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style="display:none !important;visibility:hidden;mso-hide:all;font-size:1px;color:#ffffff;line-height:1px;max-height:0px;max-width:0px;opacity:0;overflow:hidden;">Your
weekly roundup of the news from Parliament.</span>
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<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">Parliament returned to
session last week and the
mood has already shifted
noticeably. Political lines
are being sharpened and
battle lines are being
drawn.</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">
By this time next year we
will almost certainly
already have had our next
general election – or an
autumn campaign will be
reaching its peak (we have
to hope that a winter
election, at least, will be
out of the question!).</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">
It has to be said that both
our parties of government,
in Westminster and indeed in
Holyrood, are looking
increasingly tired and short
on ideas – but even with a
short span remaining until
the next election there is
still plenty to fit on the
agenda, from tidal stream
support to farm payments.</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"><strong>Success for tidal
stream energy but a new
goal needed </strong></p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">Last week brought welcome
news that seven further
tidal stream projects have
secured contracts in the UK
Government’s latest
renewable auction, including
two in the Northern Isles –
a further vote of confidence
in the potential of tidal
stream to transform how we
manage energy in this
country.</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">I am glad that the
government has not let up on
support for this sector. We
need to continue that big
picture mentality from
ministers and ramp up
development further, by
setting a new 1 gigawatt
target for tidal stream
deployment – a point <a
href="https://click.ngpvan.com/k/69794485/427320461/1547236698?nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9MSUJVSy9MSUJVSy8xLzM4NTM1IiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogIjJlYjU2Mzg1LWVkNTMtZWUxMS05OTM3LTAwMjI0ODMyZTgxMSIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAicmljYXJkaWFuQGNsYXJlbW9udHN0cm9uc2F5LmNvLnVrIg0KfQ%3D%3D&hmac=v0HmDucE5amiDD09fwYnX8WelS3mZFmgwLaeQvj4n5o=&emci=589cc514-e553-ee11-9937-00224832e811&emdi=2eb56385-ed53-ee11-9937-00224832e811&ceid=397233"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: #2b59c3;"
moz-do-not-send="true">I
made to ministers in
Parliament</a> on Tuesday.</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">
</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">There is plenty to criticise
in the government’s energy
policy, but the support and
expansion of tidal stream is
a genuine success story –
and one which has the
potential to drive
significant benefits for our
communities. The one thing
we cannot do is rest on our
laurels.</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"><strong>Viking threat to the
isles?</strong></p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">
I cannot have been the only
one to have noticed and
questioned the presence of
the Border Force vessel HMC
Valiant in the Northern
Isles earlier this summer –
a point I put <a
href="https://click.ngpvan.com/k/69794504/427320466/-289302432?nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9MSUJVSy9MSUJVSy8xLzM4NTM1IiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogIjJlYjU2Mzg1LWVkNTMtZWUxMS05OTM3LTAwMjI0ODMyZTgxMSIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAicmljYXJkaWFuQGNsYXJlbW9udHN0cm9uc2F5LmNvLnVrIg0KfQ%3D%3D&hmac=v0HmDucE5amiDD09fwYnX8WelS3mZFmgwLaeQvj4n5o=&emci=589cc514-e553-ee11-9937-00224832e811&emdi=2eb56385-ed53-ee11-9937-00224832e811&ceid=397233"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: #2b59c3;"
moz-do-not-send="true">to
the Immigration Minister
last week</a>. You might
reasonably ask why, if the
Government’s attention is so
strongly focused on
crossings in the channel,
one of only four Border
Force cutters spent so much
time this summer tied up at
a pier in Orkney.
</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">We do have a history of
people coming in small boats
to Orkney and Shetland, but
the Vikings have been quiet
for quite a while now.</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">
People in the isles have
every right to question why
the Border Force has been
plying its trade around our
waters. If it is not to
tackle longships in the
Pentland Firth then
presumably there should be a
good reason forthcoming from
ministers.</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"><strong>Half a mark back on
a failing grade – the
government rejoins Horizon
research scheme</strong></p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">
After three years of
waiting, last week finally
brough news that the UK has
reached a deal on associate
membership of Horizon, the
EU’s science research
scheme. UK-based scientists
and institutions will be
able to apply for money from
the £81bn fund once again –
welcome news both in terms
of funding opportunities and
research partnerships. It
should not have taken this
long but it is progress
nonetheless.</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">Even so this is just a half
mark back on a failing grade
for the Tories. The delay in
rejoining has been a drag on
research and cooperation.
Ministers have to explain
what they will do to further
support the research sector
so that we can catch up and
make the most of our
membership.</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">
<strong>Meeting with NFUS
leaders and Back British
Farming</strong></p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">
This week also brought the
opportunity to <a
href="https://click.ngpvan.com/k/69794507/427320489/2135036584?fbid=702929354982624&set=a.353329166609313&nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9MSUJVSy9MSUJVSy8xLzM4NTM1IiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogIjJlYjU2Mzg1LWVkNTMtZWUxMS05OTM3LTAwMjI0ODMyZTgxMSIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAicmljYXJkaWFuQGNsYXJlbW9udHN0cm9uc2F5LmNvLnVrIg0KfQ%3D%3D&hmac=v0HmDucE5amiDD09fwYnX8WelS3mZFmgwLaeQvj4n5o=&emci=589cc514-e553-ee11-9937-00224832e811&emdi=2eb56385-ed53-ee11-9937-00224832e811&ceid=397233"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: #2b59c3;"
moz-do-not-send="true">catch
up with colleagues from
the NFUS</a> at a Back
British Farming in
Parliament to talk about the
challenges they are facing.
Now more than ever we need
to celebrate and support the
work that farmers and
crofters and the agriculture
industry do, not just in
filling our supermarket
shelves but as a lynchpin of
the rural economy.</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">With the agricultural
industry facing an uncertain
future regarding the future
of support payments, there
is real anxiety about what
the future holds. Whether it
is the future of farm
payments, fair play on
fertiliser costs or any
other number of volatile
input costs impacting
farmers, both our
governments need to
prioritise the stability of
farming and crofting
communities.</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"><strong>Parliamentary
recognition for isles
representation at the SFF
</strong></p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">
Fishing remains one of the
cornerstones of our economy
in the Northern Isles, so
the election of
representatives from both
Orkney and Shetland to be
president and vice-president
of the Scottish Fishermen’s
Federation last month
deserves full recognition.
That is why I lodged a
parliamentary motion this
week to congratulate Hannah
Fennell, head of the Orkney
Fisheries Association, and
Sheila Keith, executive
officer of Shetland
Fishermen’s Association, in
their new roles.</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">I look forward to continuing
to work with both Hannah and
Sheila to support our
fishermen and drive better
engagement from our
governments. This is a
critical time for the
industry, but with strong
representation we have the
best chance to get the wins
we need – for sustainable
jobs and a fair deal on
policy into the future.</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"><strong>New surgery dates</strong></p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">
And finally – after an
action-packed summer of
Tunnel Vision events in
Shetland and a circuit
around the isles in Orkney,
there are more advice
surgeries on the agenda for
the autumn. There will be a
surgery in Lerwick on 11th
October, and surgeries with
Liam McArthur in Stromness
and Kirkwall on the 13th
October – full details can
be found <a
href="https://click.ngpvan.com/k/69794510/427320491/-1494749749?nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9MSUJVSy9MSUJVSy8xLzM4NTM1IiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogIjJlYjU2Mzg1LWVkNTMtZWUxMS05OTM3LTAwMjI0ODMyZTgxMSIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAicmljYXJkaWFuQGNsYXJlbW9udHN0cm9uc2F5LmNvLnVrIg0KfQ%3D%3D&hmac=v0HmDucE5amiDD09fwYnX8WelS3mZFmgwLaeQvj4n5o=&emci=589cc514-e553-ee11-9937-00224832e811&emdi=2eb56385-ed53-ee11-9937-00224832e811&ceid=397233"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: #2b59c3;"
moz-do-not-send="true">here</a>,
and more dates to come.</p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px">As ever, if there are any
issues that you would like
to raise with me, please do
not hesitate to get in touch
- and for specific casework
matters you can contact me
at
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:alistair.carmichael.mp@parliament.uk">alistair.carmichael.mp@parliament.uk</a>.</p>
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<p
style="margin:0;font-size:14px;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"><span
style="font-size:18px;">Yours
ever,</span></p>
<p
style="margin:0;font-size:14px;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"> </p>
<p
style="margin:0;font-size:14px;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"><strong><span
style="font-size:18px;">Alistair
Carmichael </span></strong></p>
<p
style="margin:0;font-size:14px;mso-line-height-alt:16.8px"><span
style="font-size:18px;"><strong>MP
for Orkney and Shetland</strong></span></p>
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