S4M-04909: Scouts’ Funding to Encourage Duke of Edinburgh Award Participation

21/11/2012

That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish Council of the Scout Association, based in Fordell Firs in Fife, on securing an award of £9,826 from the Big Lottery Fund; wishes the association well in its endeavours to use the funding to increase participation in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expedition Programme, and understands that it will create an equipment store at Lochgoilhead Outdoor Activity Centre and purchase tents, GPS trackers, navigation compasses, boots, outer jackets and outer trousers.

Supported by: David Torrance, Richard Lyle, Bill Kidd, Mike MacKenzie, Colin Beattie, Kevin Stewart, Nigel Don

Date Lodged: 20/11/2012

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Royal Naval Remembrance Service at Pattiesmuir

20/11/2012

On Remembrance Saturday, I was honoured to lay a wreath on behalf of the Scottish Parliament at the Royal Naval Memorial in Douglas Bank Cemetery, Pattiesmuir, near Limekilns.

The Remembrance Parades held across Scotland are particularly poignant in light of the UK’s on-going commitment to operations in Afghanistan. I was glad to take part again in this highly intimate and moving parade, which was very well attended. Read more of this post

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Rates Payments Discount

15/11/2012

I also voted for the Scottish Government’s proposal to reduce the discount owners of empty commercial and domestic properties receive on their rates. It will drop from 50% to 10%.

This move is to encourage owners to use, rent or sell rather than leave properties empty and effectively subsidised by other rates payers. Properties left unoccupied can deteriorate substantially and become eyesores. They can also cause disamenity to neighbouring properties.

Exceptions to this new law will apply in certain circumstances – for example with factory units, where it can understandably be difficult to find new operators for specialised use. Read more of this post

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Halbeath Park and Choose

15/11/2012

Recently I attended the launch of the Halbeath Park and Choose, where Scottish Government Transport Minister Keith Brown cut the first turf.

This facility, supported by £10m dedicated finance from the Scottish Government, is located near the M90 motorway. It will work similarly to Ferrytoll Park and Ride by enabling drivers to park their cars, then take a bus or car-share to their eventual destinations. Read more of this post

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Drink-Drive Limit

15/11/2012

The Scottish Parliament has voted 100 to 12 in favour of reducing the drink-drive limit from 80mg alcohol per 100 ml of blood to 50mg/100ml.

I was pleased to vote for this change. Over the decades, the once commonplace concept of “one for the road” has thankfully been consigned to history. Drink-driving is instead recognised as anti-social and, of course, downright dangerous.

Numbers of road accidents have fallen over time and continue on a downward trend, despite the increased volume of traffic. This is happening for a variety of reasons. For example, roads are now generally better maintained and cars are designed safer, while drivers go through more rigorous testing to gain their licenses and tend to drive with greater care. Read more of this post

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Prostate Cancer UK’s Quality Checklist

08/11/2012

Dunfermline MSP Bill Walker has signed a parliamentary motion backing a Prostate Cancer UK initiative to help men with prostate cancer receive the best possible care and support regardless of where they live in Scotland.

Prostate Cancer UK’s ‘Quality Checklist: Your Standards of Care’ outlines the support men with prostate cancer expect and deserve from the health service through every step of their treatment journey. The Quality Checklist has been produced following a thorough and wide-ranging consultation with men who have been affected by the disease, as well as their families, healthcare professionals and policy makers. It advises men about information, care and support they should expect and demand, based on the experiences of other men who have had the disease. Read more of this post

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S4M-04696: Carnegie Leisure Centre Wins Saltire Award for Civil Engineering

07/11/2012

That the Parliament congratulates Carnegie Leisure Centre in Dunfermline on earning what is considered a prestigious 2012 Saltire Award for Civil Engineering; understands that the businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie presented the Edwardian leisure centre to the people of Dunfermline in 1905 and therefore considers it to be of historical importance to Fife; notes that the centre reopened in December 2011 following refurbishment and that the original period features were retained while structural issues were overcome and the entire centre was modernised for the needs of today’s visitors, and considers that the leisure centre has proved a resounding success since its re-launch with, it understands, around 1,000 visitors every evening.

Supported by: Stuart McMillan, David Torrance, Nigel Don, Kevin Stewart, Sandra White, Colin Beattie, Colin Keir, Richard Lyle, Gil Paterson

Date Lodged: 05/11/2012

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Dunfermline City Chambers Reopens

06/11/2012

Local MSP Bill Walker has welcomed confirmation that the Dunfermline City Chambers is set to reopen following a ten month, £1.2 million refurbishment.

Mr Walker said: “The City Chambers is one of Dunfermline’s most iconic historic buildings, so I welcome this restoration and refurbishment, which I understand is to all intents and purposes complete.

“As well as being available to service users, the City Chambers will now be open for visitors and tourists to look around its amazing interior, which is very good news indeed. People should have access to such a historically and architecturally important building. The City Chambers is part of Dunfermline’s heritage quarter and is readily accessible from other places of significance, such as the Palace, Abbey, Pittencrieff Park, Abbot House and the Carnegie Library.” Read more of this post

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Stagecoach Launch New Fife-Glasgow Coaches

05/11/2012

Dunfermline MSP Bill Walker has welcomed a transport boost to Fife, after Stagecoach unveiled nine new luxury coaches for their Fife-Glasgow express network.

Attending today’s launch of the Plaxton Elite coaches in Dunfermline, Mr Walker said:

“This is a welcome investment for Dunfermline and Fife commuters. The new coaches should make journeys on this important commuter route more comfortable and pleasant. Read more of this post

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Question S4W-10762: Clean Coal Technology Prospects at Longannet Power Station

02/11/2012

Bill Walker: To ask the Scottish Government what the prospects are for the advancement of clean coal technology at Longannet Power Station.

Date Lodged: 31/10/2012 Read more of this post

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Question S4W-10766: Prevention of Female Genital Mutilation

02/11/2012

Bill Walker: To ask the Scottish Government how it protects girls at risk of female genital mutilation, in light of the Home Office’s estimation that over 20,000 children under 15 in the UK are at risk each year.

Date Lodged: 31/10/2012 Read more of this post

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Question S4W-10765: Female Genital Mutilation

02/11/2012

Bill Walker: To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there have been no prosecutions for female genital mutilation in Scotland.

Date Lodged: 31/10/2012 Read more of this post

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Question S4W-10763: UN International Day of the Girl Child

02/11/2012

Bill Walker: To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the first UN International Day of the Girl Child, which took place on 11 October 2012.

Date Lodged: 31/10/2012 Read more of this post

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Carnegie Leisure Centre Wins Saltire Engineering Award

02/11/2012

Local MSP Bill Walker has welcomed news that Dunfermline’s refurbished Carnegie Leisure Centre has won a coveted 2012 Saltire Award for Civil Engineering.

Mr Walker, who is also a chartered engineer, said: “The Saltire Society makes annual commendations in recognition of engineering excellence in Scotland, and I’m really pleased they have acknowledged Carnegie Leisure Centre this year.

“The Leisure Centre is an important building historically, presented to the Dunfermline community in 1905 by Andrew Carnegie. During the refurbishment, the engineers, architects and builders managed to preserve the original Edwardian features, while turning the Leisure Centre into a modern, state-of-the-art facility fit for the needs of today’s visitors. The refurbishment has proved a resounding success, with our local newspaper, the Dunfermline Press, recently reporting that an average of a thousand visitors flock to the centre every evening. Read more of this post

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S4M-04645: Award for Life-enhancing Charity for People with Learning Difficulties

01/11/2012

That the Parliament congratulates Dunfermline Advocacy Initiative (DAI) on its award of £7,500 from Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland; understands that this will be used to help with staff costs for a community project; notes that DAI introduces people with learning difficulties to volunteers who will work to represent their interests, protect their rights and involve them in the life of the community; understands that, in 2011, DAI was awarded £260,000 for its Younger People’s Project, which aims to improve the self-esteem, social connections and decision-making abilities of 16 to 24-year-olds with learning disabilities, and believes that DAI encourages volunteers and people with learning difficulties to make a real difference to each other’s lives.

Supported by: Brian Adam, Kevin Stewart, Richard Lyle, Sandra White, Nigel Don, Colin Beattie, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan

Date Lodged: 31/10/2012

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S4M-04621: Talk Matters Counselling Service Funding

01/11/2012

That the Parliament congratulates the Dunfermline-based counselling service Talk Matters on receiving £5,000 funding from Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland; understands that Talk Matters is a confidential counselling service for Fife and Alva adults with depression or other difficult personal circumstances; notes that this funding will go toward staff provision and that it follows a £40,000 award last year from Children in Need for the Headroom service, which provides counselling for children and younger people, and recognises the importance of ensuring that people with depression have the opportunity to talk about their thoughts and feelings in confidence

Supported by: Bill Kidd, Richard Lyle, Colin Beattie, Nigel Don, Kevin Stewart, Sandra White, Colin Keir, Stuart McMillan

Date Lodged: 30/10/2012

 

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S4M-04612: A Practical Commitment to Reducing CO2 Emissions in Transport

30/10/2012

That the Parliament welcomes what it understands is a commitment by Stagecoach to reduce the CO2 emissions of its entire east of Scotland bus fleet by adopting the B30 fuel system, which uses a blend of 30% biofuel and 70% standard diesel; understands that this will affect 530 vehicles across Fife, Dundee, Angus and Perthshire that use a blend of 5% biofuel and 95% diesel; believes that the B30 system will be introduced in partnership with the Motherwell-based company Argent Energy, which manufactures biofuel from waste products, and considers that this will be a positive step toward reaching what it considers to be the Scottish Government’s ambitious target for the sustainable reduction of the country’s carbon footprint.

Supported by: Mike MacKenzie, Bill Kidd, David Torrance, John Mason, Brian Adam, Richard Lyle, Colin Beattie, Maureen Watt, Dave Thompson, Gil Paterson, Kevin Stewart, Colin Keir, Stuart McMillan

Date Lodged: 30/10/2012

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Question S4W-10634: Access to Pharmacies in Rural Areas

30/10/2012

Bill Walker: To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that people in rural areas have access to local pharmacies.

Date Lodged: 26/10/2012 Read more of this post

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Question S4W-10633: NHS Self-management Programmes for Osteoarthritis

30/10/2012

Bill Walker: To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to formally evaluate the NHS self-management programmes available for people with osteoarthritis.

Date Lodged: 26/10/2012 Read more of this post

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Vine Venue Party Conference

30/10/2012

The Vine Venue in Dunfermline is continuing to prove an attractive venue for conferences and meetings. Last Saturday, it hosted the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ Autumn Conference.

Independent MSP for Dunfermline, Bill Walker, said:

“The Vine Venue is a great local option for conferences. I’m pleased to see a political party, along with other organisations large and small, using the facilities readily available here in Dunfermline. Read more of this post

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Question S4W-10613: Aviation fuel at Edinburgh Airport

29/10/2012

Bill Walker: To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds regarding the recent lack of aviation fuel at Edinburgh Airport, which caused the unscheduled diversion of fuel of several outgoing flights, and what steps it will take to prevent delays for passengers caused by refuelling diversions.

Date Lodged: 25/10/2012 Read more of this post

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Red Herrings

25/10/2012

Time and again, the Scottish independence debate is side-tracked by irrelevant and short-lived matters.  Future independence has significance far beyond the political hot-topics of today and beyond the public figures who presently support or oppose it.

We should be thinking about the kind of place we want Scotland to be for decades to come.  We can only do that by looking beyond party politics, beyond today’s personalities and beyond the ‘burning’ issues of the moment that won’t even be remembered in a short while. We need an open and objective discussion about the kind of Scotland future generations could inherit. Read more of this post

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Glasgow 2014

25/10/2012

MSPs in the Scottish Parliament recently had a chance to meet Clyde, the thistle-inspired mascot of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Clyde, designed by 12-year-old Beth Gilmour of Cumbernauld, will be visiting Scottish communities throughout the journey to the Games and will play a major role in key moments. I hope he will inspire children and young people to get involved in Scotland’s largest ever sporting event.

Communities, organisations and individuals must work together if the Games are to be an outstanding success and produce a lasting legacy. There are various ways to get involved, such as the Cultural and Volunteer Programmes and the Queen’s Baton Relay. Read more of this post

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Dunfermline Residents Could Make Big Energy Savings

22/10/2012

MSP Bill Walker is encouraging Dunfermline constituents to find out more about energy savings, as Citizens Advice Scotland launches Big Energy Saving Week.

The campaign, which runs from 22nd to 27th October, aims to help people be more confident and knowledgeable about finding the best energy deals.

Mr Walker said: “I was dismayed to learn from recent research by Citizens Advice that the parents of around six million children across the UK are anxious they won’t be able to pay the next energy bill. Similarly, figures from Age UK reveal that 30 per cent of people aged 65 and over avoid heating certain rooms for fear of the cost. Read more of this post

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S4M-04507: Improvements to Fife-Glasgow Bus Services

22/10/2012

That the Parliament welcomes the £4.4 million investment in Fife bus services, following Stagecoach’s recent purchase of what it understands are nine luxury Plaxton Elite coaches for the Fife-Glasgow express network, in addition to five coaches for the Fife-Edinburgh service purchased over the last year; believes that this enhancement will particularly benefit disabled and older people and people commuting to work; understands that the coaches have an increased capacity of 65 leather seats and feature wheelchair lifts, CCTV, toilets and free wi-fi, and looks forward to similar improvements in services throughout Scotland.

Supported by: David Torrance, Richard Lyle, Kenneth Gibson, Colin Beattie, Stuart McMillan

Date Lodged: 19/10/2012

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