At today's MAKI meeting I had the opportunity to raise many pressing matters that are facing my constituents as well as other areas of Argyll and Bute.

These included the condition of Islay High School's ageing building and the need to invest more in maintaining some of our older school properties. The condition of Clachan hall is of immense concern to local residents there, and I made inquires about a recent funding request being refused.

I also had the opportunity to mention the poor condition of our Council and trunk road networks including ditches and culverts that need clearing. I brought up the collapsed section of road on the way into Skipness, the fact that so many of Carradale's drains are blocked causing whole streets to be flooded and I questioned if our hard working roads men are being given the resources they need over the winter period. With the huge growth of our industrial output on the Islands of Islay and Jura thanks to the huge demand for our world beating whisky the strain on our roads networks will be greater that ever. That's why we must have the infrastructure to match our economic growth.

The shocking condition of the A83 and the landslides at the Rest And Be Thankful are stifling our economic growth. If Argyll and Bute was a sprawling urban centre then I have no doubt that the powers that be would give us the funding we need to have fit for propose infrastructure. As ever it seems the needs of rural Scotland are being left on the back-burner by our Central Belt obsessed Scottish Government.

Cllr Alastair Redman