The Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which is charged by the government with ensuring that markets operate effectively in the interests of consumers, will take evidence from members of the public and one of seven workshops will be held in Shetland.

In a statement, the OFT said it recognised that prices were frequently much higher in remote communities with fewer suppliers and limited access to services.

“Fuel prices are a common cause for concern for those who need to travel long distances to get to school, to work or to the shops,” the OFT said. “Whilst shopping online may expand opportunities for broader choice and quality, deliveries to more isolated areas can sometimes be problematic or costly.”

Politicians have been calling for years for the OFT to investigate the operation of the market for fuel in particular. A derogation scheme is due in place next month to reduce fuel duty by 5p a litre.

Isles MP Alistair Carmichael said: “This is something for which I have been calling for years. The obvious market where we pay more than other communities is in road fuel and that has always been the primary focus for wanting an OFT investigation.   

“The fact is, however, that there are several other areas where it can be argued that markets have failed us such as the parcel post market where many companies outside the Royal Mail levy enormous extra charges on us. These areas too will be investigated.”

As part of the project, the OFT will be running workshops with residents in seven locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These include Devon, Northumberland, Shetland, Highland, Gwynedd, Bridgend and County Tyrone. 

The locations have been chosen to reflect the diverse nature of the UK’s remote communities and to include coastal, inland, island and mainland areas, and those with varied socio-demographic profiles.

The OFT will also look at evidence and experience from across the entire UK and will explore how other countries address specific market issues arising in isolated communities.

OFT director Kyla Brand said: “Geography and population density can have a major impact on the cost and accessibility of goods and services to consumers, and on how businesses operate. We want to get a clearer picture of these issues and understand and explain some of the reasons behind them. We also want to explore what the OFT, or other bodies could do to reduce the downsides, and maximise the benefits of remoteness.”

Mr Carmichael added: “This is an opportunity which we must seize with both hands. I shall be in touch with the OFT to establish what exactly they want to see by way of evidence. I also hope to work with the councils and the widest possible range of local community and business organisations in encouraging local people to take part in this investigation. It is up to us to make our case for ourselves. Nobody else is going to do it for us. If we do not use this opportunity now then it could be many years before we get another chance.

“The holding of an evidence session in Shetland is welcome. One of the first things I shall be exploring with the OFT is how we might make that session accessible to people in Orkney who also want a direct voice to be heard. At the very least I would like to see some element of video conferencing being used.”

Consumers and businesses wishing to contribute to the study are requested to send their views before 20th April to the OFT Office in Scotland, 23 Walker Street, Edinburgh EH3 7HX, fill in an online form available from www.oft.gov.uk/remcom or email remotecommunities@oft.gsi.gov.uk.

The OFT expects to publish the outcome of this call for evidence by July.

After an eight and a half hour meeting, councillors agreed to cut their revenue budget by around £16 million in 2012/13 and commissioned a succession of reviews into education, social care and other services aimed at securing huge further savings by 2014.

It is not clear yet what the cuts will mean in terms of job losses, but Unison branch chairman Brian Smith said it was “highly serious” for Shetland that councillors had not discussed the SIC’s policy of avoiding compulsory redundancies yesterday. After the meeting council chief executive Alistair Buchan said enforced lay-offs of staff remained an “absolute last resort”.

Mr Smith said: “It seems to me that the community is not happy with what the present outgoing council has done, and that’s a serious situation in a place like Shetland. The status of these alleged reviews is a bit of a mystery to everybody. How they’re going to be carried out, by whom and what the criteria is going to be will presumably affect the question of how many jobs are in danger.”

Unison and the GMB have consistently called for cutbacks to be made in a more careful and measured fashion. Mr Smith believes yesterday’s meeting, characterised by members “leaping” from one subject to the next, was “so badly run, and so unclear about the outcomes, that it really will have to be done all over again in the forthcoming months”.

Mr Smith gave the proposed closure of Freefield’s lunch club for elderly folk as an example of something which will save little money, but which councillors have inexplicably “got their teeth into in a big way”.

He said there was a total lack of political direction and the consequences of the cuts appeared to be playing second fiddle to “finding the magic figure that [outgoing head of finance] Hazel Sutherland had thought up in September last year”.

“There’s plenty of scope for discussing all these things, but you have to discuss it calmly, with certain principles in the back of your mind,” he said. “You have to do it over a long period – at the last minute, on the basis of fag-packet calculations by officials who have not been instructed properly by councillors, is the very worst way to do it.”

GMB representative Robert Williamson said the relentless drive for cuts was “totally disjointed” and called for a rethink of the “piecemeal” way of sending directors out to find 10 per cent savings across the board “without a clear view of where Shetland’s future lies”.

His fear is that total cuts of £33 million in the next two years or so could cause anything from 600 to 1,000 job losses, with potentially dire social consequences.

“How much is that going to cost between state benefits and the downward spiral from folk being out of work – more alcohol abuse, more drug abuse, domestic violence … it’s not something we’ve experienced here to any great degree. How much is that going to cost us?” he asked.

Mr Williamson said a clearer overarching strategy was essential because services such as education, ferries, roads and transport in outlying communities are so closely interconnected. “There’s no long-term thinking being done,” he said. “It’s rabbits in the headlights.”

He believes SIC politicians should be presenting themselves to both Holyrood and Westminster to negotiate what Shetland’s future might be should Scotland become independent. Because the islands are a “disproportionate contributor to national budgets”, he thinks “significantly more” funding than the present £91 million block grant could be wrung out of London or Edinburgh “by either of them wanting to keep us on board”.

He added: “That’s the case that our leaders should be negotiating, and we maybe wouldn’t be in a situation of having to make these phenomenal cuts.”

Friday, 10th February 2012 at 11:32

HEADLINES

TODAY: WINDY, RAIN LATER
TONIGHT: DAMP, MISTY, LIGHTER WINDS
TOMORROW: DRIER AND BRIGHTER
DAYS 3-5: SUNDAY MAINLY DRY. THEN RAIN FOLLOWED BY WINTRY SHOWERS AND GALES
DAYS 6-10: A WINTERY SPELL

SUMMARY

Mainly dry though rather cloudy this morning, with rain spreading northwards through the afternoon. Strong S’ly winds. Further rain or drizzle tonight and turning misty as the wind falls light.

Grey and misty at first on Saturday with patchy light rain dying out. The afternoon mostly dry with some brighter spells. Winds remaining light.

Mostly dry for much of Sunday but rain and strengthening SW’ly winds overnight. Becoming much colder on Monday and Tuesday with NW’ly gales and wintry showers.

Wintry showers dying out by midweek as strong to gale-force N to NE’ly winds fall light. Overnight frosts likely. Wintry showers later as W to NW’ly winds strengthen.

GENERAL SITUATION AND SYNOPSIS 06:00 UTC

Fronts are slow-moving near the Northern Isles in a strong S’ly airflow. This will freshen further today as another front moves up from the south.

Fronts will be pushed away eastwards early on Saturday, as an Atlantic anticyclone moves closer to western Scotland. The high is expected to slip southeast across the UK later in the weekend with fronts, trailing around its northern edge in a freshening SW’ly airflow, crossing the area later on Sunday.

Fronts will clear east early on Monday and, as a depression over Iceland moves into the Norwegian Sea, a much colder and strong Arctic NW’ly airflow will follow.

This area of low pressure is forecast to move south over the eastern North Sea early next week, maintaining a strong N to NE’ly airflow over northeast Scotland. This will ease through midweek as a ridge topples southeast over Scotland.

With high pressure predicted to persist to the west and low pressure move east to the north of Shetland, next weekend may see a strong, showery W to NW’ly airflow maintaining wintry conditions over northern Scotland.

FORECAST FOR NEXT THREE DAYS

Confidence level: Weather type – medium. Timing – medium.

Temperatures around 8° Celsius by day, down to about 4° Celsius overnight. Cooler on Saturday and Sunday with daytime temperatures around 7° Celsius and an overnight low of 4° or 5° Celsius.

FRIDAY 10^th: Rather cloudy with a few brighter spells this morning. Though many places will be dry, there will be a little patchy light rain around. More persistent rain will spread up from the south to affect Fair Isle through the afternoon, and the rest of Shetland during the evening. F5-7 S’ly winds. Further rain or drizzle overnight and turning misty as the wind falls light.

Sea State: Perhaps moderate to rough, with a 2 to 3 metre S to SW’ly wind-swell.

SATURDAY 11^th: Grey and misty at first, with patchy light rain dying out during the morning. The afternoon mostly dry with some brighter spells developing, more so across Shetland. Light F2-3 W’ly winds and a few clear spells perhaps leading to an overnight frost.

Sea State: Moderate or rough becoming moderate, with a 2 to 3 metre W to NW’ly wind-swell easing 2 metres.

SUNDAY 12^th: A bright start, but then cloudier as SW’ly winds freshen. Rain spreading from the southwest overnight as winds increase F5-7.

Sea State: Perhaps mostly moderate, with a 2 metre W’ly wind-swell.

 
10-DAY OUTLOOK

Confidence level: Weather type – low. Timing – low.

A cooler week with temperatures in the daily range 5° to 6° Celsius down to 1° to 3° Celsius.

MONDAY 13^th: Rain, heavy at times and accompanied by strong SW to W’ly winds will clear during the morning, to be quickly followed by strong to gale-force NW’ly winds with showers turning wintry as it turns much colder.

Sea State: Becoming rough to very rough, with a 3 to 5 metre NW’ly to N’ly wind-swell.

TUESDAY 14^th: Wintry showers and strong to gale-force N’ly winds.

Sea State: Perhaps rough, with a 3 to 4 metre NW’ly wind-swell.

WEDNESDAY 15^th – SUNDAY 19^th: Wintry showers and strong NW’ly winds at first. The showers then dying out through the week as winds fall light. Overnight frosts likely. More frequent wintry showers later as W to NW’ly winds strengthen again.

Sea State on Wednesday: Possibly moderate to rough, with a 2 to 3 metre W to NW’ly wind-swell.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

DISCLAIMER

Be aware that the weather over north-west Europe – and especially around the Northern Isles – is part of an ever-changing and dynamic system. Therefore regard the ’10-Day Outlook’ as a guide only – there are times when any outlook going beyond about 36 to 48 hours is likely to prove
unreliable.

Always check the latest forecast from the UK Met Office before undertaking any weather-dependent activity.

All forecasts are for planning purposes only.

Neither Dave Wheeler, nor any employee of Fair Isle Weather Services, accepts any liability for the accuracy of this forecast.

Dave Wheeler MBE FRMetS

Field

Fair Isle

Shetland, ZE2 9JU

Telephone: +44 (0)1595760224

Mobile: 07545822376

E-mail: dave@davewheelerphotography.com or dave.wheeler@fairisle.org.uk

Photography: www.davewheelerphotography.com

Weather: www.northisles-weather.co.uk

Fair Isle: www.fairisle.org.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dave.wheeler3

Twitter: twitter.com/dawadderman

17 St Sunniva Street

Three bedroom first floor flat benefiting from an unusually large garden, situated in a handy central Lerwick location within walking distance of most town centre amenities.  There are fine views at the rear to the north harbour entrance.  

The property which forms part of a block of four flats, comprises:- south-facing Living room, modern fitted Kitchen, two Double Bedrooms, Single Bedroom or Office, Bathroom with electric over-bath shower, & Hall.  

There is a substantial loft space with possible development potential (subject to consents).

Viewing – please telephone 07736 468 933.

OFFERS OVER £115,000.

Further details and Home Report from and all offers to:

Dowle, Smith & Rutherford,
Solicitors  and Estate Agents,
St Olaf’s Hall,
Church Road,
Lerwick,
ZE1 0FD.
Tel: (01595) 695583.
Fax: (01595) 695310.
E-mail: property@d-s-r.co.uk
 www.d-s-r.co.uk

Exploring exciting new frontiers in Shetland
Shetland is a challenging yet exciting place to live and work. Located at the most northerly part of the UK it is home for some 22,000 people including 200 BP staff that work at the Sullom Voe Terminal. Sullom Voe is located 25 miles north of the main town of Lerwick and is the export route for oil and gas from the East and West of Shetland Oil Fields.

Technical expertise to overcome complex challenges
More than three-dozen offshore fields feed oil and gas into Sullom Voe by pipeline and tanker, this highlights the importance of the facility to the industry in the North Sea and the UK as a whole. It’s an environment that demands a natural ability to excel under pressure, not to mention a genuine passion for excellence and safety.

Industry leading technologies and opportunities
Discover career-defining opportunities and world-class training and development, whilst working alongside hugely experienced colleagues that have spent their career at the terminal. There’s no better platform to progress your career and develop as an expert in a truly global industry.

To find out more, visit www.bp.com/northsea

BP is an equal opportunities employer.

Free fitting and free balancing.

Tel. 690000

Office and workshop units of various sizes are available to rent at the Shetland Rural Centre, Staney Hill.

Ideal space for small or new businesses.

For more information or to arrange a viewing please contact Hazel:

 Tel. 01595 696300
email: hazel@tasteshetland.com
Shetland Livestock Marketing Group,
Shetland Rural Centre,
Staney Hill,
Lerwick,
Shetland,
ZE1 0NA.

Due to continued expansion we have a vacancy for the above personnel:

The Company:
Grieg Seafood Hjaltland Ltd and its subsidiaries Hjaltland Seafarms Ltd, Lerwick Fish Traders Ltd and Shetland Products Ltd are belonged to the world leading producers of farmed salmon (aqua cultivated salmon), processing of salmon as well as sales and marketing.  Hjaltland Seafarms is the third largest producer of Scottish salmon with an annual production of currently over 21,000 tonne.  We supply our comprehensive product range to customers worldwide as far afield as the USA, Canada, EU, Far East, South Africa.

Our Product
We are currently processing at our state of the art processing plant salmon and salmon fillets in different trims “A;B;C;D;E”, salmon loins as well as customer specified products.  The production (processing) of value added products, i.e. smoked and marinated salmon, is undertaken in our new production plant (facility) which is equipped with the latest salting, smoking and packing technology

The Role:

• Responsible for selling and promoting our comprehensive product portfolio to an established international and national customer base
• Participate on trade exhibitions
• Acquiring new customers
•  Report to the Sales and Logistics Manager

Requirements:

• Broad-based knowledge – including logistics and planning
• Seafood experience would be an advantage

If you are confident with all of the above and would like to bring your skills and expertise to an entrepreneurial company, then please email or post your current curriculum vitae and remuneration information to:

Mrs Anna Sopala
Hjaltland Seafarms Ltd
Gremista
Lerwick
Shetland
ZE1 0PX
Scotland (UK)
Tel: 0044 (0) 1595 741800
Fax: 0044 (0) 1595 741806
E-mail: Anna@shetlandproducts.co.uk

£8,850 o.n.o.

Tel. 01950 431268.