Scottish Parliament passes Forth Road Bridge Bill

05/06/2013

Forth BridgeCompanies can now tender bids to become the new operator of the Forth Road Bridge (FRB) and the Forth Replacement Crossing, as well as maintaining the connecting trunk roads and equipment. This follows the Scottish Parliament voting unanimously to pass the Forth Road Bridge Bill.

Commenting after the debate on the Bill, Dunfermline MSP Bill Walker said:

“The Scottish Government believes that a single company managing and maintaining the FRB and Forth Crossing will provide a cost effective and coordinated approach. Staff from the existing operator, FETA, will transfer to the new operator, bringing expertise and continuity. Read more of this post

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NHS Fife health and social care integration

05/06/2013

NHSDunfermline MSP Bill Walker has welcomed Fife NHS Board’s recent establishment of a Shadow Integrated Health & Social Care Partnership Board, which will work alongside the current Community Health Partnership Committees and oversee developments.

The new board will take an integrated partnership approach for NHS and Social Work services in Fife. It will reduce barriers between the services and ensure those in need of support are able to remain as independent as possible. Read more of this post

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Culross Abbey restoration open day

04/06/2013

Bill Walker MSP at Culross AbbeyCulross Abbey recently held a well-attended open day, following the completion of £310,000 of repair and replacement work to the roof and to other parts of this historic church.

Among the many events held throughout the day were an Abbey exhibition, afternoon tea in the cloister garden and a talk in the manse garden by the National Trust on the history of Culross.

Attending the open day, local MSP Bill Walker said: “It’s been a lovely day, with lots to do. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to visit the top of the refurbished Bell Tower and see the spectacular views across the Forth, even if there were a hundred steps to climb! Read more of this post

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Former Pitreavie athlete Eilidh Child sets new Scottish record

04/06/2013

Eilidh Child and Bill Walker MSPDunfermline MSP Bill Walker has applauded former Pitreavie Amateur Athletics Club member Eilidh Child on setting a new Scottish record after she won the 400m women’s hurdles in Geneva.

The Olympian and Commonwealth Games silver medallist held onto the number one spot in the UK rankings and achieved a new personal best by completing the race in 54.93 seconds.

Mr Walker said: “Eilidh Child is going from strength to strength as a full-time athlete. She took gold at Gothenburg a few months ago in the 4 x 400m women’s indoor relay and won silver in the individual 400m women’s race. I wish her every success in her goal of winning a place in the final at the World Championships in Moscow. Read more of this post

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Dramatic rise in Fifers turning to payday loans

03/06/2013

StepChangeThe dramatic rise in Fifers struggling with payday loans is a cause for ‘grave concern’, according to Dunfermline MSP Bill Walker.

New data shows that the number of Fife clients of StepChange Debt Charity with payday loans almost tripled between 2012 and the first three months of 2013, rising from 11% to 30%. Between 2011 and 2012, the average amount owed increased from £375 to £1,656, though this dipped to £1,385 in March 2013.

Mr Walker said: “The number of Fifers turning to payday loans is a grave concern. The interest rates charged can be extremely alarming, leaving people with no money for day-to-day expenses when they attempt to make their monthly repayment. Payday loans may appear to be a quick fix, but in reality what might begin as a relatively small loan can soon escalate out of control. Read more of this post

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£25 million upgrade project underway at Longannet Power Station

31/05/2013

LongannetDunfermline MSP Bill Walker has welcomed confirmation that a major upgrade project is underway to deliver a £25 million overhaul of one of Longannet Power Station’s four generating units. More than 50 individual contracts have been awarded, and up to 650 workers will be onsite over a four month period.

The work is being carried out on Unit 3, which alone is capable of generating up to 600MW of electricity – approximately 10% of Scotland’s average peak electricity demand. Major boiler parts will be fully replaced, including pipe work and the Generator Transformer, while the valves, pumps and motors will be overhauled.

Mr Walker said: “Longannet has been a large employer of skilled and professional Fife workers over the last four decades, and this hefty investment will ensure the station continues to operate efficiently.” Read more of this post

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Dunfermline residents urged to follow Hearing Loss communication tips

29/05/2013

IMG_0642MSP Bill Walker is urging Dunfermline residents to follow some top tips from Action on Hearing Loss to avoid making everyday life harder for family, friends or colleagues with hearing loss.

The charity’s website (www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/daw2013) features videos highlighting how difficult communication is for people who live life without sound. Visitors can take part in a fun challenge to lipread examples of everyday conversation, to discover just how confusing this can be for people who are deaf. Read more of this post

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Epilepsy awareness week

29/05/2013

Dunfermline MSP Bill Walker has pledged his support for the 54,000 people living with epilepsy in Scotland.

Speaking during National Epilepsy Week (19-25 May), Mr Walker said: “Epilepsy is still the most common, serious neurological condition in the world but it impacts each person’s life in a unique and individual way.

“Epilepsy affects men, women and children of all ages from every ethnic group and social status. Read more of this post

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NHS Fife new Executive Director announcement

23/05/2013

NHSMSP for Dunfermline, Bill Walker, has welcomed the announcement that Dr Scott McLean will become NHS Fife’s new Executive Director of Nursing.

Dr McLean, currently Director of Nursing and Governance at Barts Health NHS Trust in London, takes up the position this summer following the early retirement of current Board Nurse Director, Anne Buchanan.

Mr Walker said: “Dr McLean began his nursing career as a Registered Nurse at the Victoria Hospital, so I am delighted he has decided to return to Fife. He brings extensive experience, and I wish him every success in his new role serving the people of Fife once again.” Read more of this post

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Summer-themed Synergie Disco in Dunfermline

22/05/2013

image-1Synergie will be holding a laser disco for teenagers on 31st May in the Vine Conference Centre, with DJs Sonar Zone and James Dean.

Other activities on the night include air hockey, Just Dance Wii, giant Jenga, inflatables, energy drainer and lots more. Ice cream, burgers and hot dogs will be on sale for the peckish.

Previous events have attracted around 80 young people, and organisers are hoping for an even bigger turn out this time. Following the successful superheroes theme at the last event, the current theme is summer. Read more of this post

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Bill Walker MSP signs youth work pledge

16/05/2013

Bill WalkerDunfermline MSP Bill Walker has added his name to a pledge to ensure sustained and long-term investment in the future of youth work.

Thirty-two MSPs signed the pledge during a YouthLink Scotland reception in Holyrood, held in honour of the outstanding winners from the National Youth Worker of the Year Awards 2013.

The pledge asks politicians to acknowledge the value of youth work and the positive impact it has on the lives of young people. It also states the need for sustained and long-term investment in the sector. Read more of this post

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Yes campaign for independence holds packed meeting in Dunfermline

14/05/2013

044The Dell Farquharson Centre in Dunfermline recently hosted a packed Yes Scotland meeting. Around 200 people of all ages came together to share a vision of “a fairer, more prosperous” independent Scotland.

Yes Scotland Chairman and former Labour MP Dennis Canavan headed the panel, while former SNP MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville, a director of the Yes campaign, convened the meeting. Read more of this post

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Campaign to stop MS lottery

13/05/2013

Sue PolsonDunfermline MSP Bill Walker has pledged to help ensure everyone living with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Scotland has access to the right treatment, care and support, regardless of where they live. This comes after the largest ever survey of people with MS found that this was not always the case. Read more of this post

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New NHS Fife Chair appointment

09/05/2013

Dunfermline MSP Bill Walker has welcomed the appointment of Allan Burns as NHS Fife’s new Chairman. Mr Burns, who holds a CBE for services to Scottish industry, took over this month from Professor Jim McGoldrick.

Mr Walker said: “I wish Mr Burns all the best in his new role. I’m sure he will bring extensive experience to NHS Fife and follow on from the dedicated service of Professor McGoldrick.” Read more of this post

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Award-winning Inverkeithing pupil launches digital media initiative

22/04/2013

IHSTwo Inverkeithing High School pupils recently hosted the opening of the Media House, a digital media facility ‘for pupils, run by pupils’.

Depute head boy Lewis Phillips has been managing the school’s Media Network since launching it as a first year pupil, an initiative that earned him prestigious ICT awards.

Now in his sixth year, he has set up the Media House – a place to create content, attend pupil-run workshops and hold meetings – to ensure the project continues when he passes the mantle to S4 pupil David Simpson. Read more of this post

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Prostate Cancer UK’s Quality Checklist

09/04/2013

Scottish Parliament. MSPs show their support for Prostate Cancer UK.Dunfermline MSP Bill Walker has pledged to support the swift implementation of a Prostate Cancer UK initiative in Fife.

As a long-time supporter of the charity, the MSP backed its Quality Checklist at a recent campaigning event in the Scottish Parliament. This best practise Checklist aims to stamp out inequalities in the provision of care. It sets out 15 national standards for care and support that Scottish men with prostate cancer should expect and demand, from the point of their diagnosis onwards.

Mr Walker said: “I am delighted to endorse Prostate Cancer UK’s Quality checklist and will be writing to NHS Fife to ask that it be adopted as soon as possible. It is essential that all men diagnosed with prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men in Scotland, get the support they need.” Read more of this post

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European teachers visit Dunfermline to improve skills

09/04/2013

ISP 004Local MSP Bill Walker has welcomed an international group of English language teachers to Dunfermline, on their recent visit to improve their teaching skills and cultural awareness.

The group were taking part in a course offered by International Study Programmes, which has made the ancient Scottish capital its learning centre and regularly sends teachers here. On this occasion, the visitors came from Bulgaria, Germany, Portugal, Hungary, Poland, Sweden, Lithuania and Italy.

Mr Walker, who has been welcoming teachers to Dunfermline since 2007, said: Read more of this post

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MSP Bill Walker says “Scrap Trident”

05/04/2013

??????????Dunfermline MSP Bill Walker has lent his support in the Scottish Parliament to the Scrap Trident campaign. The campaign – which operates under the slogan: “Let Scotland lead the way to a nuclear-free world” — calls for a weekend of protest and action in Glasgow and Faslane from 13th to 15th April.

Mr Walker said: “Despite 80 per cent of Scots wanting rid of Trident and despite the Scottish Parliament voting overwhelmingly against Trident’s renewal, the London government continues to foist this unwanted obscenity upon Scottish shores. And now the Tories intend to renew Trident, meaning it will remain on the Clyde for at least another fifty years. Read more of this post

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IT Awareness Day at the Vine Conference Centre

04/04/2013

IT Turning PointIT Turning Point and The Vine Conference Centre are running an IT Awareness Day, with all proceeds going to the charity LemonAid. The event takes place on the 11th April between 9:30 till 15:00, in Room 1 of The Vine Conference Centre.

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£5,000 grant for Pitreavie Amateur Athletics Club

04/04/2013

Awards for All ScotlandDunfermline’s Pitreavie Amateur Athletics Club, which nurtured the talents of 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships gold medallist Eilidh Child, has received a £5,000 Awards for All grant from sportscotland.

The funding will go towards new equipment, with the aim of increasing the level of participation within the club and developing the skills of its elite athletes.

MSP for Dunfermline, Bill Walker, said: “This is excellent news for Pitreavie, especially in light of the upcoming Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Pitreavie has produced many fine athletes, and I look forward to watching our local talent compete for Scotland in the Games. Read more of this post

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Parliament gives healthy response to vitamin D advances

03/04/2013

A Crossford woman diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1998 was among the speakers at a presentation in the Scottish Parliament explaining the health advantages of vitamin D.

Sue Polson, an active member of the MS Society’s Research Network and its Steering Group, argued the “overwhelming” case for supplementing the population of Scotland with the vitamin.

She said: “When you combine the evidence for the benefits of Vitamin D in other conditions, surely the case for supplementation is overwhelming? MS alone costs this country a vast amount of money; it costs each family concerned a whole way of life, and it costs the person with MS their future.”

Attending the event, MSP for Dunfermline Bill Walker said: “Though vitamin D is necessary for our health, it is often lacking in Scotland due to poor sunlight and our modern life-styles. Recent research has shown a vitamin D deficiency in 84% of our population, but this can be overcome with relatively cheap supplements and by eating more fish. Read more of this post

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High Hedges Bill is “welcome action” for Dunfermline and West Fife

03/04/2013

High hedgeDunfermline MSP Bill Walker has hailed the passage of a Private Member’s Bill tackling the nuisance of high hedges as “welcome action for people throughout Dunfermline and Fife”.

The High Hedges (Scotland) Bill, raised by North East Scotland MSP Mark McDonald, passed unanimously through the Scottish Parliament and is the first Private Member’s Bill of the current session.

Mr Walker said: “I was glad to participate in the early stages of drafting the High Hedges (Scotland) Bill, in 2011.

“Under this new legislation, a high hedge is a ‘row of two or more trees or shrubs rising to a height of more than two metres which forms a barrier to light’. All species of trees and shrubs are included. Read more of this post

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Headwell House care home opens in Dunfermline

03/04/2013

Fife Provost Jim Leisman and Bill Walker MSPLocal MSP Bill Walker has attended the official opening of Headwell House in Dunfermline, the latest residential care home of Fife-based Abbotsford Care Ltd.

Headwell House has 60 en suite rooms, with accommodation for 64 older people and vulnerable adults requiring residential, nursing and respite care. It aims to provide a “home from home” atmosphere, while guaranteeing a safe and secure environment for residents, staff and visitors.

Mr Walker said: “I was very pleased to attend the official opening ceremony of Headwell House, conducted by the Provost of Fife, Jim Leishman.  I met a good number of the 60-odd residents, who seemed pleased with their accommodation. Read more of this post

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FHA calls for “bedroom tax” to be suspended for further investigation

27/03/2013

FHADunfermline MSP Bill Walker has expressed dismay at a report by Fife Housing Association (FHA) highlighting the impact and consequences of the UK Government’s “bedroom tax”.

Under the changes coming into force 1st April, social tenants deemed to have one bedroom too many will have to pay an average of £9 extra per week, while those with two bedrooms extra must find around £16.

FHA expects one in five of their tenants to be affected. Many are extremely vulnerable, have serious health problems or are already struggling financially. Alarmingly, most have no immediate affordable accommodation alternatives. Read more of this post

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Dunfermline MSP commends fund-raising local businesswoman after CHAS visit

25/03/2013

CAP&CHAS 004Dunfermline MSP Bill Walker has congratulated the “outstanding” fund-raising efforts of a local businesswoman, after her recent charity fashion shows raised over £21,000 for the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS).

Laura Campbell, owner of La Vida Boutique in Cairneyhill, managed to sell over 600 tickets for her two shows at Keavil House Hotel in Crossford, exceeding her fund-raising target.

Speaking after a visit with Mrs Campbell and fellow fundraiser Garry Gibb to Rachel House hospice in Kinross, Mr Walker said: Read more of this post

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