August 2010 Update
Wednesday, 25th August 2010
Education
School Buses
As you will already know I campaigned hard against Renfrewshire Council’s decision last winter to slash the school bus provision and worked alongside many parents for a reversal of a policy that now expects children, some as young as 11, with heavily laden school bags, to walk up to 6 miles a day. With the schools returning last week and the school buses now gone the Council’s decision is biting.
In nearly all cases there is no direct bus route from home to school meaning two separate buses journeys each way. Many parents are reporting nearly an extra two hours being added to their child’s school day.
At the end of each day last week St Andrew’s Academy saw mass charging across the busy Barrhead Road dual carriageway to the one or two public buses. Many pupils understandably race to secure a bus-ride place towards Paisley. Chances of an accident soar. Bus companies are not allowed to simply ‘put on’ extra buses at school times so both in the morning and afternoon many people of all age groups find themselves left at bus stops whilst already-full buses have to drive by.
At a full Council meeting in June a well-intentioned motion wisely suggested the Council’s legal department got involved negotiating contracts with bus companies on behalf of parent groups and additionally for the Council to consider a Hardship Fund for struggling families. Both proposals were dismissed. I have constituents who simply cannot afford to pay an extra average of £37 per child per month to get their children safely to school on regular buses. And consider families who now face new bus fares for two or three children?
It’s not too long before Renfrewshire Council will be considering next year’s budget. All interested parties should keep making their concerns known to their local councillors, urging all those who supported cutting these school buses to revisit their decision next time round. If top council officers are benefiting from a whopping 23% pay rise (2007-09) – then children surely should have school transport.
Teachers and Pupil/Teacher ratios
Regular readers will know that over the past two years I have been repeatedly highlighting my dismay over the sharp cuts since 2007 in teacher numbers. Earlier this year the Scottish Government published sets of figures which sadly confirmed all my warnings. The figures show Renfrewshire to have the
- highest % cut in teachers overall in Scotland – 244 teachers in total have gone
- highest % cut in secondary teachers,
- highest pupil/teacher number overall in Scotland
- highest pupil/teacher secondary number in Scotland
Since 2007, across Scotland 2500 teacher jobs and 1000 support workers have been cut which is bad news in itself – but I simply don’t know why Renfrewshire has pursued this unenviable prize of being ‘top of the cuts’. Sadly it’s Renfrewshire’s children who have been sold short.
Click here for full details and links to the Scottish Government website
NHS & THE RAH
RAH Car Parking
Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board intend to introduce their managed car parking scheme on Sunday 5th of September. Staff are rightly frustrated and disappointed at mere advice on alternative methods of transport to work, including cycling – rather than a review of unsuccessful parking permit applications!
Initially when we met Health Board bosses earlier this year there seemed to be a willingness from the Chief Executive to take a fresh look at how to “problem solve” many of the shortcomings of the proposed plans, and I hoped the delay of the June implementation plans signalled positively.
Disappointingly, over the last two months cooperation and promised correspondence detailing improvements have not been forthcoming and subsequently no significant changes to the original plans and permit allocation criteria are evident.
I also wrote to the Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon on a particular point one constituent raised, I attach a copy of the Minister’s response letter backing the board – click here to read for your information.
I assure you of my continued best intentions on this issue and whilst, like many, I fear Health Board ears appear closed; I will continue to press them and will return with any progress news. In the meantime the 5th of September draws close and the impact will soon be felt.
Maternity Bed Cuts at the RAH
We have all been hearing of impending ‘NHS cuts’. The first local cuts at the RAH have begun this month with a near 20% cut to maternity beds. But in addition to that new figures obtained by a Freedom of Information request to each Scottish health board reveal that over 1,100 hospital beds have been cut in Scotland over the past three years. The biggest decline has been in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which has cut 333 beds in the past three years.
Hospital Cleaning Cuts
Earlier this summer I welcomed good news figures reporting a drop in Hospital Acquired Infections such as C.Difficile and MRSA – but results of another recent Freedom of Information request show that four out of fourteen Health Boards have now cut back on cleaning jobs despite the Scottish Government promising in 2009 that they would give Health Boards more money to employ “hundreds more cleaners”. Greater Glasgow & Clyde has cut 65 cleaners jobs over the past year. My alarm bells start to ring. A major inspection of the RAH for cleanliness is underway this week – I am following events closely.
Tesco in Linwood
The residents of Linwood understandably must wonder if they will ever see this project completed. The joy in 2007 understandably turned to utter frustration and anger some time ago. I continue to push Tesco, from the Chief Executive down, to make good on the loud promises they made to everyone.
For the past 18 months all Tesco’s statements/media press releases have cited only the ‘bodies in the crypt’ matter as being the reason for the delay. They claim to be “fully committed” to the Linwood project. In July Lord Brodie, at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, passed judgement to allow the movement of the bodies. Of course I immediately wrote to Tesco again pushing for Linwood commitment. I’m afraid their lack of communication does not bode well and leads to more anxiety. I share the community’s real disappointment but will continue to bang on the door on this huge corporation until we get our deserved result!
Knife Crime
FEWER criminals will be going to jail in Scotland after the Scottish Government, in a very tight Parliament vote on the Criminal Justice Bill, won through with their plans to scrap prison sentences of three months or less. The Scottish Government also rejected an amendment for mandatory sentences for knife crime.
Last year almost 2000 people were hospitalised after being stabbed in Scotland. Over 50 people were killed. The tolls of knife crime has been particularly high in Renfrew and Paisley this summer, with the shameful death of a visitor from India following a stabbing in Renfrew. My colleagues and I have promoted a tougher sentence around the message, ‘Carry a knife, go to jail’. Though we lost the vote we haven’t given up, the campaign will continue for the sake of the victims of knife crime, their families and the 30,000 Scots who signed up demanding action on knife crime.
The Cost of Cancelling GARL
In May’s news update I mentioned the cancellation of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) cost Paisley 650/675 in jobs. Scottish Government figures confirm the cost of the cancellation was calculated at £40 million once VAT is added. I remain resolute in calling for the project to be reinstated – and the vital jobs brought to Paisley instead of money poured down the drain with cancellation. Click here to read the Herald report in June or detail posted on my website.
UWS Paisley Campus student residence project
The University has launched its project to spend nearly £14million on quality new build student accommodation in the centre of Paisley. The University is holding two public consultation events for Paisley people the opportunity to find out more about the development. The main one on Thursday this week. Click here for detail or to get more information on the events contact Sandy Jamieson of the University’s Estates and Buildings department on 0141 848 3266.
Renfrew Health Centre Official opening
Although the doors opened to patients in March, the official opening of the new Renfrew Health centre took place last week. Click here to read the Paisley Daily Express report.
A practice manager kindly wrote to me… “I remember well how supportive you were when we were ‘negotiating’ (is that the correct word!!) with the Health Board and trying to convince them that Renfrew did need a new centre and the premises we occupied at that time were wholly inadequate for the needs of the population and for the staff. Your support was very much appreciated.”
This was a great day for Renfrew. This centre was built because almost five years ago the patients of Renfrew mounted a massive campaign petitioning the last Scottish Government for a new health centre fit for 21st century. The town’s efforts attracted the attention of Andy Kerr, who was Health Minister at the time and in January 2007 he visited the town and pledged £7m extra to make this state-of-the-art centre happen. I was proud to be involved in organising the petition and securing Government cash to get the Centre underway. For the first time Renfrew will have its own minor surgery and new specialist clinics. Well done Renfrew – you made it happen!
Big Lottery Funding – local Funders Fair
Big Lottery will have £400 million to invest in Scotland’s communities between 2010 and 2015 and I want to encourage Renfrewshire community projects to apply for their fair share. Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and East Renfrewshire Councils and CVS’s are presenting a joint Funders Fair in event in collaboration with Big Lottery Scotland, in Paisley Town Hall on Thursday 2nd September.
Big Active Week – August 20th-29th
There is still time to take part in Renfrewshire Council’s Big Active week activities. A commendable series of events promoting sport and general exercise for all age groups. Click here to learn more.