NATS fund the Inverness task, as Highland Director said, it all comes down to the the deligation of airspace from NATS to Lossiemouth. The original deal was for the installation of an additional console (plus comms etc) at Lossiemouth and and the provision of 2 controllers, based on a 55hr week. At the time HIAL were not even in the loop as to funding, as the App task was not part of the deal. NATS tried to state that the task should simply come under the LARS banner and no additional funding was required. This didn't go down to well, but the whole contract was swept up with a much larger NATS/MOD deal and the details were lost in the haze. In effect, HIAL got the whole thing for free and has continued to do so. The original contract was tied up with so much more, that it was not revisited until the FMARS concept was agreed to. Once the deal was looked at afresh, and in light of continuing growth, the RAF has been trying to wrench itself out of the deal whilst still trying to be seen as the good guy and provider of a much valued service. That is why when HIAL stated that at a certain date it would be capable of providing its own service, all at Lossie and above were more than happy to draw stumps.