-
"...her campaigning against education cuts is good news for parents" - Rachael Ewing, Seedhill
"...her campaigning against education cuts is good news for parents" - Rachael Ewing, Seedhill
Wonderful weather
It feels as if summer has arrived, which has helped those of us on the election campaign trail. And I did notice Barshaw Park was jammed packed all last weekend. Yet sadly by Sunday night an appalling amount of litter/picnic leftovers was strewn from the top of the hill right across the park. Hats off to the environmental teams I witnessed as I passed the park at 8am on Monday morning picking up and loading countless black bags as they started early tackling the menace. Come on Buddies, lets do better this summer. Read more »
I was delighted to visit the Thread Mill Museum. My office is also in the Mile End Mill, it is a fabulous building. All Buddies know about Paisley’s Mill heritage. But too few Buddies know about the museum. The commitment of the ladies I met, ex-mill girls, Grace Lamont, Janet Robinson, Sheena Robinson, May Morrell and Agnes Burns who have created and maintain this inspiring museum is marvellous. They also do a great job taking visitors around with stories of mill life that all our children should know about. The museum keeps that history alive for the next generation”.
Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, today raised the BASF /Ciba planned redundancies, and the plant site, in the Scottish Parliament.
Wendy said,
“In my discussions with MD Peter Wormald and colleagues at the plant on Tuesday they made clear that the compulsory redundancies are likely to be delayed until later in 2011 and 2012. They promised full consultation with trade union reps . It is vital that the BASF/Ciba site is not allowed to fall into disuse and the skills of its workers lost and all agencies must pull together. I want to ensure the best support possible is offered to those who may be affected by redundancy.” Read more »
Knife admissions to hospital increase 20% since 2006
Wendy Alexander MSP has accused the SNP and Liberal Democrats of complacency on knife crime as it emerged that hospital admissions due to knife attacks have risen by almost 20 per cent since 2006. The below table gives a breakdown of the number of hospital admissions due to assault by sharp object by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Almost every NHS Board saw an increase in the last year.
The IDS Scotland statistics show that in 2006 there were 1,564 admissions to hospital after assaults with a sharp object but that had grown to 1,857 in 2009.
This information follows revelations that knife crime costs the NHS in Scotland more than £500m a year and figures revealing that knives were used in a record 58 per cent of killings in 2008/09. Read more »
A record 58% of murders were committed using knives in 2008/09
Proportion of knife murders hits 20 year high
Wendy Alexander MSP has called on the Scottish Government to back Labour’s tough proposals to introduce mandatory minimum custodial sentences for carrying a knife.
The call comes as new statistics show a record 58% of murders in 2008/09 were committed using a ’sharp instrument’. The figure marks the highest proportion of killings in over 20 years.
Research published recently also highlighted that there are higher levels of violent crime in Scotland than in England and Wales. Read more »
Easter Monday – I hope you have a great holiday. For everyone involved in politics, whatever their party it seems like the calm before the storm. There was the usual rush to get everything finished up for the bank holiday.
Harriet In Renfrew
Before going to the Rotary dinner in ‘black tie’ I had pleasure, along with my colleagues Jim Sheridan MP and Trish Godman MSP, in welcoming Harriet Harman to Renfrew. I did look a tad overdressed for a small shop in Hairst Street that will be Jim’s election rooms! But the last time I met Harriet, when she was seeking to be Labour deputy Leader, my son was sick all over her just before she went on stage. She took it in good part – and I seem to have been forgiven. Read more »
Wendy wants to speak up for animals by supporting plans in the Parliament this spring to rid scotland of snares
Snares are thin wire nooses used in the countryside to trap animals such as rabbits and foxes. Although the purpose of a snare is to immobilise an animal, they have the potential to cause extreme injury and often a slow painful death. Not only this, once an animal is trapped in a snare it can suffer from dehydration, starvation and distress as well as being at a higher risk from other predators. All animals are at risk from snares, including protected species such as otters and badgers, and even our beloved pets. Read more »
Wendy Alexander has learned that the Scottish Government is proposing to cut the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in Renfrewshire by over £6 million. The scale of the cuts is revealed in a private document prepared to assist local authorities with detailed planning
Renfrewshire Council’s Housing Investment Programme will be cut from £14.6 million this year to £8 million next year. This is an 80% cut in just one year. Read more »
Following the complaints from local residents (also see also related web article PDE column 22/03/10) regarding unacceptable youth gang anti social behaviour, attacks and intimidation for over a year – and a petition gathered by local residents with over 300 signatures – Wendy organised for a senior police officer, Chief Inspector to visit the site to see for himself and to meet with those most affected. Despite a very cold wet night, and unfortunately only short notice being given, word quickly spread and over 30 residents came along. Read more »
Wendy Alexander MSP has accused the Scottish Government of selling Scotland short after it emerged that less than half of the budget for providing help for pensioners and disabled people with heating systems has been spent.
A Parliamentary question from showed that only £24.8m has been spent from the Fuel Poverty budget of £50.6m with only one month to go.
Wendy said “The central heating programme that I pioneered with Donald Dewar in 2000 provided over 100,000 homes with new central heating systems. This Scottish Government replaced it with their own scheme which has only spent half of its funds with only days to go. Read more »