PDE Column, 5th April 2010 – Easter Holiday, Harriet in Renfrew, Callants Rotary Club, Renfrew Ferry, Disabled Children

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.

Callants Rotary Club

I had the pleasure of speaking at the Paisley Callants Rotary Club and dinner. The considerable fundraising went to Accord who are going from strength to strength. This week I expect to be back at the Glynhill to help celebrate 40 years of success as a family owned business. The food is great and the atmosphere is welcoming – a big achievement given the chains that dominate the hotel business these days.

Renfrew Ferry

Warm clothes were in order for the last sailing of the old Renfrew Ferry on last week and also at Linwood Community Gardens supported by Braehead where volunteers braved last week’s snow to get their certificates. I was back in Linwood on Tuesday evening for an onsite meeting with police and local residents to try and get more effective measures against youths causing trouble around the Clippens shops. One positive suggestion is for community cops to be more visible at lunchtimes when 40 pupils are squeezing into small shops.

Disabled Children

Since Easter is about celebrating new life let me mention two worrying trends about children. I have recently had a number of parents of disabled kids at my surgery. Each case is different – but disabled kids can get missed.
Labour had been putting pressure on the Scottish Government over services for disabled children and their families. A  Scottish Government review has now been offered. However it is still unclear where the £34m of financial consequentials for disabled children from the U.K government has been spent by ministers in Scotland. Too many disabled families have been denied access to adequate respite care and the vital aid and adaptation that they deserve. They also lack to proper support to allow them to lead more independent lives. I welcome the review if – and only if – it reports quickly and then acts immediately so that families so far let down get the help they need.

Renfrewshire Association for Mental Health (RAMH) wrote to me about improving mental health services for children and young people within Scotland. The guidance set out in 2005 by the Scottish Government argued that confidential, accessible counselling support should be available for all. Despite this commitment in 2005, there is still no Scottish national strategy to make it happen.

The Governments of Wales and Northern Ireland have in place national strategies for school counselling, and provide ring fenced funding for these services in every secondary school in their countries. Yet the young people of Scotland do not universally have the benefit of this provision. In February, I wrote to the Minister for Schools and Skills Keith Brown MSP asking him to put in place the nationwide service found in Wales and Northern Ireland, as I would like to see the same service here in Renfrewshire

Community Clear up

Finally, congratulations to those involved in the community clear up on Sunday 28th of March in Houston. Over 45 volunteers took part and around 100 bin bags full of rubbish filled which is a fantastic achievement. Houston Community Council were the main drivers behind this day and were joined by local councillors, wardens and environmental service personnel.