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<p class="MsoNormal">"I made my last flight to Edinburgh of the year
on Tuesday
morning, and spent the morning dealing with emails and casework,
as well as
responding to <strong><span
style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:
minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">news that NorthLink fares are set to go
up by
8.7% next year</span></strong>, well above inflation,
currently running at
3.9%. Ministers had tried to sneak out this information quietly,
with no
official announcement on the Transport Scotland website. Along
with my Northern
Isles colleagues, Beatrice Wishart and Alistair Carmichael, I
criticised the
move which will hurt islanders, already contending with squeezed
household
budgets. You can find our joint statement <a
href="https://click.ngpvan.com/k/75664428/445367694/-142427050?nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9MSUJVSy9MSUJVSy8xLzM4NTM1IiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogImUwOWMxNGY4LTBhYTEtZWUxMS1iZWExLTAwMjI0ODIyM2YzNiIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAicmljYXJkaWFuQGNsYXJlbW9udHN0cm9uc2F5LmNvLnVrIg0KfQ%3D%3D&hmac=B-byfw_E-sUjut84SVK4jCS1bBaZXbApRqbdQWqb0ZI=&emci=77348de6-05a1-ee11-bea1-002248223f36&emdi=e09c14f8-0aa1-ee11-bea1-002248223f36&ceid=397233"
target="_blank"><strong><span
style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#2B59C3;text-decoration:
none;text-underline:none">here</span></strong></a>."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Prior to FMQs, I also managed to get a look in
at General
Questions, where I highlighted to the Business Ministers <strong><span
style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">problems in the islands due to the
introduction
of short term lets legislation</span></strong>. I urged
Richard Lochhead to
look at whether more flexibility could be provided, particularly
in the smaller
isles where the loss of accommodation impacts not just tourism but
the
opportunities for key workers to find places to stay overnight.
You can watch
and read this exchange <strong><span
style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi"><a
href="https://click.ngpvan.com/k/75664467/445367737/244369594?clip_start=11:42:42&clip_end=11:44:15&nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9MSUJVSy9MSUJVSy8xLzM4NTM1IiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogImUwOWMxNGY4LTBhYTEtZWUxMS1iZWExLTAwMjI0ODIyM2YzNiIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAicmljYXJkaWFuQGNsYXJlbW9udHN0cm9uc2F5LmNvLnVrIg0KfQ%3D%3D&hmac=B-byfw_E-sUjut84SVK4jCS1bBaZXbApRqbdQWqb0ZI=&emci=77348de6-05a1-ee11-bea1-002248223f36&emdi=e09c14f8-0aa1-ee11-bea1-002248223f36&ceid=397233"
target="_blank"><span style="color:#2B59C3">here</span></a>
</span></strong>and
<a
href="https://click.ngpvan.com/k/75664468/445367738/256810046?meeting=15627&iob=133325&nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9MSUJVSy9MSUJVSy8xLzM4NTM1IiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogImUwOWMxNGY4LTBhYTEtZWUxMS1iZWExLTAwMjI0ODIyM2YzNiIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAicmljYXJkaWFuQGNsYXJlbW9udHN0cm9uc2F5LmNvLnVrIg0KfQ%3D%3D&hmac=B-byfw_E-sUjut84SVK4jCS1bBaZXbApRqbdQWqb0ZI=&emci=77348de6-05a1-ee11-bea1-002248223f36&emdi=e09c14f8-0aa1-ee11-bea1-002248223f36&ceid=397233#3896"
target="_blank"><strong><span
style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#2B59C3;text-decoration:
none;text-underline:none">here</span></strong></a>, and General
Questions <a
href="https://click.ngpvan.com/k/75664469/445367739/244369594?nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9MSUJVSy9MSUJVSy8xLzM4NTM1IiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogImUwOWMxNGY4LTBhYTEtZWUxMS1iZWExLTAwMjI0ODIyM2YzNiIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAicmljYXJkaWFuQGNsYXJlbW9udHN0cm9uc2F5LmNvLnVrIg0KfQ%3D%3D&hmac=B-byfw_E-sUjut84SVK4jCS1bBaZXbApRqbdQWqb0ZI=&emci=77348de6-05a1-ee11-bea1-002248223f36&emdi=e09c14f8-0aa1-ee11-bea1-002248223f36&ceid=397233"
target="_blank"><strong><span
style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#2B59C3;text-decoration:
none;text-underline:none">here</span></strong></a> and <a
href="https://click.ngpvan.com/k/75664470/445367740/256810046?meeting=15627&iob=133324&nvep=ew0KICAiVGVuYW50VXJpIjogIm5ncHZhbjovL3Zhbi9MSUJVSy9MSUJVSy8xLzM4NTM1IiwNCiAgIkRpc3RyaWJ1dGlvblVuaXF1ZUlkIjogImUwOWMxNGY4LTBhYTEtZWUxMS1iZWExLTAwMjI0ODIyM2YzNiIsDQogICJFbWFpbEFkZHJlc3MiOiAicmljYXJkaWFuQGNsYXJlbW9udHN0cm9uc2F5LmNvLnVrIg0KfQ%3D%3D&hmac=B-byfw_E-sUjut84SVK4jCS1bBaZXbApRqbdQWqb0ZI=&emci=77348de6-05a1-ee11-bea1-002248223f36&emdi=e09c14f8-0aa1-ee11-bea1-002248223f36&ceid=397233"
target="_blank"><strong><span
style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#2B59C3;text-decoration:
none;text-underline:none">here</span></strong></a>."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Today, although <strong>my constituency
office is closed</strong>, I spent the morning drafting a column
for the Orcadian to be published the new year, and trying to get
my inbox in a fit state before shutting things down for Christmas!
Holyrood Highlights will be taking a break until parliamentary
business resumes in the second week of January. So for now, let
me take the opportunity of wishing you a <strong>Merry Christmas
and all the best for a happy, healthy 2024</strong>."<br>
</p>
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