Kudos to all the parents for doing the best for their children.

How not to build an economy

I'm sitting in a hotel in Uist using their wireless connection to try to do some work, and the signal is dropping every few seconds.

Absolutely normal, a local tells me.

How can anyone run a business that relies on a technology that simply is not up to the job?

I've got connectivity via my phone, but that doesn't help if the data I need is on my server?

Network down again, after 60 seconds of being up......aaargh!

Handbags at dawn....

As the politicians argue over who did what in Barra, and who didn't do what, MacIain closes their quarry and lays off 8 employees.

Whilst the name calling might be entertaining, it is the absence of anything substantive that is the problem.

Our sitting MSP might believe that letters to the Minister is a substitute for action, but unless he places these letters - and their responses - into the public domain, the impression of doing exactly what he is told by his political masters will continue.


Can either Labour or SNP come up with any practical solutions to the economic issues that are facing the islands?

I'll see you in Court...

I'm sure you have often heard that said, but have you ever see the next stage?

Here's a copy of a writ issued by Angus MacMillan, Storas Uibhist, against Calum MacMillan, would be windfarmer.

Having been on the receiving end of a couple of threats of legal action from a certain sanctimonious lying sleaze-ball in the Comhairle (full details coming shortly), I'm going to choose my words carefully.

And hypothesise about the sort of questions that might be asked in response to the writ.

• Is your reputation really worth £100,000?
• Shall we examine the accounts of the various companies to determine how successful the various businesses are?
• "The pursuer, acting in an individual capacity, has not at any time discussed any private proposals to develop wind farm capacity with any funding or regulatory body with whom he has come into contact in the course of his dealings as Chairman."  What acting about in a corporate capacity for a limited company?  Have there been any contacts about other windfarm proposals with any funding or regulatory body whilst he was Chairman?
• "He does not presently, and did not at the material time, have plans to advance any proposals for a wind farm project on land owned by him..."  But were there any plans advanced during any time when he was Chairman?  Any possible conflicts of interest, declarations of interest, or overlapping use of the same contractors or consultants?

The curious conditional denials and circituous (not the right word) sentence construction serves only to raise more questions than are answered.

(I might update this later, but I have a plane to catch very soon)

Thousands join march to support RAF Lossiemouth

Anyone see any similarity between the massive SNP campaign to retain RAF Lossiemouth attended by the First Minister and supported by numerous SNP Governemnt press releases and the way the Range Hebrides campaign has had to plead to get access for an SNP Ministerial hearing, far less get any level of active support?

Could it be anything to do with the level of importance/ability of the different SNP representatives in the minds of the SNP Government?