SNP VOW TO FIGHT FOR HEBRIDES JOBS AT UK GOVERNMENT SUMMIT

SNP VOW TO FIGHT FOR HEBRIDES JOBS AT UK GOVERNMENT SUMMIT

CONSULTATION PERIOD MUST BE EXTENDED

SNP MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Angus MacNeil, today (Wednesday) welcomed Comhairle nan Eilean Siar councillors, local landowners and officials from Highlands and Islands Enterprise to London. The delegation has travelled down to meet with representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Scotland Office to discuss the closure of the Hebrides Range.

The summit follows the decision by the Ministry of Defence and contractor QinetiQ to massively scale down operations at the weapons testing facility with the loss of 125 jobs on the Uists and Benbecula.

Commenting before a meeting, Mr MacNeil said:

“The impact of the loss of 125 jobs on my constituency cannot be overstated. These Labour cuts could prove disastrous for the Western Isles economy and it is vital that the decision to close the Hebrides Range is reversed. Together with Scottish Government colleagues in Edinburgh, SNP parliamentarians have been working towards that end.

“Finance Secretary John Swinney MSP has already indicated the Scottish Government is committed to finding alternative solutions and protecting these jobs. It is time the UK Government showed similar commitment.

“To give Uist a fighting chance it is vital that London’s Scotland Office and the Ministry of Defence deliver, at the very least, a 90 day period for consultation to give HIE and other key agencies time to win the argument on the technical superiority of the Hebrides Range.

“Furthermore, given that the UK Government has funded studies used to justify the job loss decision, they should also commission an independent analysis to ensure the world class facility is not lost to Scotland, the UK and to our European partners.”