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West Highland Free Press | Friday 20 March 2015

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BRIAN WILSON

Controversial Plockton house

plans to be studied by council

We used to hear a lot, most of it

bad, about the Private Finance
Initiative (PFI) and its alter ego,
Public Private Partnerships (PPP)
to the point at which it became
received wisdom that these were
iniquitous schemes, designed to
exploit the public purse for vast
private profit.
I never bought into that blanket
condemnation. In fact, I strongly
supported the use of PPPs to fund, for
example, new schools when Labour
was elected in 1997 and found an
urgent need for a massive building
programme far beyond the means of
conventional public procurement.
Many communities benefited hugely
from the approach taken.
Critics liked to play off the life-time
costs of PPP against the price of
paying a contractor up-front. The
comparison was, of course, oversimplistic because it did not take
account of what the taxpayer, local
and national, has long had to stump up
for, decade after decade, once the
jerry-builders walked away or went
bust. There were a few prime local
examples of that.
Each PFI/PPP deserved to be judged
on the merits of the specific deal
negotiated. For that to happen, there
needs to be transparency. There is a
public right to know the terms of these
contracts including the key question
of where responsibility lies for repairs
once the shine has worn off and roofs
start to leak.
That is all by way of preamble to the
fact that, unknown to most of the West
Highlands and Islands, a massive new
PFI/PPP has, quite literally, sailed into
our midst. For the first time in
Caledonian MacBrayne history, a
vessel bearing the companys livery is
not owned by the public sector but by
Lloyds Banking Group. The Loch
Seaforth is leased to Caledonian
Maritime Assets Ltd and sub-leased to
CalMac.
The implications may prove to be
relatively minor or extremely major. I
do not take the Loch Seaforths early
glitches too seriously. But if, at some
future point, small irritations give way
to large problems, where does
responsibility lie for remedying them?
The absolute certainty is that the SNPrun Scottish Government once the
holier-than-thou scourges of PFI/PPP have absolutely no intention of telling
us.
In response to Free Press inquiries
about the terms of the leasing deal, the
answer was: The MV Loch Seaforth
was purchased and financed by Lloyds
Banking Group whose financial
arrangements with the shipyard are
commercially confidential The
responsibility
for
day-to-day
maintenance of the MV Loch Seaforth
rests with the operator, CalMac Ferries
Ltd. It is an answer designed only to
evade.
Nobody asked about the financial
arrangements between the shipyard
and Lloyds Banking Group. And
neither, frankly, is day-to-day
maintenance the big issue. The real
question involves the leasing charges
which CalMac, via CMAL, must pay
to Lloyds Bank and over what period?
They will not say. And what do these
charges cover, if and when things go
wrong? Again, the SNP government
will
not
say.
Commercial
confidentiality, dear boy.

BY LISA FALCONER
lisa.falconer@whfp.co.uk

Plans to build two new homes in

Plockton which would rob the
primary school of a playground
will be considered by Highland
Council shortly.
The application by the Trustees of
the Church of Scotland seeks
permission for two semi-detached
cottages, an access road, turning area
and parking for four vehicles in the
garden of the Old Manse, Innes St.
The site is encircled by the church,

manse and a wall, all of which were

designed by Thomas Telford and are
listed buildings sitting within the
conservation area of Plockton. An
additional application to take down
four metres of the stone wall to allow
access has also been submitted.
The plans are the latest to be
submitted by the Trustees of the
Church of Scotland for the site. Their
original application in 2012 sought
permission for four houses but
attracted widespread objection and
was subsequently dropped.
In
the
current
planning
application, which was submitted

last year, the site is described as

surplus to requirements and one
which could be put to better use by
providing housing preferably for
retired persons from Plockton.
In addition to being one of the few
green spaces in Plockton, the site has
been used by Plockton Primary
School for sports, recreation and
environmental studies since 1917
and the community also make use of
it for various events. Upkeep of the
land is paid for by the JT Nicolson
Discretionary Trust, with the
Nicolson family having leased the
site for over 60 years. The trust also

own the manse and part of the glebe

land.
Over 20 objections to the plans
have been submitted, citing loss of
open space, road safety and access,
the impact on the historic buildings,
and fears the houses will become
holiday homes.
Among those objecting are the
Plockton Primary School Parent
Council, who said visibility
approaching the primary school is
already very poor; adding a junction
will make this road even more
dangerous for children arriving and
leaving the school.

Barra Youth
Cafe awarded
Lottery funds

Photograph: WILLIE URQUHART

writes

I took a look at the CalMac accounts

which reveal another little known
figure. They are already paying 22.5
million a year to CMAL in leasing
charges. That is before the Loch
Seaforth which, we can reasonably
assume, will add another 5 million or
so a year, in order to fund the
expectations of Lloyds Bank investors.
All of this money comes out of the
CalMac subsidy, so that boasts about
increases in that figure are wildly
misleading.
With over 27 million of taxpayers
money spent on alterations to the two
ferry terminals, 42 million as the
headline cost of a ferry which will
certainly rack up two or three times
that cost over the period of the lease,
and millions more resulting from
delays, the sums involved in
introducing the Loch Seaforth are
already eye-watering. But there is
absolutely no transparency about what
has been agreed or what lies ahead. It
might be the worst PFI/PPP deal in
history but it is a secret.
The frightening point is that CalMac
are now powerless to influence these
events. They had nothing to do with
commissioning the vessel. They do not
own it. They have no responsibility for
the terminals or the delays which
inflicted both costs to be met from
subsidy and reputational damage.
The structure created to facilitate
privatisation has left CalMac as mere
operators at the mercy of others.
Who negotiated the PFI/PPP, call it
what you will, with the Lloyds
Banking Group? Which politicians
looking for votes in the West
Highlands and Islands will support the
call for full transparency over the terms
of that agreement? Is there any of
Holyroods feeble committees which
will
investigate
this
whole
transformation in how west coast ferry
services are structured and funded?
Does anyone there care about value for
money?
Meanwhile, last Fridays Press and
Journal carried the heading SNP
Minister defends states ferry
services. At first sight, it looked like
standard political knockabout. On
closer inspection, the story contained
an extremely important sentence
attributed to Mr Mackay: Let me be
clear on this point, the Clyde and
Hebrides ferry services will remain
under public control through Scottish
ministers for the term of the next
contract and will not be privatised.
The significance lies in the fact that
Mr Mackay seeks to define
privatisation in a way that nobody else
does and the SNP certainly has not
done until now. Given that he has just
launched a tendering process, Mr
Mackay obviously cannot be
announcing that a private company is
not going to win it. And 99 per cent of
the population would say that, if a
private company does win it, that
would mean privatisation.
Mr Mackay (or, more accurately, the
civil servant who provided him with
this formulation) is getting his
casuistry in first. Privatisation,
according to this new doctrine, no
longer describes who is running a
public service but who sets the terms
under which it is run. On that basis, the
railways to take just one obvious
example have never been privatised
since they too operate under the terms
of public contracts.
So if Serco displace CalMac next
year, then proceed to attack the terms
and conditions of the workforce, and
generally behave as private companies
tend to when maximisation of profit is
their objective, are we all to take
comfort from Mr Mackays weasel
words The services will not be
privatised because they remain
under public control through Scottish
ministers?
For anyone who did not believe
until now what they are up to, Mr
Mackays redefinition of what does
and does not constitute privatisation
should lift scales from their eyes. In
todays Scotland, there will be plenty
so blind that they have absolutely no
wish to see. Neither will they question
why the MV Loch Seaforth is a
money-making machine for Lloyds
Bank, on terms that are totally
unknown to communities which must
now depend on the service it provides.

Barra Youth Cafe have been

awarded 10,000 from the Big
Lottery Fund to conduct a
feasibility study and secure land
for new sports facilities for the
community of Barra and
Vatersay.
Part of the funding will be used to
complete a feasibility study which
will identify a site for the
development,
investigate
the
sustainability of the project, gain
specialist
advice
on
the
environmental impact of the project
and draw up a business plan.
The rest of the funding will
investigate requirements for land
lease or purchase and to produce
technical drawings for the proposed
development.
To that end, the cafe are looking
for a person to complete the
feasibility study. The funding they
have set aside for completing this
work is 2,000.
The successful applicant must be
computer literate and have
experience of research work and
conducting feasibility studies. Work
needs to be completed by June 2015.
Anyone interested should submit
a letter of interest outlining their
experience and why they are suitable
for this work to Katiedenehy@cnesiar.gov.uk or phone Katie Denehy
on 01871 810443.

Isles MSP keen

to promote sign
languages
Western Isles MSP Alasdair
Allan this week appeared in front
of the Scottish Parliaments
education and culture committee
to help promote legislation to
support the use of British Sign
Language.
Dr Allan was giving evidence on
the Scottish Governments response
to the British Sign Language
Members Bill being put forward by
Mark Griffin MSP.
I know from meeting with the
deaf community in the Western Isles
that there is a great unmet need when
it comes to the provision of services
through sign language, he said.
The Scottish Government has done
a lot to help change this by
supporting services like Stornoways
Sensory Centre, which helps deaf
people access many of the public
services we take for granted.
However, there is clearly a lot
more that needs to be done. As
Languages Minister I will continue
to work with other MSPs to ensure
that an increase in the status of
British Sign Language becomes law.
I also hope to get a chance to meet
with deaf constituents in the islands
to seek their views on this legislation
and how it can be improved.

A Give and Take day was held in the Skeabost Memorial Hall on Skye last Saturday as part of the national
Give it Away week. Everyone attending the event in the hall cafe had the opportunity to give away unwanted
items and then, if someone elses donation caught their eye, they could take that away. The cafe which is
open from Tuesday to Saturday, and provides revenue for ongoing maintenance of the hall had a busy day.
Jacqui Murchison from the hall committee and Sandra Bain from the cafe are pictured getting organised for
the days proceedings.

London banking scandal to

benefit mountain rescue
The London banking scandal is
to benefit Scottish mountain
rescue teams, with 60,000 paid
in fines being awarded to the
sector.
Police Scotland have secured
money released by the Government
from the London Interbank Offered
Rate fines, in recognition of the
valuable role volunteers from all
walks of life play in responding to
incidents.
In October 2014, HM Treasury
announced that the UK Government
was allocating nearly 10million
sourced from the Libor fines to help
support
emergency
services
personnel.
The extra funding doubles Police
Scotlands support for Scottish
Mountain Rescue in 2014/15, and
was welcomed by Assistant Chief
Constable Bernard Higgins, lead
officer
for
Police
Scotland
operational support. He said:
Mountain rescue teams perform a
vital task in helping to keep people
safe in Scotlands incredible outdoor
environment.
They work closely alongside the
emergency services and other
response agencies such as the
military and often operate in the most
difficult of conditions on the
toughest terrain in the country.
While thousands of people take
to that terrain in the pursuit of leisure
and enjoyment, the mountain rescue

team members are all too often called

upon, at a moments notice, when
things go wrong. They are an
excellent example of dedicated and
highly-skilled volunteers who
perform a valuable public service.
The additional funding recognises
that service.
Figures from Scottish Mountain
Rescue show that, during 2013, there
were 586 mountain rescue incidents
and 55 fatalities, including eight
relating to avalanche incidents.
Assistance was provided to a
total of 721 people 232 of

whom were injured.

Simon Steer, chair of Scottish
Mountain Resue, said: We are
delighted that Police Scotland has
secured this funding for Scotlands
mountain rescue teams. Our
voluntary mountain rescue teams
provide a world class service, free at
the point of delivery, that is available
any day, at any time and in any
weather. Our teams are, however,
increasingly stretched as the number
of incidents we respond to has
increased,
whilst
fundraising
becomes ever more challenging.

LibDems select
isles candidate
The Liberal Democrats have
selected their Western Isles
candidate for the forthcoming
Westminster Election. He is
Ruaraidh Ferguson from Tong in
Lewis.
Mr Ferguson, originally from the
Scottish Borders, moved to the
island in 1989 and stood for the
LibDems in the 2007 Holyrood
election.
Much of the party manifestos on
offer for this election will be largely

irrelevant to the constituents of the

Western Isles and Scotland, as the
elected MP will have no direct vote
in Westminster on the health,
transport and education issues
effecting the Western Isles and
Scotland, he said.
These along with many other
matters are quite rightly the
devolved responsibility of the
Scottish Government in Edinburgh,
yet surprisingly seem to have
formed most of the current islands
debate on the forthcoming election.