ACCURATE DATA HELPS PROVIDE BETTER SERVICES IN MIDLOTHIAN AND EAST LOTHIAN
 
SNP MSP Colin Beattie is urging the people of Midlothian and East Lothian to play their part in planning for future services in Midlothian and East Lothian by completing the Scottish census.
 
Speaking ahead of the May 1 deadline for completing the census, SNP MSP Colin Beattie said:
 
“The census is the official count of every person and household in the country, takes place every 10 years and it is in the interests of everyone in Midlothian and East Lothian to complete it accurately and on time.
 
“The census benefits everyone because it helps the government and other service providers like local councils make important decisions about vital services such as education, healthcare and employment. Completing the census helps officials make better decisions about the things that matter to you.
 
“By setting aside just a few minutes to answer questions about yourself, your household, and the place where you live, you play a vital role in helping shape important community services in Midlothian and East Lothian, from the building of new schools and hospitals to improving transport links and understanding health needs.
 
“So, it is hugely important to play your part to make sure everyone is heard, and everyone’s individual needs are accurately recorded.”

An independent review has been announced to assess patient concerns regarding access to care provided by Riverside Medical Practice in Musselburgh. 

The review panel will allow patients to provide feedback on their experiences at the Practice and use this to decide next steps. It will also consider non-clinical administrative operating procedures at Riverside.
 
Musselburgh’s MSP, Colin Beattie has welcomes the announcement and hopes this is a step in the right direction for the Practice and overall healthcare provision across Musselburgh and the surrounding areas. 

The independent review is fully supported by Riverside Medical Practice, NHS Lothian and the East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership. 

Commenting Colin Beattie MSP said:

“I welcome the announcement that an independent review will now commence to consider how the practice provides access to primary care. I hope and expect that the panel will fully engage with my constituents who have long awaited for action to be taken. 

“I have regularly held meetings with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Humza Yousaf, Scottish Government Officials, and the East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership to discuss the access issues and ultimately, find a positive way forward. 

“I am pleased those discussions have now resulted in an independent review panel being established with all parties willing to cooperate throughout the process. This is a step forward for the patients at Riverside and a step towards improving the access to healthcare across Musselburgh. 

“I have already submitted over 100 pages to the review panel of anonymous accounts my constituents have shared with me and I will continue to engage with the review team to ensure their voices are heard.
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“It is important that the patients are at the forefront of this review and any recommendations are swiftly put in place following its conclusion.”

SNP MSP Colin Beattie has welcomed figures which show children in Midlothian and East Lothian are excelling under the SNP Scottish Government.
 
Schools across Midlothian and East Lothian are benefitting from £3.7 million of funding for the coming year to reduce the attainment gap in the area.
 
As a result over 95.4% of people in Midlothian and 96.1% of people in East Lothian go on to positive destinations. The latest figures also show that 11,413 from both Midlothian and East Lothian have went into a modern apprenticeship under the SNP Scottish Government.
 
In helping to close the attainment gap, there are currently 5,917 children receiving free school meals over both areas.
 
Commenting, SNP MSP Colin Beattie said:
 
“Since the SNP formed a government in 2007, attainment and the number of pupils going on to positive destinations has improved in Midlothian and East Lothian
 
“This is down to the funding the SNP Scottish Government has provided to reduce the attainment gap and I am delighted that this will continue as £3.7 million has been committed to reduce the gap even further for the coming year.
 
“The SNP Scottish Government is also ensuring that P1-3 children have the best start to their day by providing free school meals. This will also be extended to all primary schools within this parliamentary term.
 
“It is only the SNP who can be trusted to protect Scotland’s education system and on May 5 the people of Midlothian and East Lothian have the chance to send a message to the Tories that we do not trust them with it.”

SNP MSP Colin Beattie has slated the Westminster Tory Government for failing the people of Midlothian and East Lothian by short-changing them by the equivalent of nearly £2.6 million for Midlothian and nearly £3 million for East Lothian, through the so-called Shared Prosperity Fund.
 
Following Brexit, which the people of Midlothian and East Lothian did not vote for, the UK Government promised to replace every penny of the money Scotland previously received from the European Union. For this year, it is estimated that would have been £183 million.
 
However, figures just published show that Scotland will receive only £32million this year. That is £151 million short of the £183 million promised and works out at an estimated equivalent of £5.6 million for Midlothian and East Lothian.
 
Commenting, MSP Colin Beattie said: “Not only did the people of Midlothian and East Lothian not vote for Tory Brexit, we are paying a very high price for this disastrous Tory obsession.
 
“EU funding has supported infrastructure projects and community initiatives across the country since the 1970s, with Scotland receiving and delivering more than £6 billion of EU Structural Funds.
 
“Being short-changed again by the Tories, this time to the equivalent of nearly £5.6 million really adds insult to injury for the people of Midlothian and East Lothian.
 
“This demonstrates exactly why the Tories’ sick joke of ‘levelling up’ actually means our community losing out, with Midlothian and East Lothian facing the estimated loss of nearly £5.6 million had Scotland not been taken out of the EU against our will.
 
“Not only that, the Scottish Government previously made decisions about how best to spend the EU money based on local priorities. Now a UK Tory Government – which Scotland did not vote for and hasn’t done for a lifetime - is cutting Scotland’s elected Government out of the decision-making process. That is both a betrayal of democracy and a disgrace that money will be spent on Tory priorities which will fail to meet the needs of communities in Midlothian and East Lothian.
 
“This is yet another shocking demonstration why the Tories cannot be trusted with Scotland’s future. Scotland deserves better than Partygate liar Boris Johnson’s litany of broken promises.
 
“By voting SNP in the local elections on May the people of Scotland will send a crystal clear message to Johnson’s Tories that they will never be trusted.” 

Colin Beattie MSP has called on Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to resign after being found to have broken Covid laws.
 
Commenting, Colin Beattie MSP said:
 
"Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak must now resign.
 
"The Prime Minister repeatedly misled Parliament, lied and took the people of Midlothian and East Lothian for fools – sometimes laughing about breaching the same laws we were all following to keep our family safe.
 
“Douglas Ross and the Scottish Tories are just as bad as he appears to be unable to grow a backbone and call on Boris Johnson to resign.
 
"In reality, Johnson and Sunak have overseen one of the biggest lockdown breaches that has led to the Metropolitan Police issuing a staggering number of fines for rule-breaking.
 
"The Prime Minister and Chancellor's positions are untenable. They have insulted people in Midlothian and East Lothian who faithfully followed the rules that they set – even when that meant the heartbreak of not being present for the births, marriages or the deaths of loved ones.
 
"There simply cannot be one rule for the Tories and another for the rest of us.
 
"If Johnson and Sunak have a shred of dignity they will finally do the right thing and resign now. On May 5, people in Midlothian and East Lothian can send a message to the Tories that they have had enough of this law-breaking government and vote SNP.”

SNP MSP Colin Beattie has heralded the record health funding allocated to NHS Lothian for the coming year and has said it demonstrates how only the SNP can be trusted to protect Scotland’s NHS.
 
The local health board has been given a record budget of £1.6 billion for 2022/23 to recover after the dreadful impact of the pandemic.
 
To help with that recovery, NHS Lothian also has record numbers of staff under the SNP, with 5,093.80 Whole Time Equivalent staff, an increase of 28.3% compared to the previous year.
 
Commenting, SNP MSP Colin Beattie said:
 
“We always appreciate the hard work and dedication of our NHS staff at NHS Lothian but never more so than over the past two years and the SNP Scottish Government has recognised that by providing them with record funding for 2022/23.
 
“This will go a long way in ensuring that NHS Lothian is well on its way to recovery from the pandemic.
 
“In Scotland, we have the most well-funded NHS per person and the highest paid healthcare staff in the UK. The SNP Scottish Government recognised the hard work and effort of NHS workers by giving them the biggest pay rise in the history of devolution.
 
“It is only the SNP that can be trusted with the future of our health service. On May 5 the people of Midlothian and East Lothian can send a message that the future of our NHS cannot be trusted to the Tories.”

£1,294,919 FUNDING FOR DRUG & ALCOHOL SERVICES IN MIDLOTHIAN AND EAST LOTHIAN 

Midlothian and East Lothian will benefit from £1.29M of new investment to support people affected by drugs and alcohol including earlier intervention and better family support.  
 
This is part of a nationwide announcement by the SNP Scottish Government. A total of 77 initiatives the length and breadth of Scotland will benefit from £25 million over the next 5 years.  The Children and Family Fund and the Improvement Fund were established to provide direct financial support to front line services and third sector organisations.
 
SNP MSP Colin Beattie said:
 
“I am delighted that local services in Midlothian and East Lothian will benefit from an additional £1,294,919 from the national Improvement Fund and the Children and Family Fund that the SNP Scottish Government established last year. 
 
“This funding will enable services to increase and improve support provided to those affected by drug and alcohol use including their families.  
 
“A whole family approach is needed to ensure more people can access treatment and recovery that is right for them at an earlier stage.  Supporting family members in their own right is also important as for every single person struggling with drugs or alcohol there are, on average, 11 other people affected.   
 
“This additional investment will help local services in Midlothian and East Lothian to work together and respond to problems earlier to prevent children, young people and their families from reaching the point of crisis.”