Highlands and Islands SNP MSP, Emma Roddick, has welcomed the announcement that projects in Inverness and its environs will receive £20,000 from the first round of grants from the Scotland Loves Local Fund. The funding, announced this week, is supporting over 100 organisations, who will receive a share of the £1.5 million funding boost to [...]

Emma Roddick MSP has emphasised the importance of promoting freight by rail in parliament today, questioning the Scottish Government on whether this had been fully considered in the development of the second phase of Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2) which determines which transport projects in Scotland will be prioritised for funding. Roddick has been [...]

Highlands and Islands SNP MSP Emma Roddick has welcomed the Scottish Government’s new rollout of the Child Disability Payment which will help with financial support for families of children with a disability. For the first time anywhere in the UK, disability benefit applicants can apply for Child Disability Payment online, as well as by phone, [...]

SNP MSP Emma Roddick has called on the Tory UK Government to make good on the money Scotland and Northern Ireland are owed as their share of the £20 billion from Boris Johnson’s ill-fated plan to build a bridge to Northern Ireland. The project – promoted by Boris Johnson – was costed at £20 billion, [...]

Emma Roddick MSP Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick has expressed her support for including inter-island ferry fares in the planned rollout of free bus travel for under-22s. Roddick said: “I am supportive of the free bus travel scheme expanding to include inter-island ferries and have previously written to the minister to pursue this. “On [...]

Emma Roddick MSP has asked that specific focus be given to the voices of grieving families in the upcoming independent inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The independent inquiry will examine decisions taken during the course of the pandemic and any future lessons to take forward. Roddick said: “Grieving families are already going [...]

Speaking in a parliamentary debate on addressing issues with take-up of social security benefits, Emma Roddick MSP highlighted the work of a number of organisations across the Highlands and Islands that are working to end food poverty and noted the importance of person-centred, humane approaches in the Scottish Government’s benefit take-up strategy. Roddick said: “As [...]

Emma Roddick MSP visited Migdale and Ledmore woods this week to chat to Woodland Trust workers about upcoming changes to legislation and their plans to introduce capercaillie to the woods. Roddick, who is the Scottish Environment LINK “Capercaillie Champion”, said: “It was great to get out in the fresh air and talk to the Woodland [...]

Highlands MSP Emma Roddick has renewed calls for smaller council areas as she pressed the Minister for Parliamentary Business on whether he felt the Highland Council could be considered a “local” authority. The Highland Council is the largest of all council areas in Scotland, covering roughly one-third of the country, and a review of its [...]

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament last week, Emma Roddick MSP highlighted the work of third sector organisations in providing support to vulnerable people across the Highlands and Islands over the course of the pandemic. Noting in particular the efforts of the Highland Third Sector Interface (HTSI) in supporting charities across the region and signposting people [...]