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Any Questions?

Regularly in the Scottish Parliament Chamber I have the chance to ask Government Ministers questions.

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Knife Crime

Under Labour’s Safer Scotland Knife Amnesty between May and June 30 2006, 13,000 knives were taken off the streets. By comparison since May 2007, only 2,000 knives have been taken off the streets.

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Fire Safety First

I welcome the recently released fire statistics for Scotland which illustrated a decline in the number of serious fires and fire casualties in Scotland in recent years. However it is disappointing that the number of fire-related deaths remain greater in Scotland than in comparable countries.

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Police and crime

It has been a week of good and bad news when it comes to the struggle for safer streets. First the good news.

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Paisley Law Centre battles for Homes Repossession clients

Paisley Law Centre is on the frontline of helping Buddies facing repossessions hold onto their homes. Jon Kiddie and his colleagues are inundated with tough repossession cases. I want more help for those facing repossession. (more…)

Music Tuition cuts

Despite mounting criticism, Renfrewshire’s SNP led Council stand by plans to reduce music tuition to once fortnightly and axe 7 full-time-equivalent staff. As support against the cuts gathers pace, I’ve set up an online petition against this http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/rcmusic09/. (more…)

Invisible children

No one listening to recent news reports of the tragic death of little Brandon Muir could fail to be to whole heartedly saddened. (more…)

Apply before it’s to late!

Many Buddies do not know that the current free central heating system programme will end in March. From April pensioners aged 60-74 who are not in receipt of pension credit will no longer be eligible for a replacement system if their current one is broken beyond repair. (more…)

Challenge 21

As many of you will know I have been running a local campaign against rogue retailers who sell drink illegally to under-agers. (more…)