Angus MacNeil MP Archives

MP asks CalMac to explain lack of sailings to Lochboisdale

March 2, 2015

Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP, Angus MacNeil, is contacting Martin Dorchester, Managing Director, Caledonian MacBrayne, regarding the recent lack of ferry sailings into Lochboisdale.

Commenting, Mr MacNeil MP said: “There is understandable mounting frustration in the community that the ferry is not calling into Lochboisdale. This has caused difficulties for travellers and also local businesses who depend on the ferry to transport goods.

“We need to know if the reason for this disruption is weather related or an issue with the vessel. If it is weather related, CalMac should take steps to amend the timetable to avoid the bad weather.”

Angus MacNeil MP: “Mobile coverage will improve greatly”

March 2, 2015

Poor mobile reception is a common complaint in the islands.

Following a series of questions from Na h-Eileanan an Iar MP, Angus MacNeil, on mobile and 4G mobile coverage, the UK Minister Edward Vaizey responded that under the 4G mobile coverage improvement agreement announced on December 2014, the Scottish islands will see one of the greatest improvements in the UK. According to the minister’s response, under this agreement, partial not-spots will be halved and not-spots will be cut by two-thirds.

Angus MacNeil MP said: “I have maintained pressure on the UK Government on the issue of the badly needed 4G coverage in the Western Isles. I am anxious to see these important improvements and to do so sooner rather than later, particularly as 2G and 3G coverage in the Western Isles has failed miserably.

“The SNP Government is in the process of having high speed broadband cable installed which is an important component of better mobile coverage as it provides what is called ‘backhaul’ support to wireless mobile, in addition to providing homes and businesses with high speed broadband over the next two years.

Angus MacNeil MP.

“I am glad that pressure and continual work on mobile coverage has led to this situation where the failings are appearing to be understood in Westminster. I will of course keep pressing this issue to ensure that there will be delivery and that we have a mobile service in the islands as good as other similar places in northern Europe and the mainland.

“Mobile telephones are no longer a luxury, but are a social economic and sometimes even a health service utility. It is high time that the UK Government fulfils its responsibilities to the islands as in the past we have been left behind badly by their approach to mobile coverage.”

MacNeil receives St Kilda repair work confirmation

February 11, 2015

Staff were evacuated from St Kilda in January.

Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP, Angus Brendan MacNeil, has welcomed the response from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to his parliamentary questions requesting an update on the repair of buildings and equipment at Hebrides Range on St Kilda.

The MoD has confirmed that work is underway and is due to be completed by late spring 2015.

Angus MacNeil MP said: “Hebrides Range is a valued employer and I am pleased to receive confirmation from the Ministry of Defence that action is being taken to repair the buildings and equipment on St Kilda which were damaged in the storm in January.”

Building and infrastructure on Hiort were damaged during a severe storm in January, forcing the evacuation of all staff based on the island.

Angus MacNeil MP asks for St Kilda damage update

February 3, 2015

MoD buildings in Village Bay, St Kilda.

Following the storms in January, which badly damaged buildings at the missile test range on St Kilda, Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP, Angus Brendan MacNeil has tabled parliamentary questions to the Ministry of Defence requesting an update on the repair work.

Mr MacNeil said: “Buildings and infrastructure at the Hebrides Range missile test range on St Kilda were damaged during storms in January and it is important that the repair work is carried out quickly.

“I have tabled the parliamentary questions to the Ministry of Defence to ask when the buildings and infrastructure which were damaged by the storm will be repaired.”

15 of Qinetiq’s staff on St Kilda were evacuated from the island last month after a severe gale.

Personnel were airlifted by coastguard after extreme weather caused damage to buildings and infrastructure on the island.

Speaking at the time, a QinetiQ spokesman commented: “On Friday, 9th January, QinetiQ evacuated all its employees from the site at St Kilda, which the company manages on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, due to the extreme weather conditions.

“The safety of our people is our top priority, so as a precaution our 15 employees were airlifted from the island at around 3pm by the coastguard.

“There were no casualties, although the winds did cause damage to buildings and equipment. We will carry out a full assessment into the extent of the damage when conditions improve.

“Employees are now back at work in the Uists and a recovery plan is already in motion.”

Balivanich, Lochboisdale, Lochmaddy and Tarbert shortlisted to receive 3G mobile coverage

January 23, 2015

· Balivanich, Lochboisdale, Lochmaddy, Tarbert, named as four of 100 rural communities across the UK shortlisted for the Vodafone Rural Open Sure Signal programme

· Community-led initiative with Vodafone brings much needed mobile coverage to help boost rural economy

· Vodafone spending more than £1 billion on its UK network and services

Vodafone UK has announced the beautiful rural communities of Balivanich, Lochboisdale, Lochmaddy and Tarbert in the Outer Hebrides are four of the 100 rural mobile not-spot communities shortlisted to receive 3G coverage under its Rural Open Sure Signal programme.

The communities have until now suffered from unreliable mobile coverage and slow network speeds. With the installation of Vodafone’s innovative Sure Signal technology, the local communities will benefit from high quality 3G voice services, and much needed access to the internet via mobile devices, contributing positively to business and everyday life.

The names of the latest communities shortlisted to join the Rural Open Sure Signal 100 programme have been announced. The list includes communities from across the UK including Trevose (Cornwall), Benacre (Suffolk), Sandness (Shetlands) and Silchester (Hampshire). Vodafone will now start working with the Village Champions on a full assessment of the application made to take part in this community-led initiative, with the service expected to go live this year.

The Rural Open Sure Signal 100 programme is a national initiative by Vodafone UK to provide reliable mobile access to up to 100 rural communities in mobile not-spot locations. Launched in July 2014, with support from local MPs, councils and rural action groups, the programme has received an overwhelming response from around the country. Applications have come from island communities in rural Shetlands to rural communities in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, picturesque villages on the south west coastline as well as along the east coast in Norfolk.

Mobile connectivity plays a vital role in keeping communities in touch and helps support local economies. However, rural and remote locations often miss out on advantages provided by modern communication tools, due to the complexity of delivering network coverage. This can be because of the geography of the area or difficulties with planning permissions in places of outstanding natural beauty. The Rural Open Sure Signal programme uses innovative ‘femtocell’ technology to provide an alternative solution to bring mobile access in locations where it isn’t possible for networks to provide coverage through traditional means.

Isles MP Angus MacNeil, who supported this programme locally and urged local communities to apply said:

“This is certainly a welcomed initiative from Vodafone, which has the potential to improve mobile telephone coverage to 3G standard for many not-spots in rural and island areas.

“I am hopeful that in the next round of applications, other places in the islands will apply and be successful.

“I was pleased to attend Vodafone’s reception yesterday at Westminster, with Anne MacLellan from Lochboisdale.”

Jeroen Hoencamp, Vodafone UK Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted Balivanich, Lochboisdale, Lochmaddy and Tarbert have been shortlisted as four of our 100 ROSS communities and I’m excited about the transformation this pioneering programme could bring to these communities. The communities who have worked with us to introduce Open Sure Signal have all told us how life has improved markedly, from the ability to make an appointment at the local doctor to telling their families they are running late for lunch. We are committed to investing hugely in our network and using innovative technologies such as Sure Signal to provide coverage to rural communities means we can reach areas where it’s been impossible to reach using traditional means.”

Vodafone’s Rural Open Sure Signal programme has now seen the connection of 13 rural communities across the UK. Communities connected so far have been enjoying social media using mobile internet whilst businesses, from GPs to pubs to a mussel farmer in the Shetlands, now have mobile signal to help make their businesses work better.

As well as using Rural Open Sure Signal to plug rural “not-spots”, Vodafone is spending more than £1 billion on its network and services across the country, including extending its 4G coverage to 395 cities and towns and thousands of smaller communities across the UK.

MacNeil questions UK Government on 4G coverage for islands

January 14, 2015

Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP, Angus MacNeil has tabled a parliamentary question regarding 4G mobile phone coverage.

The UK Government announced a deal in December that will deliver 90% geographic coverage from each mobile operator by 2017. Edward Vaizey MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in a previous answer to Angus MacNeil MP, indicated that there would be 90% mobile phone coverage for 4G. Mr MacNeil asked when this coverage will apply to our islands.

Due to the high data speeds of 4G, it could also be a useful tool for accessing the internet as the speeds can be 5 to 6 times higher than the current broadband speed available domestically.

Commenting, Angus MacNeil said: “The UK Government has ambitious targets of 90% geographical coverage for 4G. I am anxious that this 90% should apply to the Western Isles also, particularly as 2G and 3G failed to achieve anything close to 90% geographical coverage. In the recent storms we saw just how important mobile phone coverage is, particularly when many people were unable to use their landlines following the lightning.

“With the arrival of the high speed fibre there is the potential for the islands to have a 4G network but the UK Government has to be aware the mobile phone market, as they currently regulate it through Ofcom, has failed miserably as regards mobile phone coverage.
The high speed fibre will help improve broadband in many areas, but it can also enable 4G which due to the high data speeds enable people to get online where cable cannot reach them.

“Recently we have seen that mobile telephones are no longer a luxury, but are a social utility and it is high time that the UK Government recognised that in island and rural areas. For too long they have allowed piecemeal patchy network to exist in our islands, something that would not be tolerated in other northern European countries. The Faroe Islands for instance, with a mountainous geography, more challenging than ours, manages to have comprehensive coverage, including their two under sea tunnels.”

MP asks CalMac to explain lack of sailings to Lochboisdale

Angus MacNeil MP: “Mobile coverage will improve greatly”

MacNeil receives St Kilda repair work confirmation

Angus MacNeil MP asks for St Kilda damage update

Balivanich, Lochboisdale, Lochmaddy and Tarbert shortlisted to receive 3G mobile coverage

MacNeil questions UK Government on 4G coverage for islands

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