I know that many readers have been concerned about the changes in red diesel regulations which come into effect this April.
It has always been clear that ‘agriculture’ remains exempt but I was keen to find out precisely what is covered under that heading.
I met with the Treasury Minister, Helen Whately MP, and was pleased that she confirmedthat agricultural shows – such as those in Turriff and New Deer – will remain exempt.
Exemptions for ploughing matches, and for farmers who help clear snow and cut hedges/verges, will also not change.
I congratulate organisers of the petition seeking the reopening of the Turriff Minor Injury Unit (MIU), which was closed at the start of the pandemic.
Even before the MIU closed, I was calling for more adequate acute health care provision in the town.
I have sought a meeting with the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership todiscuss this and other local healthcare concerns raised with me by residents of Turriff and surrounding rural areas.
When I toured the constituency last Summer, I heard another consistent concern raised byresidents right across Banff and Buchan
Fly-tipping has been on the rise and is a financial and environmental concern for everyone – except of course the perpetrators!
At Holyrood, my Scottish Conservative colleague, Murdo Fraser MSP, has introduced a Bill in the Scottish Parliament aiming to tackle the ineffective fly tipping laws currently in place.
The Bill would substantially increase the penalty imposed on perpetrators and also ensure the person on whose land or property waste is dumped is not responsible in law for its removal – something I know will be welcome news to local farmers who are often faced with the costs of clearing up the mess.
We have all watched in horror the humanitarian crisis caused by Vladimir Putin and his inexcusable invasion of Ukraine.
Putin, and other authoritarian dictators must not succeed in such attacks on, not just the people of Ukraine, but on the concepts of democracy and freedom themselves.
I welcome the military support and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as well as the sanctions placed on the Putin regime, that have been introduced by the UK Government and our allies.
So far the UK has supplied Ukraine £220 million in financial aid and $500 in loan guarantees.
We have trained 22,000 Ukrainian soldiers and supplied 2,000 anti-tank missiles.
At time of writing, 228 individuals and businesses, and over £250 billion of bank assets have been sanctioned and over 3 million Russian companies barred from raising money in UK.
The Home Office is doing all it can to make it easier for Ukraine nationals to enter the UK safely and legally.
The family migrant route has been expanded to cover a wider range of extended family members, the term of visa increased from 12 months to 3 years and normal language and salary requirements have been waived.
Contrary to some reports, visas will not be limited to just family members.
The Prime Minister announced last week, an uncapped sponsorship humanitarian visascheme, which will allow communities, local authorities and private sponsors to bring people to the UK to work and to provide integration and housing support.
Details of all of these schemes are available on gov.uk and of course my office is open to assist with individual cases – particularly those with family members requiring help.