ESSENTIAL funding for vital projects in the Western Isles is being

siphoned off to less disadvantaged areas, constituency MP, Mr Calum

Macdonald, claimed yesterday.

Mr Macdonald expressed his dismay at the results of the first round of

Objective 1 finance allocation and that projects for the Western Isles

had been rejected or deferred.

Last week, it was revealed that the 65% grant for the #6.5m bridge to

Scalpay in Harris had been deferred until the project had planning

permission. It will likely be approved at the next round.

However, applications for funding for the #8.5m Berneray causeway in

North Uist, and the #3.5m ferry service and terminals for the Sound of

Harris, had been deferred.

Mr Macdonald said: ''I am dismayed at the results of the first round.

Projects from the Western Isles, the most underdeveloped of all the

regions, have been rejected, and the money is being siphoned off to

areas that, frankly, cannot be justified.''

He said nothing could be more important than building links to remote

island communities yet the Scalpay, Berneray, and Eriskay projects had

been put on hold. Meanwhile, #320,000 had been given to build a new

central tower for Inverness Airport, a project Mr Macdonald claimed

''was a complete misuse of funds''.

He added: ''Inverness Airport may deserve Government or European help

for improvement but this should come from other sources, not Objective 1

funding. Likewise, the allocation of #368,000 for the Business Support

Scheme in Shetland.

''Objective 1 status was granted only because of the deep, long-term,

under-development of the Western Highlands and Islands. The West has

suffered from high unemployment, outward migration, poor communications,

and sparse population. These are the problems that Objective 1 should be

tackling.

''Whatever other problems they face, neither Shetland nor Inverness

can be described as the poorest parts of Europe.''

He said that those in charge of the funding had to take on board the

fact that there was only a limited amount of money available and that

the Highlands and Islands got Objective 1 status only because of the

particular problems and disadvantages of the west coast.