Scottish Parliament News
|
Cathy Peattie MSP
|
Wanted: local drug rehabilitation facilitySpeaking at a meeting in St. Andrew's Parish Church in Bo'ness, Cathy Peattie said that there is "a desperate need for a rehabilitation service in the Forth Valley Area." "Parents tell of their frustration when they try to get help for their children. They find that help for people with drug problems is difficult to access. They expect to be able to pick up a phone and get support, but they can't. "I have been concerned for some time about the lack of rehab provision in the Forth Valley area. I have met with a number of families who have complained over the past months about the lack of such a facility. "I am pleased by the proactive work that is undertaken by voluntary organisations in some areas, but they have no route for those in need of more concentrated support. We need a joined up strategy that includes residential rehabilitation. "I am very concerned about the support for young people and their families. There must better way to deal with kids than we have at present. "I will be writing to Forth Valley Health Board, Falkirk Council, and the Scottish Executive calling for this service to be set up. I would also like to ask families and others affected by this lack of provision to get in touch with me." Cathy in ParliamentCathy's recent contributions to parliamentary debate have included speeches on various aspects of Education, on the Voluntary Sector, and on Oxfam. These are reproduced below. She also prepared a speech on hunting but did not deliver it due to the tight timetable that operates in the Scottish Parliament. It's a shame to waste all that informative text, so it's included too... OxfamI congratulate Mary Mulligan on bringing the debate to the chamber. I also congratulate Linlithgow Oxfam group on its 26 years' work. I heard of the work of the group some time ago. That work is important because Oxfam, like many voluntary organisations, works nationally but is sustained by work done by local volunteers working actively week in, week out. Those volunteers not only raise money, they raise awareness. The work that Oxfam has done to raise awareness about fair trade is important. A few weeks ago, Berta Gomez, who is a banana trade union worker from South America, came to the Parliament. She told us about the living and working conditions of women there. They are fighting to make their lives better—fighting for workers' rights and against poverty and oppression. They are campaigning with the little that they have to set up a women's health clinic and they seek our support and our awareness of what is happening. When I heard Berta Gomez, I felt guilty about how I do my shopping. My kids grew up knowing that they should not buy things from particular companies or shops. I asked her about fair trade: "What about fair trade bananas? I don't buy the bananas that your company produces." She thought that the fair trade campaign was important, because if people like me in the richer part of the world continue to buy fair trade produce, her company will treat the workers in her area better. As the constituency MSP for Falkirk East, I want to thank Oxfam for the work that is happening in Braes High School and in other schools. Active citizenship is not just about what happens in schools, it is about what happens in the community—locally, nationally and internationally. Only by understanding what is happening to those of the same age in other parts of the world can youngsters start to appreciate what it means to be an active citizen. We must remember that we all have a responsibility in supporting the work of Oxfam, raising awareness and fighting world poverty.
* Cathy recently tabled a motion on Fair Trade which has already attracted majority support in Parliament HuntingThe Parliament held its Stage 1 debate on the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill on 19 September. The Parliament agreed to the general principles of the Bill and it now moves forward to Stage 2. The vote was carried by 78 to 38. We have won the moral argument over fox hunting and other blood sports. There is no moral justification for the brutal infliction of unnecessary suffering on animals for recreational pleasure. Both common sense and academic research support the notion that hunted animals are subject to very real suffering, especially when the process is prolonged by its very nature - it's not good sport to catch a fox too quickly. The argument that it is a necessary form of pest control is also difficult for any impartial observer to accept. Consider
Like most animals, foxes acquire a taste for food through youthful experience. Limit the supply of dead lambs by clearing them from fields more quickly, and you not only limit their food supply, thus reducing numbers, you also make it less likely that mature foxes will take lambs in the future. The hunt makes little or no impact on the fox population. Its function as a form of pest control is really a masquerade for its function as a blood sport. This is further emphasised by claimed figures for its economic importance. When I first looked at the economic argument, I was told that hunting supported 15,000 jobs in the UK. By a remarkable coincidence, this was also an estimate for the number of foxes killed by the hunts. If it were a true reflection, the ratio of one fox per job would make this a staggeringly inefficient method of catching foxes. (The hunt supporters, of course, would probably be in the frontline of those criticising any perceived inefficiency in industry…) Of course, most jobs are not dependent on hunting as a form of pest control, and as such, job losses are - not unexpectedly - somewhat exaggerated. Most, if not all jobs could remain if hunts took to drag racing. Whatever happened to the hunts, people would continue to own and ride horses, and many jobs would continue. We must also expect opponents of this Bill to exaggerate and raise false fears regarding the impact upon other forms of hunting. Some are also morally reprehensible, and I will be pleased to see the abolition of justifiable targets. It is the purpose of this parliament to ensure that they are accurately targeted. My constituents, both urban and rural, have been almost universally in favour of the proposed legislation. The only opposition has been based upon fears regarding the impact on activities other than fox hunting and hare coursing. Once discussed, they have been assured that either their fears are groundless, the result of misinformation, or that they can easily be remedied by amendments that I would personally be willing to put to the Bill. It is arrant nonsense to suggest that, for example, angling is in the firing line. It is clearly not the object of this Bill - such suggestions are mischievous and misleading. I object strongly to the attempt to smear this Bill out of existence. Much has made of the committee's misgivings. But the committee was badly divided. It agreed to make a recommendation on a casting vote (and kept that private until publication). Yes, it is flawed, but how often do Bills not contain flaws at this stage? All Bills are subject to amendment to ensure that they do what they are intended to do. I do not see why this Bill should be an exception. Like other Bills, it must be allowed to proceed to the next stage. It is not fundamentally flawed. Those who say so are either fundamentally opposed, or somehow taken in by the pack that wants to kill the Bill. The principles of the Bill are fundamentally correct. Let us move forward to consider the best way to put principles into practice. Scottish BalletThe Education, Culture & Sport Committee held an urgent inquiry into the recent decision to change Scottish Ballet's artistic direction towards contemporary dance. The inquiry heard from the national company, Scottish Arts, and trade unions (who were - surprise - not properly consulted beforehand) |
Wanted: Bus GripesCathy Peattie wants constituents to contact her about their problems with bus services. She wants to compile a dossier on the trials and tribulations of Falkirk East commuters - and then to confront those responsible. "There has been a steady flow of grumbles about bus services," said Cathy, "and the occasional roar when services are cancelled, as with the recent campaign to restore a Westquarter bus service. "Letter writing and petitions won a reprieve for that service, but in other circumstances, writing letters has not led to greater satisfaction for those constituents who have approached me. "I have therefore approached First Bus to seek a meeting with their Managing Director. Besides pulling together the various comments I have already received, I would like to make sure I raise all the current issues of concern. "So, if you have any aspect of our bus services that you would like me to raise, please write or phone to tell me about it. And of course, I'm happy to get your views on other issues too!" AssessmentThe system is failing some children because we are failing to pick up the signs early enough. That means that special educational needs are not identified and addressed quickly. Different systems of assessment are in place and they do not work well together. Change is needed, and the proposals recognise that. They seek to modernise the assessment process to ensure that it is a coherent part of our overall strategy. Assessment should not be put in place simply for its own sake. It should benefit children and assist those with potential difficulties. Assessment should maximise our children's academic, social and vocational attainment. It must take account of the child's starting point and be sensitive to their social background, school environment and other relevant factors. Assessment is not a replacement for other means of determining a child's progress in education. The proposals seek to bring together the diversity of existing systems. They seek to simplify the assessment system so as to produce a balanced approach—one that takes account of the views of parents, children and teachers. Assessment helps us to get a better picture. It will continue to do so. How education is used depends on our philosophy of education, which is important. We want to use a child-centred approach to deliver a streamlined, comprehensive system that supports the child to make a seamless progression through his or her school years. Pupil involvement is needed in the process of monitoring learning and of setting personal targets. That is central to the child's progress in the education system. Research has confirmed the value of involving pupils in their own development. Pupils learn better and faster when they are involved meaningfully in the process of assessment and positive feedback. I believe strongly in the idea of personal learning plans. The Executive's proposal to introduce such plans for all children by 2003 should go a long way to addressing an existing educational deficit. By assessing progress, it is possible to identify how best to support and structure a child's learning. Academic performance is not the only measure of a child's ability. The new qualifications are designed to encourage and reward the five core skills of communication, numeracy, technology, problem solving and working with others. However ... assessment should not be an undue burden in the classroom. It should assist and not get in the way of the learning plan. I welcome the minister's commitment to simplifying assessment and reducing the work load of teachers and lecturers. That will allow teachers to teach without a constant eye on the next assessment. Children, teachers and parents will welcome the proposals. Sport in SchoolsFor many, memories of sport at school are not happy ones… While there were a few who excelled and got extra attention, many people were happy to be neglected, or worse, forced to participate... Depressed by their lack of success, some even reduced to tears… Partly as a result, many Scots are happy to be spectators, and reluctant to be a participant. That's why we need to look at what is happening in schools to promote active involvement in sport. School is the place to make the difference - sooner rather than later. If favourable attitudes to active involvement are not acquired in children's early years, the task can be much more difficult later on. There are also distinct gender differences. Studies show girls are less likely to participate voluntarily in school sports, and much less likely to continue with sporting activities after school. Schools need to look at what is on offer to girls, and make sure that it is attractive to them. If girls are interested in Aerobics, Dance and Gymnastics, we should ensure they are available. I note that professional football clubs now get involved with schools - both primary and secondary. And I must congratulate the Scottish Rugby Union for their work with teachers and children. But where else can this sort of involvement come from? There is not the same level of involvement from other organised sports. I realise that they do not have the same resources, but we need to consider how we can get them involved. Again, this has a greater impact on girls' involvement in sport. Girls should play rugby or football if they want to - but their horizons are often a lot broader, and we need to cater for this. Schools should not use bans from sport as a punishment. Sport should be used in a positive way, to channel energies and teach appropriate behaviour, and the values of team work and fair play, of bettering oneself being more important than being better than someone else - striving for personal bests rather than winning... Perhaps schools could also get parents involved and teach them not to be so competitive on their children's' behalf… New games could be more widely used (every school should have a parachute!). These are activities that promote co-operation. They are great fun - and children learn a lot, mostly painlessly… SportScotland has been involved in good work in schools. Examples include the £450,000 spent on their Active Primaries pilot. I know that SportScotland is committed to working partnerships to promote sport in schools and to encourage young people to learn new sports and skills. Sports Co-ordinators have taken on this role in some schools. We need them in every school. We also need the support of adults from outside school, to contribute to sport in school - and they should get proper recognition of their efforts when they do so - they are often the unsung heroes… Other positive examples include Councils who give concession cards or free access to children to encourage the use of leisure facilities. New Community Schools are an ideal opportunity to further a wider agenda on sport, by getting families involved - it may not be too late to rescue even the most recalcitrant couch potato parents from their passive existence!
Local Government BillCouncils will serve four-year terms with local government elections on the same day as Scottish Parliament elections. The idea was supported by 22 out of 31 councils who gave their views. The aim is to improve voter turnout, and local authorities will also be allowed to run pilot schemes to encourage voting, as well as others to make election administration more efficient. The 1999 election turnout was 59% - between 1976 and 1995, turnouts were 41-48% Elderly CareThe Scottish Executive is pressing ahead with its commitment to free personal care and nursing care for the elderly from 1 April 2002, meeting the recommendations of the Care Development Group in full. First Minister Henry McLeish said that "By putting on the table the additional £125 million each year needed to implement a policy of free nursing and personal care we have underlined our commitment to putting older people at the very top of the Executive's priorities." The money will pay for
|
The Voluntary SectorCathy began by applauding funding increases and then vented her feelings about a Tory contribution to the debate... I am sorry that Lyndsay McIntosh is no longer in the chamber, because it is clear that she knows little about the voluntary sector and has little knowledge of what that sector was like under the Tories. She has clearly not spoken to the councils for voluntary service, which were better funded in areas with Tory MPs - that was the funding situation that the voluntary sector faced. The Tories' notion of the voluntary sector was a lady bountiful idea. The sector has changed - thank goodness for that." (Needless to say, this was not well received by Tory MSPs!) Many volunteers are involved in the sector and there are 100,000 full-time workers. I challenge anyone to tell me of a sector in Scotland in which the workers - whether they are volunteers or paid workers - work harder or are more committed. The councils for voluntary service play a key role in developing the infrastructure of the voluntary sector in our communities. They support the development of partnership at all levels; they are involved in training and in promoting participation and they support proactive campaigning. There are people from all classes, all ages and both genders in the voluntary sector. We must never take the sector for granted ... It is absolute nonsense and naive to say that, because the minister or the Executive is listening to the voluntary sector, the sector is expected to do as it is told ... The voluntary sector is active at community level, in the local economy and in developing local exchange trading system - LETS - schemes, food schemes and credit unions. It is involved in training and education, supporting families in fighting drugs, environmental action and all aspects of our communities at different levels. Organisations such as the Community Training and Development Unit in Falkirk - of which I am a member - take a key role in promoting links between local and national organisations ... They encourage active citizens to consider political issues at local level and civic processes and they visit Parliament to listen to MSPs. Women's Aid and Rape Crisis provide support for women and their families. Such organisations work with local authorities and other agencies to build a coherent strategy to address problems. Voluntary Arts promotes the participation in the arts by young people and other groups and the development of folk, jazz and other festivals to which people go at weekends to enjoy themselves. Advocacy groups, campaigning groups, international aid and development groups all contribute to the vital work of the voluntary sector. As I said, the voluntary sector has moved on and we should not get airy-fairy ideas that it is about nice people running jumble sales for poor people. The voluntary sector is the life and soul of Scotland. All those face the issue of funding and resources, which inevitably I must talk about. Organisations say that funding - particularly from local authorities—has been static for several years and that they are trying to do more with less. I therefore welcome the minister's commitment to the voluntary sector, which will mean that it can tackle some of the obstacles in its path. In particular, I welcome the fact that the Social Justice Committee is to conduct an inquiry into the voluntary sector and will get out and listen to people. Funding consistency is needed. The voluntary sector needs to be sustainable and it needs to be encouraged to do the work that it is doing. For too long, innovation has been overemphasised. We need to deal with that. The voluntary sector cannot be expected to reinvent itself continually. Matched funding can be a nightmare and European funding can be a bigger nightmare. We have an opportunity to work with the voluntary sector—of which we can be rightfully proud—and the minister is committed to doing so. We are in the right climate to listen to what the voluntary sector is saying and to ensure that it has the funding that it deserves. More action on mobile mastsNew planning controls, prompted by public concern over the siting and impact of some masts, came into force on July 23. The regulations bring all new ground-based masts under full planning control whereas previously masts up to 15 metres in height could be erected without permission. The new regulations also increase the level of planning control over antennae and other equipment on buildings. Now, new advice has been issued on how to make mobile phone masts less of an eyesore on the landscape was given to telecommunications companies and planning authorities this week. A new Planning Advice Note (PAN) highlights best practice and outlines ways in which operators and planning authorities can minimise the environmental impact of developments, including the use of disguise and concealment. Central HeatingThe completion date for installation of central heating in council properties has been brought forward by two years - to April 2004. Those in housing association properties will be dealt with by the end of that year. As a result of this, spending allocated for years four and five of the scheme will now be used to upgrade those with partial central heating to full systems. Scottish Executive spare cashThe Scottish Executive announced on Sept. 19th that there had been a £718m underspend. This will now be redistributed with health, education and social justice being the main beneficiaries. Departments will be allowed to carry forward 75% of their underspend to the next financial year, but must set out in detail how they intend to spend the money. One beneficiary of the money are Health Boards and Trusts, who receive £79 million to wipe out their financial deficits. In addition to being able to spend more money on patient care instead of paying off debts and interest, there was a further £11 million for winter planning. Scotland to get a Children's CommissionerThe Scottish Parliament is planning to create a Children's Commission to safeguard children's right. The Education Culture and Sport Committee is now conducting an inquiry to work out the practical details that will be put to the Scottish Parliament. Cathy Peattie, Vice-Convener of the Committee, said "I think it is important children have a voice - and I don't simply mean using the Commission as children's advocates, speaking on their behalf. We have a duty under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to ensure that the law recognises children's rights. The aim of a Children's Commission should be to facilitate children access to the democratic process, to examine developments in the light of children's rights. Concessionary TransportFrom October 2002, older people and disabled people will benefit from free local bus travel for journeys outwith the morning peak. £45 million a year has been allocated to pay for the scheme, which also includes the equalisation of eligibility at the pension age for women. Protection from AbuseThe Scottish Parliament passed a new milestone recently, when it agreed the first ever Committee Bill, legislation instigated by a subject committee rather than by the Scottish Executive. The ability of Scottish Parliament committees to initiate legislation is fundamentally different from Westminster, and ensured a swift change to the law. The Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Bill extends the laws protecting victims of domestic violence by providing legal protection to the many people, such as divorced spouses, same-sex cohabitants, non-cohabitant partners, other family members such as parents or grandparents, or neighbours of abusive people whose rights are not currently recognised by existing legislation, but who are vulnerable to abuse. Currently, the main statutory protection afforded to victims of domestic abuse is under the Matrimonial Homes (Family Protection)(Scotland) Act 1981. This act was mainly introduced to protect women against the loss of their homes through the actions of their partners or by violence and intimidation. A victim of abuse who is not covered by the 1981 Act can currently apply for a common law interdict against the abuser, however the police have no power to arrest someone who breaches its terms so its effectiveness is limited. The Bill will enable a power of arrest to be attached to a common law interdict by all victims of abuse regardless of their relationship with their abuser. |
|
no java? use the sitemap |