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"...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
Wendy Alexander MSP has said she is angry and frustrated after an analysis of the Scottish Government’s heating programme showed that nine out of ten applicants did not receive new central heating.
Wendy was the minister who under Donald Dewar pioneered the original free central heating scheme programme. Over 100,000 Scottish homes benefited from a free or replacement system under the old labour scheme. The current Scottish Government scrapped this scheme in favour of a means tested replacement that Wendy and other labour colleagues warned would not be as effective. Read more »
24 more builders lose their jobs
Wendy campaigns for every young person in Scotland to gain the right to quality training. Support has come from major trade unions and business organisations, including construction workers union Ucatt and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.
Campaigning politician Wendy Alexander today revealed 24 more construction apprentices in Renfrewshire are without work. Read more »
Renfrewshire constituency MSPs visited the local Renfrewshire Autism Carers Support Group at the beginning of March this year – see earlier March reports where they heard directly from parents of the difficulties families face trying to get the right help and support for their children. The MSPs pledged support for an Autism Strategy Bill, fellow MSP Hugh O’Donnell was trying to bring through the Parliament in a Private Members Bill.
But the other concern brought to Wendy’s attention was the fact that no mention of the condition was to be made in the first draft Scottish 2011 Census Bill. Read more »
Wendy Alexander MSP for Paisley North is calling on the Scottish Government to allow community groups such as Community Councils or Tenant & Residents organisations to apply for Anti-Social Behavior Orders.
Under our plans, constituted community groups would be able to request that an Anti-Social Behaviour Order is used by applying to their local council or police force. The council or force would then either go forward with that request or would have to meet with the organisation and explain their reason for refusal and then set out an alternative approach. The community group could appeal a decision if they disagreed. Read more »
Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North welcomed a commitment from the Scottish Government to give victims of crime a voice at Parole Hearings.
Labour MSP Margaret Curran put forward an amendment to the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 that would ensure that victims of serious crime would have the right to make representations in person to the Parole Board about the potential release of those who have been convicted of crimes against themselves or their families. At Stage 2 of a Bill becoming Law – a committee stage – the committee voted against Margaret’s amendment (click here for vote result: Voting against the Labour amendment for victims to speak at Parole boards: 3 SNP, 1 Liberal Democrat and 1 Conservative, voting for: 3 Labour Member’s.) but the Minister later relented and included the amendment in the draft of the Bill which will be re-presented to all MSPs in the Chamber for debate and voting at the last Stage 3.
Read more »
The number of people convicted of rape in Scotland has dropped to a 25-year low, according to new statistics.
Figures obtained by Rape Crisis Scotland from the Scottish government show that just 25 of the 821 rapes reported in 2008/09 were proven.The charity said this was the lowest number since 1984.
Wendy Alexander responded to the news that convictions for rape had fallen to a 25 year low by calling for the new Sexual Offences Act to be implemented as soon as possible. Read more »
Scottish Government Ministers have admitted that retailers convicted of selling alcohol to children receive an average fine of just £244.
The SNP manifesto promised that, “The sale of alcohol to underage Scots will result in the loss of a premises’ license.”
Kenny MacAskill admitted that he did not know if any retailers lost their licence last year for selling booze to kids.
According to the Scottish Government, in 2008/09 there were 202 prosecutions across Scotland against licence holders for selling alcohol to people under 18.
This resulted in 116 convictions and an average fine of just £244. Read more »
I was delighted to be able to visit local Paisley artist, Renee Ewing’s Art Exhibition on it’s opening day. The exhibition, called Paisley’s Spring Horizon’s is being held if the Paisley Art Centre from the 27th of April to the 10th of May. There was a wide variety from Renee’s portfolio including many local scenes Buddies would recognise instantly. Encouraged also by the fact Renee will donate a percentage of each painting sale to The Macmillan Cancer Support charity I was pleased to set proceeds off to a good start by buying a lovely painting of the Coats Memorial Church. Read more »
Wendy Alexander visited The Sma’ Shot Cottages to have a look round this marvellous museum. This Cottage is the only survivor of the original Shuttle Street, which was built between 1735 and the early 1750. Click here to find out more about the Sma Shots Cottages museum and tea rooms.
Despite funds always being needed for the upkeep of the museum itself – including the need for a new roof to cost in the region of £25,000 – the Old Paisley Society and Sma’ Shots Cottages are also supporting The William Gallacher Monument Appeal to celebrate the life achievements of Paisley man William Gallacher. Read more »
Scottish Labour’s Wendy Alexander MSP has repeated her demand for the SNP Government to bring forward a credible plan to meet Scotland’s commitments on cutting carbon emissions by 42 per cent by 2020.
Ms Alexander repeated her demand after the Scottish Government announced that their annual target for emissions cut would only be 0.05 per cent this year, growing to an unambitious 0.5 per cent next year.
She said ministers had not even bothered to address the Committee on Climate Change’s warning that meeting the target would be difficult without real action including implementing the practical measures in the Climate Change Act such as council tax reductions for greener homes, support for people to install devices like mini wind-turbines and a public engagement strategy. Read more »