10 Most Recent Stories From Our News

Thu 29th Jul 2010:

We need more trains and fewer planes - Jo Swinson.

In the House of Commons recently, Jo Swinson MP called on the Secretary of State for Transport to help keep the costs of rail travel down to compete with domestic flights. Last year, Jo signed the 10:10 pledge to cut her carbon emissions by 10% by the end of 2010. In order to achieve this, she has switched from air travel to train travel for her regular journeys between East Dunbartonshire and Westminster. Jo highlighted the environmental threat posed by the increasing use of air travel as a means of getting around Britain. Although travelling by train creates a far smaller amount of greenhouse gas emissions, rising rail fares may put customers off. The Minister responded by saying that the government’s proposed investment in a UK-wide high speed rail network would help to keep rail fares competitive. Commenting, Jo Swinson said: “The increased use of air travel in the UK, which is partly a result of the availability of cheap domestic flights, will have a significant impact on our environment. Air travel creates vastly more greenhouse gas emissions than train travel, and so we need to be encouraging people wherever possible to choose the greener option. “For this reason I now make all my journeys from East Dunbartonshire to Westminster and back on the train, rather than flying. “The coalition government’s commitment to invest in a nationwide high speed rail network is a crucial step in the right direction, which will help to keep cost of travelling by train competitive, and hopefully encourage more people to take the train instead of flying.” Notes: The text of Jo Swinson’s question to the Minister for Transport appears below. Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire) (LD): I welcome the Government’s commitment to high speed rail, particularly to encourage people to use rail instead of domestic air travel. Given the rising cost of rail compared with flying, what will the Secretary of State do to get the price mechanism right in order to get this shift from air to rail? Mr Philip Hammond: The High Speed 2 project will introduce a massive increase in capacity. These will be huge trains, with 1,100 seats each, and they will run at a very high frequency. Simple demand-and-supply economics should help to keep travel affordable. At the same time, after 2012, aviation will come within the European emissions trading scheme, and the carbon costs of aviation will start to be reflected in the cost of flying. To calculate the environmental impact your travel choices, visit http://www.ecopassenger.org/

Support the BBC, says Jo Swinson.

In the House of Commons yesterday, Jo Swinson MP called on Culture Minister Jeremy Hunt to help the BBC remain strong and independent. Jo Swinson praised the BBC for providing high quality programming and news coverage which is “free of the influence of commerce, or indeed Rupert Murdoch.” She is supporting the continuation of the licence fee, following the Minister’s recent comments that there may be a case for cutting it. Commenting, Jo Swinson said: “The BBC is an important British institution, and one which provides excellent programming and news coverage which is respected all over the world. I have received many letters from constituents who agree that it is vital that the BBC remains strong and independent, and this means it must be properly funded. “Having a publicly funded broadcaster ensures that there is a source of news which is not influence by commercial interests. Rather than cutting the licence fee, I would suggest that we ensure fee payers are getting value for money by opening the BBC’s accounts up to public scrutiny.” Notes: The text of Jo Swinson’s question to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport appears below: Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire) (LD): Does the Secretary of State understand the concern of many of my constituents and others across the country following the report in The Daily Telegraph of his comments on the BBC? They feel that its high-quality programming is something to be supported and celebrated, not least the excellent independent news coverage that is free of the influence of commerce, or indeed Rupert Murdoch. Mr Hunt: I agree with the hon. Lady about the importance of the BBC spending money on high-quality programming. That is what the coalition Government believe is one of the primary roles of the BBC. I also agree with her that one thing that has made British broadcasting some of the highest-quality broadcasting in the world is that we have a mix of funding streams, including the licence fee, advertising-funded programming and subscription-funded programming. That is why we are happy with that structure and intend to continue with it. You can read the question in the official Hansard report here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm100726/debt...

Liberal Democrat MSP for Central Scotland Hugh O’Donnell Prepares to go to Uganda to volunteer in VSO’s new Scottish Parliamentarian Volunteering Scheme.

Hugh O’Donnell, Liberal Democrat MSP for Central Scotland next week becomes the first MSP to volunteer in VSO’s new Scottish Parliament Volunteering Scheme. Mr O’Donnell will spend ten days helping the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU) which lobbies for the rights of people with disabilities. Disabled rights is an area Mr O’Donnell has a real active interest in, after working for 15 years with adults with learning disabilities. Mr O’Donnell will be using his skills and passion to make a difference in this area by reviewing NUDIPU’s advocacy strategy, supporting the organisation in targeting the electoral commission to secure representation for Ugandans with disabilities in addition to planning and delivering a workshop with NUDIPU for a group of disabled peoples’ organisations on joint advocacy. One in ten Ugandans has a disability and it’s estimated that over 1.4 million of these people are children under 16 years old. One of VSO’s main aims for its disability programme in Uganda is to build the capacity of disabled peoples’ organisations to engage and advocate more effectively with policymakers and organisations that deliver basic services. Commenting on his decision to volunteer, Mr O’Donnell said: “I’m looking forward to working in partnership with VSO in Uganda as the first Scottish parliamentarian to take part in their new initiative within Scotland. “I’ve known about VSO for years and the quality and commitment of their work is remarkable. Volunteering in Uganda will be very advantageous for both countries - allowing useful knowledge to be exchanged and best practices discussed. “It’ll be interesting and very useful to learn how the disability agenda is being taken forward in the developing world and I’ll be able to share my skills and knowledge on how NUDIPU could potentially improve to benefit the lives of disabled Ugandans. “I’m looking forward to working with the VSO’s partner organisation, the local people and their communities in order to bring about an agenda for change for the way in which resources are available for disabled people in Uganda.” Susanne Darcy, VSO Scotland’s manager said: “We believe our first ever volunteering programme for MSPs will be well received and we’re keen to hear from other interested Scottish parliamentarians. “We’ll then look at matching their skills with key volunteer posts available in some of the world’s poorest countries like we have with Hugh O’Donnell. “Tackling poverty requires action from governments and authorities in poor counties and the ongoing commitment of the international community. “In many countries unfair and outdated laws, poor investment in public services and failure of governments to follow through on their commitments is keeping millions in poverty. “By sharing their skills and expertise in lobbying and advocacy MSPs will be helping our partner organisations to bring about change. “We hope their VSO experience will give them a valuable insight into development issues that will enhance support for development in the Scottish Parliament.”

Lib Dem response to independent budget review: Public needs to know Government's intentions.

Commenting on the report of Scotland's Independent Budget Review panel, Liberal Democrat Finance spokesperson Jeremy Purvis said: "I welcome the Panel's report, and its clear call that the Scottish Government now needs to take seriously the task of shaping the choices it will make to reduce the Scottish Budget. "The report vindicates entirely our argument that £150 million is being locked away because of the Scottish Government’s refusal to change the way Scottish Water is funded. We argued in the 2010 budget discussions that Scottish Water, while remaining in the public’s hands, can be funded differently but John Swinney refused to listen. I hope he does now. "I am also pleased that the Panel specifically asks for action on NHS Bonuses, the issue that the Liberal Democrats have raised repeatedly but there has been no action from the SNP Government. This is a £28 million bonus pot that simply should not be being paid when nurses are seeing their salaries frozen. I believe the Panel could and should have gone further on restraint for the highest paid. Research by the Liberal Democrats, confirmed by the Scottish Government, shows that the pay bill for those earning over £80,000 in the public sector is £651 million. This is not sustainable. It should be the priority to review this, rather than the free personal care that older people benefit hugely from. "I support the move to reduce the spend on quangos and it is worth noting that we opposed the nearly £40 million set up and running costs of the two new SNP quangos of the Scottish Futures Trust and Skills Development Scotland. It is astonishing that the Panel has called on the Scottish Government 'to consider a central role for the Scottish Futures Trust in addressing the significant task of prioritising and maximising benefit from the capital investment programme' when for the last three years we have been told repeatedly by Scottish ministers that the SFT has been doing exactly that. What on earth has the millions of pounds of taxpayers' money been spent on, if the Panel has found no evidence of it doing this? Scottish Enterprise, SDS and SFT, plus VisitScotland, now need to be reviewed radically and urgently. "John Swinney has today written to me to activate the Liberal Democrat proposal for the Cross Party Strategic Budget Group of himself and Opposition Spokespeople. I am replying indicating my support for this, but that the discussion needs to be informed by what the Scottish Government proposes as a detailed response to the recommendations by the panel. I am asking for the Conservatives and SNP to reverse the position they took on the 1st July in the Parliament when they blocked demands for the Government response to be published in September. "I am today tabling a parliamentary motion demanding that the Scottish Government publishes its detailed policy intentions in response to each recommendation in the report of the Independent Budget Review Panel by the time Parliament returns after summer recess. "The time for pointing to Westminster by the SNP has now gone, the time for them making their own choices within their own budget is here. The public need to know their intentions, and public sector managers need to know their instructions."

Wed 28th Jul 2010:

Government should improve their freedom of information record.

Commenting on the launch of a Scottish Government consultation on extending the scope of Freedom of Information legislation, Liberal Democrat Finance spokesman Jeremy Purvis said: "As far as possible the legislation should follow where public money is being spent. "But quite frankly given the Scottish Government’s own very poor record in providing full and proper answers to FoI requests, it would be better if the Government itself improved on FoI issues."

Case for Islands fuel duty derogation 'compelling'.

Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael has reiterated the commitment of the Coalition Government to cutting fuel prices in rural areas after Treasury Minister Danny Alexander announced that he expected that pilot schemes to help reduce costs will be brought forward within months. Speaking during a media interview he expressed the view that the case for action was very strong in island communities, and other areas where prices are already high and public transport options limited. Commenting, Mr Carmichael said: ‘In more areas like the Northern Isles where private transport is a necessity, not a luxury, fuel is a significant outgoing and high prices make it that bit more difficult for many families to make ends meet. ‘The commitment of the coalition Government to providing drivers in rural areas with relief from high fuel prices is clear. This is an issue that Labour ducked for years – the fact that senior Ministers now expect progress within months is welcome news indeed. ‘While I would not seek to pre-empt any announcement from the Treasury, as Danny suggested in his interview yesterday there is a compelling case for island communities to be allowed to benefit from the fuel duty derogation pilot schemes.’

McArthur seeks assurances that fishermen are not penalised for climate change effects.

Orkney MSP, Liam McArthur, is seeking assurances from the Scottish Government that fisheries scientists, and others involved in establishing fish quotas, do not penalise fishermen for stock reductions caused by climate change. Research undertaken by the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership shows that climate change is causing some fish species’ distributions to move north, with some stocks having moved as much as 400 km north over the past 30 years. Liam McArthur has asked the Scottish Government whether the FRS Marine Laboratory takes this into account when assessing fish stocks and preparing advice for future stock management. He has also asked whether the Government is making sure that the European Commission is kept fully aware of the results of the research, “so that, when the Commission makes recommendations for fish quotas, quotas in the northern healthy parts of a fish Species' distribution are not cut because of climate change induced reductions in its southern parts.” He has also asked whether more use will be made of data reported by fishermen, given the need to collect all available data to help to address the extra problems scientists face when trying to collect thorough comparative data when the stocks are moving north as the southern seas warm up. Commenting, Liam McArthur said; "The reports from fishermen of Increasing stocks of cod in the northern North Sea appear compatible with the results of this research. Indeed, the findings of this report further highlight how complex this issue really is. "Clearly, at a time when Scotland's fishermen are struggling to contend with serious cuts in their quotas and fishing effort, it is imperative that the scientific basis for decisions about stock management is as a reliable and up to date as possible. It is important therefore that all available information, including from fishermen themselves, is being used to inform decision-making. Essential too, is the need to reflect the impact that other factors, including climate change, is having on the state and behaviour of stocks. "Scottish Ministers must now reassure our industry that they are alive to these issues and that they are being brought to the attention of the European Commission". Notes: Three parliamentary questions tabled by Liam McArthur: To ask the Scottish Executive whether, when assessing fish stocks and preparing advice for future stock management, does the FRS Marine Laboratory take into account the results of the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership’s research which shows that climate change is causing some fish species’ distributions to move north so that all stock reductions cannot be attributed to fishing effort alone. To ask the Scottish Executive whether, given the results of the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership’s research which shows that climate change is causing some fish species’ distributions to move north, which makes the collection of thorough comparative fish stock data more difficult, the FRS Marine Laboratory will increase its use of data collected by fishing boats so that all available data is made use of. To ask the Scottish Executive whether it ensures that the European Commission is kept fully aware of the results of the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership’s research, which shows that climate change causing some fish species distributions to move north so that, when the Commission makes recommendations for fish quotas, quotas in the northern healthy parts of a fish specie’s distribution are not cut because of climate change induced reductions in its southern parts.

Labour opposition to AV exposes staggering hypocrisy - Hughes.

Commenting on Labour's decision to oppose legislation for a referendum on the alternative vote, which was a commitment in their manifesto, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Simon Hughes said: “This is staggering hypocrisy from Labour. “Labour's shadow cabinet decision is not about principle, it is about naked opportunism. “With most of their leadership contenders claiming to back AV for a fairer voting system, it is astonishing they now wish to block the legislation to make that happen. “Each and every Labour MP campaigned on a manifesto committing to a referendum. Now they have the opportunity to make this happen but have chosen to say no for opposition's sake. “Labour can no longer claim to be the party of reform. It is now the party of vested interests and shameless self-interest.”

Lyon begins summer tour of Scotland.

George Lyon, Liberal Democrat MEP for Scotland, has begun a tour of agricultural shows across Scotland to hear the views of farmers and crofters. George Lyon MEPMr Lyon is keen to highlight the campaigns he is running to aid rural Scotland - fighting for lower fuel prices for rural communities, honest and accurate food labelling and warning against the extension of the working time directive. Commenting at the outset of his annual Scottish tour, Mr Lyon said: "The short summer recess is a chance to take stock of what has been achieved in the past year but also what must be achieved in years ahead. "The Scottish agricultural industry faces many key challenges and I am keen to hear from farmers what politicians of all stripes can do to help. "Whether it is high rural fuel prices, protecting the good name of Scottish produce or ensuring farmers can do their jobs without fear of unnecessary bureaucracy, there is much that can be achieved in Europe. "I hope to gather the support of many farmers across Scotland in the next week so I can go back to Brussels to fight Scotland's corner." Mr Lyon will visit the following agricultural shows: Saturday 31st July - Kelso Show Monday 2nd August - Turriff Show Thursday 5th August - Black Isle Show Saturday 7th August - Voe Show, Shetland Wednesday 11th August - Bute Show Saturday 14th August - Orkney County Show

Tue 27th Jul 2010:

McArthur: energy statement is a positive step for Scotland.

Commenting on the first annual energy statement from the UK Government, Liberal Democrat Energy spokesman Liam McArthur said: “The first annual energy statement is a positive step for Scotland and the UK. “The fact that grid access is to be made easier is very welcome and will hopefully provide renewables developers with greater certainty and the opportunity to obtain a connection. “This positive approach by the new UK Government gives greater confidence that Scotland's world leading renewable energy potential will be fully harnessed.”

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