Huge Cut in Argyll & Bute Housing Budget a Disgrace.

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 7th Jul 2008

George Lyon PPC for Europe has slammed the SNP government's decision to slash the budget for building affordable new homes in Argyll & Bute by nearly 20% as a hammer blow to.

George Lyon said;

"It is an absolute outrage that the Argyll Islands have been virtually excluded from this scheme which will see ferry fares cut by up to 50% on the three routes to the Western Isles. This is blatant discrimination as the scheme will run for three years and only targets one Scottish island group. It would have been a much fairer approach to include islands in Argyll and in the Northern Isles in this pilot project instead of concentrating all the fare cuts on the one community. It appears the only reason that Coll and Tiree are to get some benefit is because the Barra boat just happens to stop off there en-route.

"Local MSP Jim Mather made all sorts of promises to local island communities about cutting fares before the election and yet despite the fact he is a senior Government Minister working in the same department as his colleague Stewart Stevenson MSP the Transport Minister he has completely and utterly failed to persuade him that Argyll should get equal treatment and a fair share of this £22million pilot project."