Fine food on menu for under-fives

Fine Food

As a soon-to-be new mum I have a special interest these days in the welfare of young children. I am therefore pleased to report that the Scottish Executive has recently unveiled new guidance for nurseries, playgroups and childminders on providing nutritious meals and snacks for under-fives. The plan builds on the ground-breaking Hungry for Success programme in schools. 

It is never too early to start good food habits.  Starting early with good food habits – can help tomorrows generation live healthier lives than we do. Scotland has for too long carried the tag of ‘sick man of Europe’, but there are signs that things are improving.

Some of the most important recent steps to improve the health of children are :

• Ø Free fruit in nurseries and for all primary 1 and 2 children.
• Ø £24 million invested in the Hungry for Success programme to improve food in schools – this is making happen in Scotland what Jamie Oliver has recommended should happen in England.
• Ø More PE teachers in training so we will have 2 hours a week guaranteed activity for every secondary school pupils.

Stamping out sectarianism

Sectarianism is a scar on Scottish life. So I welcome the Executive’s new Action Plan to harness ‘people power’ to help stamp out bigoted attitudes. 

The Plan sets out how the Scottish Executive will support and expand a wide range of local and national initiatives that have emerged from the ground-breaking National Summit on Sectarianism held last year.  The historic event united 30 organisations including Rangers and Celtic football clubs, the Catholic Church, the Church of Scotland, and the Orange Order and never before had representatives from so many walks of Scottish life agreed the goal of establishing a “national plan” to tackle the problem. 

In future we need to be willing to support ordinary people to help stamp out bigoted attitudes from modern Scotland.

Council Tax reform

Tax is always a hot issue, and local tax is no different. Remember the poll tax?  Today’s local taxpayers want to know they are getting value for money. There are anxieties about rising council tax bills. It is clear that the current system needs to be made fairer.

We need to look at fairness and consistency in the system.  That is why the Scottish Executive has set up an independent commission to look into the future reform of the council tax, asking the commission to take account of the current problems – which often affect pensioners on fixed incomes. There recommendations should be published within the year.

But there is good news for domestic water customers. Any increases in home and small business water charges will be forced by the regulator to be kept below the rate of inflation for the next four years. For more information visit www.watercommissioner.co.uk