INVERNESS-GATWICK LINK ESSENTIAL FOR INVESTMENT
November 6, 2001 12:00 AM
Speaking last week in a Commons debate on Regional Air Services, Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross MP John Thurso underlined the importance of secure air links to the Far North. "For peripheral areas in particular", he said "far from the centre, strong air links are vital to the effort to boost inward investment and bring in new jobs."
The comments were made in advance of a meeting John Thurso had last Thursday with Transport Minister, David Jamieson MP, to argue the case for imposing a Public Service Obligation (PSO) on the Inverness-Gatwick link. The Minister received a pan-Highland delegation comprising MPs John Thurso and David Stewart, representatives of the Highland Council, HIE and business interests, including John Banister, Chairman of Caithness and Sutherland Chamber of Commerce.
Commenting after the meeting, John Thurso said:
"The Minister was receptive to the strong argument in favour of a PSO for the Inverness-Gatwick link. He said that he "heard what we had to say very loudly". There are a number of criteria against which the application must be measured but the Minister acknowledged the uncertainty and gave an assurance that the matter would be dealt with as expeditiously as possible.
I left the Minister in doubt about the significance of good communications to our area: without the air transport link Madonna would not have come to Skibo and Dornoch. Many of those visiting our sporting estates come from abroad. They return on a regular basis because the Inverness-Gatwick link provides an extensive range of international connections. The more we strengthen this link the greater our opportunity to extend the economic base of the county and the greater our ability to attract new manufacturing enterprise to the area."
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats