Views

Rising fuel prices will hit many - for The Inverness Courier

The government's paltry fuel poverty plan will make little difference to them. The idea of spending the energy companies' windfall profits on better home insulation is the right one, first put forward in the House of Commons by Nick Clegg.

But a much greater chunk of the £9 billion these firms have received should be taken.

A proportion of that money could then have been used to give direct relief today.

The lion's share would still be used to make people's homes cheaper to heat. Instead, the timid government has done little — and windfalls from rising energy prices to both UK and Scottish governments are sitting in the coffers.When Parliament returns next week I will be raising the plight of people who use oil to heat their homes. Heating oil has seen the largest rise in price.

Some suppliers are taking their responsibilities to vulnerable customers seriously. Measures such as spreading payments, guaranteeing minimum deliveries so no one runs out of fuel will all help.

But there is a real possibility that this could happen to some people who simply do not have the money to pay for their tank to be filled.

I want to see the government step in to ensure that the domestic oil market is brought under the ambit of Consumer Focus, the new watchdog for energy users, to afford some protection.

TRANSPORT HAZE

The confusion and delay surrounding the Scottish government's approach to funding transport infrastructure in the Highlands is worrying for those who believe investment in projects such as the Inverness trunk road link is essential.

The strategic transport projects review — the process through which these decisions are to be taken — has been awaited for 18 months now.

The outcome was promised last month but there have been further delays.

It is not clear whether one minister last week was trying to be helpful by drawing a link between this and a national planning review, but the consequence has been to sow confusion. I fully expect the government will continue the process of investment in improvements to the A9. But I hope it agrees to provide the necessary funding for the trunk road link.

This road is essential to free-flowing transport in our growing city, to ensuring better links between the key trunk roads and, critically, to opening up the site for the proposed new University of the Highlands and Islands campus at Beechwood.

The TLR is of such importance to our area that it is right to call on central funds to pay for it.

The huge response to campaigns by The Inverness Courier and local Liberal Democrats shows the value people attach it.

Posted on: 07/10/2008