Click Today First Minister, Humza Yousaf announced a Programme for Government (PfG) for 2023-24 that builds on the three missions to deliver: equality; opportunity; community.
Commenting on the PfG, Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh said “This PfG will benefit my constituents in Midlothian North and Musselburgh as it puts us on a path towards tackling some of the big issues facing the country. Many of the announcements made today by First Minister Humza Yousaf deal with the issues that are areas of concern for my constituents. I welcome plans to ban single use vapes in Scotland as part of plans to protect public health, our young people and the environment. I am pleased that Private and voluntary sector staff working in Adult Social Care, Children’s Services and Early Learning will now receive at least £12 an hour from April. I am encouraged that we will make further preparation for the expansion of universal Free School Meals for all pupils in primaries six and seven. These are just some of this years program that will build upon the success of the Scottish Child Payment, that benefits 11,495 children in East Lothian and Midlothian. By making choices in Scotland that are socially just, we have used the Scottish Government’s fixed budget and limited powers to tackle inequality and poverty and protect people, as far as possible. This has protected us from the harm inflicted by UK Government cuts and austerity, as well as the ongoing cost of living crisis. This government continues to support key pillars that were long abandoned elsewhere in the UK, such as free education, free prescriptions, free personal care and so much more. Despite the increasingly challenging context that we face, the SNP Government has successfully balanced the Scottish Budget every year; and this Programme for Government continues our mission to protect the most vulnerable “.
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11,495 CHILDREN IN MIDLOTHIAN AND EAST LOTHIAN ARE BENEFITTING FROM SCOTTISH CHILD PAYMENT31/8/2023 FAMILIES IN MIDLOTHIAN AND EAST LOTHIAN RECEIVE £12.7 MILLION IN SUPPORT FROM SNP GOVERNMENT
11,495 children in Midlothian and East Lothian have benefitted from the Scottish Child Payment, according to the latest figures released by the Scottish Government - with £12,745,020 having been paid to families. The payment of £25 per week, available to eligible children under the age of 16, is one of five family payments available from the Scottish Government which provide regular financial support to low income families. The Scottish Child Payment is designed to combat child poverty and support families across Scotland, and these figures demonstrate the significant impact of this for 11,495 children in Midlothian and East Lothian, and 316,190 across the whole of Scotland. Following its introduction in February 2021, the payment is the most ambitious anti-poverty measure to be implemented in the UK. It has been hailed as a “game-changer” in tackling child poverty by the Child Poverty Action Group and described as a “lifesaver" by parents. Commenting, SNP MSP Colin Beattie said “The Scottish Child payment was designed to tackle child poverty head on, so it is great to see the SNP’s benefit providing real support to 11,495 children in Midlothian and East Lothian - with £12,745,020 having been paid out to local families. “I am conscious that, as we head into the winter months, and with the Tory-made cost of living crisis continuing to affect households across Midlothian and East Lothian, families will face even greater challenges, with many struggling to make ends meet. The Scottish Child Payment will therefore be even more vital. “Having increased the Scottish Child Payment by 150% since its introduction and expanded eligibility to under 16s, it is clear the SNP Scottish Government is determined to use the powers it has to tackle child poverty and support Scotland’s most vulnerable families. “The profound impact of the Scottish Child Payment, in the face of both Westminster parties' pursuit of cruel policies and cuts, perfectly demonstrates the need for Scotland to have the full welfare and tax powers of an independent country. Only this way can we build a fairer and more prosperous country." ENDS Bonnyrigg Post Office will be re-opening the branch as a permanent service on Thursday 28 September 2023 at 13:00. This will be in a new location – Premier Store, 8 -10 Dundas Street, Bonnyrigg, EH19 3AS, where it will be known as Bonnyrigg Post Office.
The full time branch closed, in September 2018. In the interim, to serve the local community with continued access to Post Office services, a temporary Mobile service operated from Settlement Project, 76 High Street, Bonnyrigg, EH19 2AE, while a permanent solution was found. This service will cease after the last service date on Monday 25 September 2023 at 12:45. Commenting, Colin Beattie MSP said: “I am pleased that a full-time post-office branch location has been found for the residents of Bonnyrigg. I know from my constituents how much locals rely on the post office and how important it is that they are located in a central area for all to access – especially for the most vulnerable in our communities. I very much welcome this news and I am sure local people do too.” NEW RESEARCH LAYS BARE THE COST OF WESTMINSTER’S BEDROOM TAX IN MIDLOTHIAN AND EAST LOTHIANLocal MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Colin Beattie, has slammed Labour’s leader in Scotland, Anas Sarwar, for u-turning on his commitment to abolish the bedroom tax after new figures reveal Midlothian and East Lothian was forced to spend £6.7 million mitigating the Westminster policy.
Labour’s Anas Sarwar promised in 2013 “if we were in government tomorrow, we would abolish the bedroom tax”, before the party’s Economy Spokesperson in Scotland confirmed earlier this week a Labour government now won’t scrap the Tories’ bedroom tax or two-child cap on benefits. Statistics have revealed that, since 2019, the Scottish Government has spent over £251,000,000 mitigating the bedroom tax through Discretionary Housing Payments. Further analysis from the SNP has also shown that families in Scotland have been disproportionately hit by the bedroom tax, with one in three (33%) housing benefit claimants in Scotland having their benefits reduced compared to one in six (16%) in England. Commenting, SNP MSP Colin Beattie said: “Under Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer, Labour has u-turned on their cast iron commitment to scrap the bedroom tax which is impacting a huge number of my constituents in Midlothian North and Musselburgh. “In the middle of a cost of living crisis, Labour’s refusal to scrap the cruel bedroom tax and ease the financial pressure on households across Midlothian North and Musselburgh, is a disgrace. “Anas Sarwar has been taking lessons from his boss Keir Starmer with this barefaced betrayal of working families. After over a decade of Westminster austerity, people are crying out for real change and compassionate leadership – but Labour doesn’t want to listen. “The SNP Government is being forced to mitigate the bedroom tax to the tune of £65 million a year – money that could be reinvested elsewhere if Labour had the courage to get behind the SNP and end these abhorrent policies for good.” ENDS Colin Beattie MSP has welcomed the publishing of ‘Citizenship in an independent Scotland’; a new Independence Paper from the Scottish Government which outlines what an independent Scotland’s vision for a fairer, inclusive and welcoming approach to citizenship would look like, and how this would be key in tackling population decline and growing the economy.
By adopting an inclusive approach to citizenship, as outlined in fifth paper in the SNP Government’s ‘Building a New Scotland’ series, more people would be able and attracted to live and work in Scotland and Midlothian North and Musselburgh; boosting local and national economies and also Scotland’s population. The process would be modelled on the Irish citizenship system; allowing those born outwith the country after independence to be automatically entitled to Scottish citizenship, if one of their parents is a Scottish citizen. The paper also includes proposals for a fairer fee system for citizenship applications and a commitment to establish an independent Migrants’ Commissioners, which was a key recommendation of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. This compassionate approach, centred on upholding human rights, is in stark contrast to the inhuman and not-fit-for-purpose immigration system championed by Westminster Tories, who’s Illegal Migration Bill has been heavily criticised for breaching legal obligations to refugees fleeing conflict. Commenting, Colin Beattie MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh said: “Scotland and Midlothian North and Musselburgh wants no part to play in the Tory government’s punitive and exclusionary approach to citizenship and immigration, and I welcome this new paper from the Scottish Government – which shows how we can use an inclusive approach to citizenship in an independent Scotland to grow our population and support our economies to thrive. “Scotland is known globally for our welcoming people and hospitable traditions, so it’s only right that the approach of an independent Scotland to citizenship reflects this, and leaves no one with a rightful claim out in the cold. “From a hard Brexit they didn’t vote for to an austerity driven cost of living crisis, people in Scotland are paying a heavy price for being tied to the compassionless Westminster Tories, who’s unelected Lords and over privileged ministers have no place dictating Scotland’s democratic institution. It’s time to choose a better path with independence and build a welcoming and economically prosperous Scotland that leaves the light on for all." The final report from the highly anticipated External Review into Access and Capacity of Riverside Medical Practice and Associated Services has now been published.Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, has praised the work carried out by the external review team, and that of Riverside Medical Practice in identifying the issues and establishing where improvements needed made to improve the overall patient experience.
The initial report, following 5 months of information gathering, made 17 recommendations where improvements should be made. Following 6 months of work by Riverside Medical Practice and East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, progress has been made with many of these 17 recommendations and work will be ongoing with several others. Commenting, Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh said “I am extremely grateful to all involved with bringing together the External Review Team, and to Riverside Medical Practice for working with them to look at how to improve the patient experience for many of my constituents. For many years I have been pushing for action to be taken as it was clear that patients had concerns with accessing care, and with being able to contact the practice by telephone. Following discussions with our First Minister Humza Yousaf, in his previous role as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, I was able to stress the importance of Riverside Medical Practice within our community, and to request his support in forcing the necessary improvements to ensure all my constituents have access to medical care at the point of need. Now the independent review team have completed their role in the process, and published their final report, it is clear that whilst progress has been made, there are still many points outstanding. My hope is that Riverside Medical Practice and East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership continue to make progress on all 17 recommendations and complete the good work that has been started over the last 6 months. I do not see the process as reaching its conclusion as there is still work to be done, and as such I will continue to monitor the situation and will be looking to see continuing progress. Over the years I have been contacted by many constituents reporting their concerns with the practice and I would like to encourage patients continue to get in touch with me if they encounter issues in accessing care.” SNP MSP Colin Beattie has welcomed new measures from the Scottish Government to prevent litter and flytipping in Midlothian and East Lothian and support Scotland’s circular and zero waste economy.The new measures, which include more than doubling fines for flytipping to £500, have been brought in under a six-year National Litter and Flytipping Strategy, which sets out how national and local government, business, third sector, communities and individuals can work together to drive behaviour change, improve infrastructure and strengthen enforcement.
Other key measures include the introduction of new powers to impose a fine on the registered keeper of a vehicle from which a littering offence is committed and a new national online litter hub to provide information, advice and support to community groups and other relevant local organisations on tackling litter and littering behaviour. Commenting, Colin Beattie MSP said: “This SNP Government is working hard to support Scotland's transition to a zero waste and circular economy by tidying up Scotland’s streets and neighbourhoods; these strict new measures will help to keep communities in Midlothian and East Lothian clean and safe. “Midlothian and East Lothian are wonderful places to live, with a community to take pride in, but our neighbourhoods are so often besmirched by the selfish actions of a few, through reckless flytipping and littering, which impacts on everyone who lives here. “More than doubling the fines for flytipping to £500 will surely help incentivise litter bugs to think hard before they dump rubbish onto our streets.” ENDS A new report has found that over half of people living with epilepsy who took part in a national survey said it was ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ talking about their mental healthColin Beattie MSP is calling on the estimated 900 people living with epilepsy in Midlothian North and Musselburgh to open up about their mental health following concerns raised in a recent report published by a leading Scottish epilepsy charity.
718 people living with epilepsy responded to a survey by Epilepsy Scotland earlier this year which found that 33% said it was ‘difficult’ talking about their mental health and a further 18% said it was ‘very difficult’. The report, Epilepsy on the Mind revealed that in NHS Lothian, that 36% of people living with epilepsy in the health board who responded to the survey said they have depression and 41% have anxiety. While 41% of people in the health board said that their epilepsy has a “significant impact” on their mental health. Nationally, 1 in 3 people said they have depression and 46% said they have anxiety – 1 in 4 said they have both. The report was debated by MSPs in the Scottish Parliament this week after a motion lodged by Alasdair Allan MSP to highlight the findings received support from all five of Holyrood’s political parties. Colin Beattie MSP said: “There are estimated to be around 58,000 people in Scotland living with epilepsy, including 900 here in Midlothian North and Musselburgh. “It is common for someone living with epilepsy to develop a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety, as has been highlighted within the Epilepsy on the Mind report. “Epilepsy is a serious and very complex condition which can impact so many aspects of a person’s life from relationships and social life to employment and education. “Due to the link between epilepsy and mental health, I would encourage constituents living with epilepsy to seek support if they are struggling mentally. Epilepsy Scotland’s free and confidential helpline is an important source of information and their helpline officers can help you find the support you require.” Ross Cunningham, Policy & Communications Manager at Epilepsy Scotland added: “Epilepsy Scotland is delighted to have the support of [MSP name] in highlighting the findings of our Epilepsy on the Mind report and in encouraging more members of the public to open up about their mental health. “Many people living with epilepsy find it challenging to open up, which is why raising awareness of this report and the link between epilepsy and mental health is so important. It can help to reduce the stigma of an often misunderstood condition and highlight the support available, including Epilepsy Scotland’s national helpline. “It is extremely concerning that 1 in 3 people living with epilepsy in Scotland who took part in this survey said they have depression and almost half said they have anxiety. “Epilepsy Scotland looks forward to working closely with MSPs across Parliament on the report’s recommendations to improve the lives of people living with epilepsy throughout Scotland.” ENDS Notes; For more information on Epilepsy Scotland and the support services available please visit www.epilepsyscotland.org.uk or phone the free and confidential helpline on 0808 800 2200. To download the report please go to: https://www.epilepsyscotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Epilepsy-on-the-Mind-final-report-16-June-2023.pdf SNP MSP Colin Beattie has condemned Westminster Tories for throwing thousands of households across Scotland on the mercy of foodbanks, as new research from the Trussell Trust reveals an estimated 1.2 million people experienced food insecurity last year in Scotland.
The Trussell Trust’s report, ‘Hunger in the UK’, found that one in seven people across the UK went hungry last year amidst rising food prices and soaring inflation. It also exposed that 7% of Scottish households receiving charitable food support in this same period. This is against a backdrop of an out of control Tory cost of living crisis, which saw the Tory UK government clawback winter heating support payments, cut benefits to thousands of families on Universal Credit, and preside over a soaring number of sanctions imposed on those claiming benefits. Disabled people, carers, parents, ethnic minority communities and LGBTQ+ people were cited among groups most disproportionately at risk, with the new findings also showing that Trussell Trusts’ food banks handed out a record of almost 3 million food parcels in the last year- more than double the amount provided five years ago. Commenting, Colin Beattie MSP said: “Behind these stark figures are families across Midlothian North and Musselburgh struggling to make ends meet as they grapple with the increasingly insurmountable implications of decades of Tory austerity, compounded by the additional squeeze of this Tory cost of living crisis and spiralling inflation driving wages down and the cost of living up. “The Tories have created a 21st century crisis that would rival even the bleakest of Dickensian novels – in a country as resource rich as Scotland, it is nothing short of scandalous that 17% of adults living here went hungry last year as a direct result of Tory greed and apathy. “It shouldn’t and doesn’t have to be like this – Scotland can choose a better path where no person in Midlothian North and Musselburgh has to pick between food for the freezer or money in the meter. With the full fiscal powers of independence, we could support households through tough times and build on our transformative welfare policies to create a fairer, wealthier society for all.” SUPPORTING PLANS TO ENSHRINE THE RIGHT TO STRIKE INTO THE CONSTITUTION OF AN INDEPENDENT SCOTLAND SNP MSP Colin Beattie has welcomed plans to enshrine the right to strike into the constitution of an independent Scotland, that would uphold the values of trade unionism and protect the rights of workers.
The plans to include workers’ rights into the constitution of an independent Scotland were included in the fourth Building A New Scotland paper from the Scottish Government, which outlines the opportunities of Scottish Independence. Writing workers’ rights, like the right to strike, into the constitution would ensure that the hard-won rights won through Scotland’s historic industrial action would be protected for future workforces in Midlothian North and Musselburgh Commenting, Colin Beattie MSP said: “Scotland has a proud history of trade unionism – it is only appropriate that the rights won through industrial and collective action of the generations before us are enshrined in the constitution of an independent Scotland. “Make no mistake that workers’ rights are under threat from this Tory UK Government and their arsenal of provocative anti-strike measures, which seek to criminalise industrial action and leave workers vulnerable to bad bosses. “With the Kier Starmer himself notably absent from union rallies and his party abstaining on vital anti-protest votes, it’s never been clearer that the only way we can uphold the rights of Scotland’s workers is with the full powers of independence, to give workforces in Scotland the support and protections they deserve.” |
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