ISLANDERS SHELLING OUT ADDITIONAL £1.6 MILLION PER YEAR

Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MSP Alasdair Allan has highlighted the unfair delivery charges islanders continue to face after a report revealed the scale of the problem across Scotland.

A report by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) found Scots were being left out of pocket to the tune of millions of pounds, with delivery surcharges to households in the Western Isles amounting to £1,632,000 on top of what they had already bought.

Across Scotland, more than £43.1 million extra is spent by online shoppers on delivery charges - an increase of £6.7 million in the past three years.

The charges have created a postcode lottery for many, with rural communities often charged more than other areas.

Alasdair Allan MSP commented:

“It is frustrating that the Western Isles continues to be one of the worse affected areas of Scotland when it comes to unfair delivery charges.

“Despite efforts from MSPs and Scottish Government initiatives like the fairdeliveries.scot website, consumers in rural and island areas face substantial additional charges relative to the rest of the UK.

“Islanders rely online shopping for items that cannot easily be obtained locally, and the charges they face can often seem arbitrary and unjustified.

"Now, more than ever, delivery charges across the UK should be fair and transparent, and people should have the information they need to make informed choices.”