The price we pay for fuel in the highlands has long been an issue for communities here.

It's not just the cost of fuel at the petrol pumps that is the problem but the triple whammy of higher prices, longer distances to travel and fewer public transport options than people in many other parts of the country.

 

That's why it gave me particular pleasure this week to announce the next stage of my work to give some relief for people living in the most remote parts of the country, where prices are highest.

 

Earlier this year the Coalition Government persuaded Brussels to approve the introduction of a pilot scheme which offers a 5p per litre fuel duty cut to keep prices low in the islands.

It was something Labour said couldn't be done, the SNP said we wouldn't do, but which Lib Dems promised in our election manifesto and we have now achieved.

 

For me though, it is not enough to have brought fuel fairness just to the islands. I know want to see if we can extend the benefit of the duty discount to the most remote and high costs parts of the mainland UK too.

 

To make that happen we need to gather evidence to identify which areas are suffering from the same problems of high prices and transport shortages as the islands.

The local authority can help in this and I have held talks with David Alston, deputy leader of Highland Council about ways they can assist in gathering evidence.

 

I know we face an even tougher challenge than we did with the islands, because we will have to persuade both the European commission and then every member state that the case is as strong for our islands. Gathering the evidence we need is going to take several months, and we will have to assess whether the case is strong enough to win the argument.

 

But I also know the financial pressure which these prices put on families who have no option but to use their car and I am determined to drive forward with our campaign to ease that burden.

 

I hope by working with the councils and communities we can gather the evidence we need to wipe out this unfairness in the most remote and costly parts of the mainland too.

 

Of course, this scheme will only ever benefit a small number of people, and this Government has already sought to relieve the pressure on families by dropping or delaying several duty increases that the previous Labour Government had locked in.

 

As a result, the cost of a litre of fuel is 10p per litre less than if Labour had stayed in office.

 

As a Highlander I understand all too well the cost these increases would have meant for local families and businesses. This week in London I had a very positive meeting with the leaders of the FairFuel UK campaign to discuss their concerns on this issue, and to hear about new research they have carried out about the economic impact of fuel costs. Its a dialogue I look forward to continuing.

 

 

 

There are few official dates in my diary that I am as proud to fulfil as Remembrance Sunday.

 

Each year since I became the MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey I have taken part in the city's Service of Remembrance with the Royal British Legion, an event made even more poignant this year by the dedication of a new plaque to those who have died since 1945.

 

The names of those who died in campaigns including Korea, the Falklands, Northern Ireland, the Gulf Wars and Afghanistan have been added to the Roll of Honour on the Cavell Gardens War Memorial thanks to an appeal led by the Inverness Branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland and Highland councillors who represent city wards.

But the initiative has also ensured that the existing memorial and plaques have been refurbished and the work completed in time for this year's service.

 

I'm also reassured to learn that the names of those who have not yet been included, but are entitled to the same recognition as their colleagues can be added at a later date.

The sacrifices of our armed forces and their families are something we are acutely aware of in the highlands where the British armed forces retain an important presence.

Last week 150 families had the joy of welcoming their loved ones home safely from Afghanistan to RAF Lossiemouth.

 

And just recently I was privileged to meet some of our soldiers from the Black Watch who were returning to the UK after completing a seven month tour of duty in which 23 of their colleagues made the ultimate sacrifice.

 

For me it was a touching, and timely, reminder that many British families still live with the daily threat posed by that conflict.

 

As we pay our respects this weekend to all those who have served our country in past conflicts we should take time to think of those serving now and who will do so in future.