Fraserburgh fishing boat lost

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Humber Coastguard reported earlier today that it was coordinating the search for the missing skipper and four crew of the trawler, ‘Ocean Way’. The trawler, was last heard from about 100 miles east of the Farne Islands.

The emergency beacon from the vessel began transmitting earlier today and the Coastguard tried to contact the skipper. They also broadcast mayday relay messages which have been requesting all shipping to look out for the missing crew.

An RAF rescue helicopter went to the scene and two people were found alive in the water and winched to safety. The Norwegian helicopter Rescue 1 was due to arrive on scene to relieve the RAF rescue helicopter.

Earlier today Mike Puplett, Humber Coastguard Watch Manager said

“We will continue searching as long as necessary. We still have the benefit of  daylight and fairly favourable weather conditions for searching.”

This evening the latest news from the Marine and Coastguard Agency is that an RAF search and rescue helicopter is continuing to search for the other two crew members.

Commenting on the loss of The Ocean Way, Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead said:

“I am very sorry to hear about the loss of the Fraserburgh registered fishing vessel The Ocean Way that has tragically resulted in fatalities. This is a terrible tragedy and my thoughts are with the loved ones and friends of the crew. This tragedy will be felt by all fishing communities and is a horrible reminder of the dangers our fishermen face day in day out to bring fish to our tables with many paying the ultimate sacrifice. I would like to pay tribute to all the personnel involved in the rescue operation.”

New boss for NHS Grampian

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Malcolm Wright OBE has been appointed as the interim Chief Executive of NHS Grampian.

Mr Wright, who has 39 years of experience of working in the NHS including a range of senior management posts in both Scotland and England, will take over from Richard Carey in early December 2014.

Richard Carey announced his decision to take early retirement from the board after serving the NHS for 33 years.

Announcing the appointment Health Secretary Alex Neil said:
“I am delighted that Malcolm will be taking on this vital role at the heart of NHS Grampian.

“I would also like to thank Richard Carey for the years of dedicated service he has provided to NHS Scotland and wish him well for the future.

“Malcolm has pursued a distinguished career across the NHS, within Scotland and the UK, and has earned a well-deserved reputation for excellence among clinical leaders and management alike.

“His accomplishments include a proven track record of turning around challenging times for the organisations he has led – such as steering the Western Isles Health Board through difficulties in 2006.

“With such a wealth of experience and commitment I believe that Malcolm will lead NHS Grampian with fresh energy and renewed vision.

“An immediate priority will be responding to and taking forward any recommendations from the review of care being undertaken by Healthcare Improvement Scotland at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. The Scottish Government will work closely with the board on these issues, just as we have done in the past.

“For example, under this government, NHS Grampian has seen its frontline funding steadily increase. In 2006/07 the board received 9.1 per cent of the total revenue funding for health territorial boards – this has increased to 9.6 per cent in 2015/16.

“The board has been funded above the national average rate for 8 of the last 9 years which means that NHS Grampian now receives over £229 million more in revenue funding than when this government came to office.”

Mr Wright said:

“I am delighted and honoured to be asked to take on the role of Interim Chief Executive at NHS Grampian.

“I am very much looking forward to working with the board, clinical staff and partner organisations to support and develop NHS Grampian.

“Quality of care and achieving best outcomes for patients, as well as supporting all staff will be key priorities for me and for the leadership team in NHS Grampian.

“I would also like to pay tribute to the work of my predecessor Richard Carey. I wish him well for the future.”

Mr Wright has been appointed on an interim basis through secondment from NHS Education for Scotland. The position of new chief executive will be advertised by the end of the year and filled through open competition.

The Scottish Government has protected NHS Grampian’s frontline budget, which has increased by £229.2 million since 2007 and will increase by 4.4 per cent to £812.6 million for 2015-16, both above inflation and the largest increase of any Scottish health board.

The number of staff working in NHS Grampian has also increased 3.6 per cent since 2006.

Housing for NHS Staff

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Craiginches site is to be developed into homes for key workers.

Key public sector workers, including NHS staff, are set to benefit from new homes developed on the Craiginches site in Aberdeen, under new plans announced by Health Secretary Alex Neil announced today.

The proposals will see the site of the former prison sold to Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association who will transform it into houses with the help of Scottish Government funding.

This will include various forms of affordable housing targeted at key workers, in particular NHS workers, as part of a pilot scheme being developed that will ensure important public servants are provided with the opportunity to access the new homes.

Working in partnership with Aberdeen City Council, Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association and NHS Grampian, the Scottish Government will now take forward detailed development of the plans.

Mr Neil said:

“There are record levels of staff working in our NHS – more nurses and doctors than ever before.

“But, while we have supported this unprecedented recruitment by boards across Scotland, we know that some local areas like the North East have experienced difficulties attracting staff.

“We need to think creatively and flexibly about helping where we can – which is exactly what today’s announcement is all about.

“Finding affordable housing in Aberdeen in particular has been noted as an issue that is causing difficulties in the recruitment and retention of staff. We hope these new homes will help NHS staff and other key workers find a place to live, so they can make a vital contribution to our public services.

“We will now take forward the plans with partners and draw up a key workers policy to ensure these homes are targeted at the public service workers who really need them.

“This will go alongside our substantial affordable housing programme, which is providing new homes for people not just in Aberdeen, but across Scotland.

“Despite these considerable challenges to our budget, we plan to spend over £1.7 billion to deliver our target of 30,000 affordable homes during the lifetime of this Parliament, supporting an estimated 8,000 jobs each year.”

Dr Annie Ingram, Director of Workforce at NHS Grampian said:

“This is a very welcome initiative. Finding affordable housing in the Aberdeen area is a real challenge for our staff and can be a real disincentive to staff who want to work for NHS Grampian, but cannot afford to relocate to the area. We look forward to working with our partners to develop these plans.”

Aberdeen City Council leader Councillor Jenny Laing added:

“I recently met with Finance Secretary John Swinney and we agreed that the supply of affordable housing in Aberdeen was a key priority for the Council and the Scottish Government. We welcome the announcement, especially given it comes the day after the Council approved an early action investment programme to bring forward our own affordable housing plans.”

Commonwealth Water Polo Championships this week

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THOUSANDS SET TO FLOCK TO WORLD CLASS AQUATICS CENTRE FOR
COMMONWEALTH LAUNCH EVENT

Prior to the public opening on 5 May, Aberdeen Sports Village (ASV) is hosting the third Commonwealth Water Polo Championships at the newly completed £22million, world-class Aquatics Centre this week.

The event is sponsored by BP and Waterfly, and supported by Aberdeen Sports Village, Aberdeen City Council, Homecoming Scotland, Commonwealth Games Scotland, Scottish Swimming and British Swimming.

The competition, running from tomorrow until 12 April, marks the inaugural event at the first-class facility, and is predicted to draw more than 7,000 visitors across the eight days.

David Beattie, Chief Executive of ASV said: “We are thrilled the Aquatics Centre is complete and are delighted that we are able to host such a high profile competition as our first event. It will truly showcase our ability to accommodate such a prestigious occasion, and a great chance for the people of the North East to enjoy a Commonwealth Games Federation endorsed event in the heart of the city.”

“ASV has worked closely with all partners during each phase of the building process and securing high calibre competitions such as this goes to highlight the capabilities of the Centre. The Centre will prove to be a fantastic facility for the people of the North East, and we look forward to attracting many more international competitions.”

Forbes Dunlop, CEO of Scottish Swimming, said: “Scottish Swimming, as the governing body for all aquatic sports in Scotland, is looking forward to welcoming eight Commonwealth Nations to this world-class facility in Aberdeen. We are delighted that the event has the full endorsement from the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Scotland. Commonwealth Games Scotland support also includes investment towards the cost of the event.”

As part of the Homecoming 2014 celebrations the competition will also be streamed live on 11 and 12 April at the Scottish Swimming website and will feature the eight challenging nations. Seven men’s and five women’s teams will compete at the new Aquatics Centre ahead of its official public opening on 5 May 2014.

Mr Beattie continued: “The Aquatics Centre will officially open in a month’s time, which gives us the opportunity to go through the snagging phase, commonplace in every new development. During this period we will be working hard to ensure staff are trained to the highest standard, and carry out further test events to guarantee the Centre is 100% ready for the eager public to enjoy the impressive facilities early next month.”

The Aquatics Centre will be one of only two Olympic standard aquatics facilities in Scotland, making it a real asset to the people of Aberdeen and the North East.

The Championships follow the successful events held in Manchester in 2002 and Perth, Australia in 2006. Scotland, England, Wales, South Africa, Singapore, New Zealand and Malta will be represented in the men’s competition, while the women’s competition will welcome Scotland, Canada, England, Wales and South Africa.

Scottish water polo player Mark Speed, part of the 13 player-strong Scottish Men’s Team competing is looking forward to such a high-profile event to accelerate the development of water polo in Scotland.

Mark said: “With the Commonwealth Games only four months away, the excitement and buzz around these Championships is fantastic. Being the first to experience and compete in such a world class facility as the Aquatics Centre is a fantastic honour. It really is an Olympic standard facility, and is a great addition to the city.”

Ken Fussell, Chair of Scottish Water Polo and Championship Director said: “This is a tremendous boost for the sport in Scotland, showcasing some of the world’s best water polo players. The Aquatics Centre is a fantastic centre of excellence, and will help hone the impressive local talent to reach their true potential.

“All stakeholders have invested significantly in these Championships and we’re delighted with the fantastic interest from the public to be part of such an exciting event. It truly is a milestone in further establishing the sport in the Commonwealth Games programme in the future.”

Remaining tickets can still be reserved here, where the tickets for the finals on 12 March can be purchased for £5/£3. More information about the event can be found on the Scottish Swimming website and the event can also be followed on social media with the hashtag #cwpc2014.

Heart of Midlothian v Tynecastle

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EdinReport HvA-1

 

Heart of Midlothian 1 Aberdeen 1

SPFL, Wednesday 2 April 2014 – Tynecastle

Like a champion boxer knocked to the canvas but crawling back up the ropes for one last punch, Hearts refuse to accept the inevitably that is relegation without putting up one hell of a fight. Having thwarted their city rivals and spoiled the ‘relegation party’ by defeating Hibernian on Sunday, Hearts refused to let even a numerical disadvantage get the better of them by storming back for a well-deserved draw against high-flying Aberdeen at Tynecastle on Wednesday evening.

The consensus was that, while taking great delight in denying Hibernian the opportunity to demote them, Hearts plight was irretrievable and defeat from a team who lifted the League Cup a couple of weeks ago would confirm relegation. When the Dons took the lead in the second half and Hearts skipper Danny Wilson was sent off, it seemed that was that. However, there is no team in Scotland with more spirit than Gary Locke’s Hearts and, like they did in August, they denied Aberdeen victory with a late goal and one that means the Boys in Maroon are still clinging on to the lifejacket tossed from SS Relegation.

One of the heroes from Sunday’s Edinburgh derby victory – Dale Carrick – was injured meaning on-loan striker Paul McCallum was leading the line.

Aberdeen took a sizeable travelling support to Scotland’s capital city and the Dons wasted little time in posting their intentions. After just five minutes, good play from Pawlett set up McGinn who brought out a fine save from Hearts keeper Jamie MacDonald. The ever-dangerous Rooney then got away from his marker only to be thwarted by the Hearts keeper before McGinn followed up his blocked free-kick with an effort from 20 yards which went perilously close. It was all Aberdeen in the first half although their fine play seemed to lack a cutting edge. They almost paid for this just before half-time when Ryan Stevenson failed to connect properly with David Smith’s cross and a rare chance for the home side was lost. Right on half-time, Paul McCallum had the ball in the Aberdeen net but his challenge on Dons keeper Langfield was deemed illegal by referee Kevin Clancy and the Englishman received a booking for his trouble. Perhaps if he had been a Rangers player the goal would have stood, bearing in mind the Ibrox side scored from a similar situation against Albion Rovers in the Scottish Cup a few weeks back.

McCallum was replaced by Scott Robinson at half-time with both sides looking to make the breakthrough after an entertaining but ultimately goalless first half. The change seemed to energise Hearts with Stevenson and Smith both having ambitious efforts on goal. Midway through the second half, Hearts almost took the lead. A superb pass from Jason Holt found Calum Paterson on the right. The big man surged past two Dons defenders before firing in a ferocious shot from more than 20 yards which Dons keeper Langfield did well to save.

Hearts were now in the ascendency and for the first time in the evening it was the Dons who were on the back foot. However, with 20 minutes to go, Hearts were deflated when captain Danny Wilson pulled back a Dons player on the edge of the penalty box and received his second yellow card of the evening. An early bath for the skipper and things went from bad to worse for the home side when Flood fired home the resultant free-kick to give the Dons the lead, much to the delight of the travelling support in the Roseburn Stand.

Hearts though, as so often this season, refused to throw in the towel. With seven minutes left they were handed the chance on a plate to equalise when Ryan Stevenson pounced on an error from the Dons defence in the penalty area but, with an open goal to aim at, the former Ayr United player failed to hit the target. Stevenson fell to the ground with his head in his hands and the home support wailed in anguish. That seemed to be the final nail in Hearts relegation coffin. However, this battling Hearts team had other ideas.

With just four minutes to go, the tireless Calum Paterson ran through the Aberdeen defence only to be brought down by Logan in the penalty box. Penalty said the referee and Jamie Hamill, who had driven his team on all night, coolly sent the ball past Langfield to give Hearts a deserved share of the spoils.

The atmosphere at the end of the game was one of high emotion. Hearts aren’t relegated yet – but they can only match St. Mirren’s 28 points. Gary Locke’s side must win all of their six remaining games while praying the Paisley Saints lose all of theirs. As Locke said in the programme prior to the game this isn’t going to happen. But Hearts are at least going down fighting.

Locke was proud of his players afterwards. “First half I thought Aberdeen played well” said the manager. “I felt we had to make the change at half-time to get ourselves back in the game because we weren’t getting enough of the ball. But, credit to the boys again. I thought they were absolutely brilliant, every one of them.

“While we’ve got Partick Thistle on Saturday, the main focus for the club is Monday.”

Locke was referring to the potentially crucial creditors meeting between Ukio Bankas and UBIG, where it is hoped a deal will be agreed to save Hearts from liquidation. Locke, like every other Hearts fan, is keeping his fingers crossed. “We just hope that we can get a good result Saturday, then Monday’s the big day for us and hopefully all goes well there as well,”

Hearts: MacDonald; Paterson, McGowan, Wilson, McHattie; Hamill, Stevenson, Holt; Smith, McCallum, Nicholson

Aberdeen: Langfield, Logan, Anderson, Reynolds, Considine, Jack, Flood, Robson, Pawlett, Rooney, McGinn.

Referee: Kevin Clancy

Att: 13,913

Top man: Jamie Hamill – he may not be the most gifted of footballers but no one can beat his sheer drive and determination.

Aberdeen firm fined for health and safety breach

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An Aberdeen-based demolition firm has been fined for safety failings after a worker was seriously injured by falling cast iron guttering.

Valentin Taljanov, 61, broke his right arm, seven ribs, and a vertebra; punctured his lung and cut his head in the incident at disused buildings at Aberdeen Harbour on 16 July 2009.

His employer, Lawrie [Demolition] Limited, was prosecuted after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Crown Office Health and Safety Division.

Peterhead Sheriff Court heard that Mr Taljanov, along with colleagues, was working in the vicinity of a substantial piece of cast iron guttering that had been left unsupported for two days at roof height during the demolition of old offices and warehousing at the former Craig Group Buildings at the harbour. Mr Taljanov was moving roofing materials from a platform onto the ground when the guttering gave way and struck him.

After the event one witness expressed surprise that the guttering had stayed up as long as it did.

The HSE investigation found that Lawrie [Demolition] Limited failed to put in place a suitable system to identify hazards that might arise as works progressed, and failed to adequately plan and implement exclusion zones in areas where materials could fall.

Lawrie [Demolition] Limited, of Rigifa, Cove, Aberdeen, was fined £40,000 after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 29 of The Construction [Design and Management] Regulations 2007. Following the case, HSE Inspector Liz Hunter, said:

“This incident was wholly preventable by taking down the guttering in one go and it was probably only Mr Taljanov’s hard hat that prevented him from being killed.

“Lawrie (Demolition) Limited failed to review the constantly changing risks that are created during demolition work. Exclusion zones were not enforced to keep staff out of areas where materials could fall, despite there being two supervisors on site and regular site visits by management. I want demolition firms to learn from this incident. There is no room for complacency and regular risk reviews are essential for site safety.”

Lawrie [Demolition] Limited are part of the Leiths Group that operates quarries, road re-surfacing and plant hire companies in the north east of Scotland.

For more information about safe construction work visit this website.

Aberdeen Council to reject multi-million offer

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KevinStewartMSP20110507Commenting on the report on the BBC that the offer of a £50 million gift by businessman Sir Ian Wood to assist in the redevelopment of Aberdeen city centre – which was on the table until the end of the year to help fund a “transformational” project – is set to be rejected by the Labour/Tory council administration, SNP MSP for Aberdeen Central Kevin Stewart said:

“This is extraordinarily inept behaviour, and the Labour/Tory council coalition should apologise to the people of Aberdeen. They have let local people down, and a golden opportunity for Aberdeen has been missed.

“The Council had an obligation to work with Sir Ian to ensure that the £50 million was used wisely to invest in positive change for the city centre – but they have squandered the chance, ignored a referendum vote by local people, and ended up with nothing for Aberdeen.”

Report on policing shows decrease in youth crime

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A report on the work of police forces across Scotland before they joined together to form Police Scotland suggests that confidence and satisfaction in police is high, detection rates are up and crime continued to fall sharply in 2012-13.

The Scottish Policing Performance Framework Annual Report, 2012-13 covers all aspects of policing in Scotland over the year to 31 March 2013. While the government admit that comparisons over time depend on the data available, they say that main findings show:

 

  • Detected youth crime is down by 52 per cent since 2008-09
  • Confidence in police is high and public satisfaction levels are at 84 per cent
  • Detection rates are up 3 percentage points since the report began in 2007-08
  • Police complaints are down 8.3 per cent since 2009-10
  • The number of 999 calls answered within 10 seconds are up 5 percentage points since 2007-08

 

Commenting on the report, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:-“This report shows that police are continuing to exceed expectations while working hard to cut crime and keep our communities safe.

“Public confidence and satisfaction in police is high and the number of emergency calls answered promptly is continuing to rise, while detection rates are up and complaints are down. It is especially encouraging to see significant decreases in crimes which can have a negative impact on communities such as youth offending – down by over half since 2008-09.

“This is backed by the lowest rates of recorded crime in almost 40 years and over 1,000 extra officers in communities, coming at a time of the biggest changes to policing for a generation.

“I would like to thank the police service, including officers, staff and organisations for their continued dedication to keeping communities safe and for providing an even better service to our people while making efficiencies in the face of significant financial challenges we continue to face due to budget cuts imposed by Westminster. These are strong foundations for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority to build on in the future.”

Vic Emery, Chair of the Scottish Police Authority, said:-“It was a top priority for the SPA to ensure that there was a smooth transition to the new police structures and this report adds to the weight of evidence that the public continued to receive a quality policing service through the merger. Our focus now is on the next phase of reforms. Scrutinising the results of how police time and resources are used is vital so that we can ensure that police priorities and performance are aligned, and that we continue to test the quality of policing outcomes against the necessary reductions in cost that must be made.”

Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick of Police Scotland said: -“We want communities to gain the maximum level of service and benefit from effective and efficient policing. That’s why Police Scotland has a robust focus on strong performance – to keep people safe.

“Through consultation across the country, Police Scotland has identified national and local priorities which recognise the differing needs and issue of communities across Scotland and we are committed to delivering on those priorities through the 14 Local Divisions.

“The service is already performing well at a national level in its first year, with violent crime down, and robust action against organised crime groups. This strong performance can also be seen at a local level, with reductions in anti-social behaviour and disorder.

“The performance framework enables us to be confident that each individual division is making good progress against those all those priorities and to report back to communities at a local level. This is a year of changing processes and new ways of working against a backdrop of financial savings, so the performance to date is encouraging.”

Top casinos… one is in Aberdeen…..

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geograph-2401681-by-Thomas-Nugent

Scotland’s Top casinos

Genting Casino, Leith

Described as less focused on glamour but also a friendly casino, particularly for novices, this guarantees the best night out in Leith. Friendly dealers are more than happy to chat to you and help you understand the games, so it doesn’t matter how experienced you are.

There’s a smart casual dress code and a very relaxed vibe. The usual table games, including poker, roulette and slots are on offer and there are also great seasonal promotions so if you’re visiting over Christmas or New Year you could be in for a treat.

If you’re heading to Scotland on holiday and you’d like to have a bit of gamble while you’re there then you’re in luck. Along with the fantastic scenery, varied and vibrant cities and all round excellent experience tourists have when they go to Bonnie Scotland, there are plenty of great casinos around as well.

Edinburgh Maybury Casino, Edinburgh

This is also a small casino but hugely popular with the locals. It offers a limited number, but high quality, slot machines and 12 live gaming tables, so there is plenty going on at all times. You can play poker, blackjack and roulette and there are cash tables for Texas hold ‘em which makes the casino popular with poker lovers. You can also enjoy playing or watching poker tournaments, which is always great fun. Slots are available from midday till 5am and the live games during the same timeframe and you can start playing cash poker at 8pm.

 

The Alea, Glasgow

This is owned by Caesars Entertainment and as you’d expect brings a touch of Vegas glamour to Scotland’s second city. It’s billed as an elegant, ultra modern casino and that’s exactly what it is. No seediness here, just glitz, glam and a great night out.

 

You can game every day of the week from 2 in the afternoon to 6 the next morning and there are plenty of bars and restaurants for when you need a break from the tables. Book out the VIP gaming room or just hit the main tables, whichever you prefer. There are also lots of different packages for parties if you want to book a very special stag do or hen night, for example.

 

A wide range of games including blackjack, poker and roulette means there’s something for everyone. Entry is free and you don’t have to become a member, so you can just go out if you wish – staff are friendly and a good time is promised!

 

Soul Casino, Aberdeen

This casino is on the small side, so is great if you just want to pop in for a few games of poker or you’re put off by large crowds or loud evenings. As well as a few slot machines there are all the classics like roulette and blackjack, however, the casino doesn’t offer cash games for poker so that’s something to bear in mind. If you are in Aberdeen, but you could always get your fix online at somewhere like Lucky Nugget Casino if you want to bet for money on poker. There are only 15 land based casinos in Scotland so it’s possible you might be out of range and this is where online casinos can come in very useful!

Photo of Maybury Casino
Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Thomas Nugent and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Energy Minister raises renewables concern

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Minister raises grave concerns in letter to Ed Davey.

Scotland’s Energy Minister, Fergus Ewing, has warned that the UK Government’s Electricity Market Reform proposals could undermine Scotland’s renewables sector and supply chain, while threatening security of supply across the UK, and further price increases on consumers bills as a result.

In a letter to Secretary of State Ed Davey, Mr Ewing has highlighted the threat which the current proposals pose to Scotland and the UK’s shared renewables ambitions. This warning extends to concerns – also raised by Ofgem and the National Grid – about the ever tightening gap between maximum generating capacity and peak electricity demand across the UK, and the need to preserve thermal generation in Scotland to help keep the UK’s lights on.

Mr Ewing has also challenged Mr Davey to explain a last minute amendment to the UK Energy Bill that will remove the Scottish Government’s existing powers and discretion over support for renewable technologies across Scotland. The UK Government’s amendment is to be debated by the House of Lords on Monday November 4, 2013.

Mr Ewing said:

“We have examined the UK Government’s proposals carefully, discussing them in detail with the industry and other stakeholders. I believe beyond doubt that the current proposals risk failing Scotland and the UK in a number of vital areas, and present a huge risk to UK security of supply as well as to investor confidence and our low carbon ambitions.

“The Scottish Government will not support an outcome which sacrifices our renewable ambitions in preference to discredited, expensive and imported nuclear technology.

“Nor should thermal generation in Scotland – vital to maintaining grid stability here, and to providing security of supply across the UK – be placed at risk through a failure to take Scottish issues properly into account.

“Both Ofgem and National Grid have expressed deep concern regarding the risks that the UK faces both this winter and in the years ahead due to tightening capacity margins. It would be extremely unwise to ignore the vital and combined contribution of Scotland’s renewable and thermal generation to keeping the lights on across the UK.

“Unless serious and considered steps are taken to address these matters, and which supports investment in thermal generation across the whole of the UK, then the threat of blackouts will crystallise rapidly. The failure to secure a proper margin of capacity over peak demand will inevitably see further price rises on energy bills – resultant from UK energy policy failure over the past decade, as a result of the laws of supply and demand.

“We now know that the UK Government has also proposed a last ditch amendment to the Energy Bill, which will allow UK ministers to close the Renewables Obligation in Scotland. I find it extraordinary that the UK Government has chosen to act in this way, and to strip Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Parliament of their powers and discretion in an area of such vital importance.

“The UK Government has produced this amendment with no consultation or explanation. We are deeply concerned about this summary removal of the Scottish Government’s discretion in an area of such vital importance to our people and economy.

“As a matter of urgency the UK Government must provide a detailed justification for its action.”