Shetland Islands Broadcasting Company

CNR International, or Canadian Natural Resourses, has been fined £250,000 for exceeding the annual vent consent for its Ninian assets, 55 nautical miles east of Unst.

The coastguard helicopter based at Sumburgh was tasked to a French fishing boat 40 nautical miles north-east of Unst. This was to take an injured crewman to the emergency landing site in Lerwick. Earlier the helicopter was tasked for an NHS helicopter patient transfer from Baltasound to the emergency landing site.

There has been a small power cut in the Basta area of Yell. Only three customers were affected.

The 100 per cent rates relief for hospitality and tourism businesses in islands areas like Shetland and Orkney has been maintained in the Scottish budget this week.

Alistair Carmichael has secured a House of Commons debate on the state of the UK fishing industry for next Thursday and, ahead of that, he has called on all with an interest in fishing to “make their voices heard”.

In a lesson for those planning new building projects, including a possible new hospital for Shetland, the budget for the Baird Family Hospital and the Anchor Centre, the new maternity and cancer facilities in Aberdeen, is now estimated at £420 million, over three times the £134 million originally planned.

The Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Shetland in the Scottish parliament elections in May, Emma Macdonald, has responded to the Scottish government’s draft budget announcement on Tuesday, including scrapping peak fares on NorthLink and the accelerator model of funding for Shetland.