Dundee SNP

 The SNP in Dundee hit out at MP Jim McGovern’s claims over his decision to resign his parliamentary aide post.

SNP Councillor Jim Barrie said: “Mr McGovern thinks that he’s the only one who understands the difference between the services of the Royal Mail and the Post Office. But the public are not interested in being misled in this way. They will want to know why he did not resign when Dundee’s Post Offices were being closed down and they had to travel further to find a post office.

“It would have been more creditable if he had taken a principled stance months ago when the post office network was being slashed, instead of carrying the bag of the minister leading the cuts.

“We heard very little from him about the closure of four Dundee post offices other than it was ‘regrettable’. His resignation now is a gimmick. He’s not losing anything at all by taking his stance to distance himself from unpopular Labour policies like privatising Royal Mail. He’s achieved his objective of getting widespread publicity.”

Commenting on Mr McGovern’s decision, Joe FitzPatrick MSP for Dundee West said: “As for his claim that he has been at the forefront of a campaign to persuade the Post Office to retain a branch in Lochee, from the very day that Tesco announced it was to close, there was no doubt whatsover that the Post Office intended to retain a PO in central Lochee.

“I obtained a letter to that effect within a week of the announcement on 12 September and released it to the press on 19 September. The letter was quite clear and direct and they were already dealing with applications for a new central Lochee branch.

“Thereafter, Mr McGovern began to collect signatures to ‘save’ Lochee branch. His campaign had more to do with electioneering than anything else.”

The singer in action at the close of SNP Conference 2008

Dundee MSPs Shona Robison and Joe FitzPatrick are looking forward to singer Sandi Thom’s Homecoming Scotland 2009 Tour date in the Caird Hall, and hope to attend if their schedules permit.

The singer is visiting the Caird Hall on Saturday 31st January. Although tickets for many of the events on the tour are in high demand, tickets for the Caird Hall event are still available.
Joe FitzPatrick said: “We greatly enjoyed Sandi Thom’s appearance at the SNP Conference in Perth earlier this year singing ‘Caledonia’ and helping to promote the Year of Homecoming 2009 message, which is one of celebration of Scottish culture and talent. I hope to attend the concert if time permits.” Later on the tour, First Minister Alex Salmond will duet with the singer on stage in Banff.
Over the past three years Sandi Thom has sold over 2 million records worldwide, performed three International tours with her band and enjoyed No.1 Success in Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Australia and the UK. She is currently writing her 3rd album and preparing for her American tour next year. Before this, Sandi is touring Scotland to celebrate Homecoming Scotland 2009. The tour begins in Edinburgh and in keeping with the theme of Homecoming, Sandi has been researching young new talent, and inviting them onstage in each concert, giving talented youngsters the chance to shine on stage.

Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick is helping to raise awareness of the free-phone Home Heat Helpline, to enable fuel poor and vulnerable customers to access the information and services they need to reduce their energy consumption, and therefore manage their fuel bills.

 Joe said: “It’s been a cold winter so far and I want to help to promote the Home Heat Helpline 0800 33 66 99 and new website as a useful source of free advice and support for vulnerable and fuel poor constituents in the coldest months of the year.

“With the financial situation as it is, we all want to save on energy bills and to become more energy-efficient.

“Large numbers of vulnerable people are still unaware that they might qualify for grants to fit free or discounted home insulation.

“The Helpline, entirely funded by energy suppliers, provides vulnerable customers, including older people, families with young children, and people with disabilities or long term health conditions, with a direct link to a specialist team within their energy supplier.

“This will provide direct help through access to grants and support for those most in need, while the Helpline also acts as a one stop shop for access to the full range of support services from a wide range of organisations.

“It is important to make people aware that customers or their relatives and friends will also be able to make enquiries and access support online.”

Research conducted for the Energy Retail Association (ERA) showed that, although 75% of respondents say the credit crunch has made them more concerned about saving energy, more than half admit that they are not as energy efficient as they could be.

One third of those surveyed across the UK are unaware that there are grants available to fit free or discounted home insulation. Two thirds of people do not know they might qualify for grants and other assistance from their energy supplier.

 The Helpline has recently been upgraded in order to make it even more accessible to consumers. This year, for the first time, the Home Heat Helpline website (www.homeheathelpline.org) has been upgraded to ensure that customers or their relatives and friends will also be able to make enquiries and access support online.

In parallel, the Home Heat Helpline will be able to direct calls – at no cost to the caller – to a number of specialised services including, Consumer Focus Scotland,  Energy Savings Scotland Advice Centre, benefits teams at DWP and the Care and Repair Forum Scotland. Customers or their relatives and friends will also be able to make enquiries and access support online.

Shona with winning pupil Caitlin Morrison and Headteacher Anne McLaren at Claypotts Castle Primary School

Shona Robison’s Official Christmas Card was this year designed by a Primary 6A pupil at Claypotts Castle Priamry School. Caitlin Morrison’s design of Santa and two reindeer, was selected by Shona from hundreds of entries submitted by pupils at Dundee Schools as part of the annual competition organised by the Department of Education.

Shona is pictured presenting Caitlin with copies of the card and a gift voucher. The card was printed by Fairprint in a collaboration which allowed Shona and the printer to donate £250 to Cash For Kids charity.

The UK Government is implementing plans to reduce the timescale by which pensioners can backclaim unclaimed benefit despite the fact that many pensioners already miss out on their full entitlement.

Free benefit checks in Scotland run by the Scottish Government have claimed back £1 million for Scots’ pensioners, proving that many already miss out and these will be hit hard by the UK Government’s new system.

Commenting on the situation, Dundee Councillor Jim Barrie said: “Statistics prove that many pensioners miss out and now under the UK Government’s new system introduced on the 6th of October, backdated benefits will only be given for three months when it was previously 12 months.

“They are hurting some of the most vulnerable people in society. Many pensioners will have been paying out of their own pockets’ money that the Government should have given them. Why should they not be able to claim that back? Under the new system, more pensioners will lose more.

“In contrast, Scottish Government Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell, who visited Dundee yesterday, has shown that free benefits checks have banked £1 million for Scottish pensioners and that since 2007, over 700 pensioners have had their weekly incomes boosted after applying for a Central Heating system and having an automatic free benefits check. This has seen many pensioners receiving increased Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance and in many cases, a full Council Tax rebate.

The £1 million increase is the equivalent of £1,400 for each pensioner who successfully claims additional support.

Councillor Barrie, who is standing in Dundee West at the next General Election for the SNP, concluded: “I’m sure the contrast in approach will be noted by pensioners and pensioner support groups. While the Scottish Government is actively helping pensioners claim their entitlement to benefits such as Pension Credit and Council Tax rebates the UK Government is making it all the more difficult for the same pensioners to access the benefits to which they should have been entitled.”

Irfan Nassir Postmaster at Broughty Ferry PO with Shona and Supervisor Lorna McKenchie

Shona Robison MSP visited Broughty Ferry Post Office today to pass on best Christmas wishes and encouragement to the staff at their busiest time of year.

Shona said: “It was great to meet the Postmaster and staff at the brand new Broughty Post Office and pass on my thanks directly for their hard work on behalf of the public.”

BROWN DITHERED WHILE OTHER COUNTRIES ACTED

Speaking after Prime Ministers Questions today (Wednesday), during which Mr Brown claimed that “[he]…not only saved the world…”, SNP Treasury spokesperson, Stewart Hosie MP, mocked the Prime Minister’s claims and highlighted the actions taken by other countries to bring forward economic stimulus packages happened well before Gordon Brown initiated any help.

Mr Hosie said:

”Despite his boasts, crash Gordon is no saviour of the universe.

”Indeed while other countries were moving forward with fiscal packages to stimulate their economies, Gordon Brown was dithering. Far from ‘leading’ the world he has had to follow it.

”It is time the Prime Minister stopped strutting the international stage in his attempts to pull the wool over people’s eyes. It’s time he put our own economy centre stage. For a start he should release the £1bn of Scottish resources being withheld by the Treasury, and rule out the £1bn cuts Labour plans to the Scottish Budget.

“The Scottish Government is doing everything it can within its powers by delivering a six-point plan to help families and business. We’ve put more money back in people’s pockets with a council tax freeze and lowering prescription charges; and we’ve put more money back into high street businesses with our small business bonus.

“By failing to do so Gordon Brown is showing that he is falling behind the action the rest of the world is taking.”

SNP Treasury spokesperson, Stewart Hosie MP, has demanded assurances from the Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) board today (Tuesday) after receiving complaints from shareholders that they have not received their ballots in advance of this week’s vote on the acquisition by Lloyds TSB.

For shareholders not attending the HBOS shareholders meeting in Birmingham on Friday, the deadline for electronic shareholders was today, while certificated shareholders must vote by tomorrow.

Shareholders have reported not being notified of the electronic ballot and not receiving their voting card for the meeting despite it being scheduled to take place on Friday..

Mr Hosie said:

”Every shareholder must have their say, and it would be outrageous if people did not receive their ballots in time.

“It is bad enough that the UK Government is trying to force a shotgun wedding between HBOS and Lloyds, without shareholders being denied their vote as well.

”I am disturbed to learn from individual shareholders that they have yet to receive their ballots from the bank, and time has all but run out.

“Holding the ballot in Birmingham already makes it harder for Scottish shareholders to get to the meeting now shareholders are missing out on their only other opportunity to vote.

”Bank officials have had weeks to organise and ensure that shareholders receive their papers in good time, and it seems this has been bungled.”

Staff at a Dundee housing association were praised for their healthy workplace habits on Friday (December 5) during a visit from Minister for Public Health and Dundee East MSP Shona Robison.

Hillcrest Housing Association’s headquarters in South Ward Road were visited by the Minister as a result of their efforts to improve workplace health and well-being, which have earned staff a Silver Healthy Working Lives Award.

The Awards, administered by the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives, encourage employers to create a healthier workforce and cover a wide range of topics including health promotion, occupational health and safety, employability, mental health and well-being, community involvement, and health and the environment.

Managers at Hillcrest, which provides accommodation and tenancy support services to over 5,000 households, have introduced a range of measures aimed at improving the mental and physical health of the housing association’s 160 workers.

The Minister enjoyed a healthy breakfast with staff and spoke to them about their experiences of the measures introduced as a result of the Award programme, which include regular lunchtime walking sessions and weekly deliveries of free fruit for all staff.

Workers have also benefited from in-house health checks conducted by a local nurse, and information on health issues such as breast cancer and men’s health which are delivered regularly to staff via the organisation’s intranet system.

Minister for Public Health Shona Robison said: “I’ve been very impressed by the level of enthusiasm and dedication which everyone at Hillcrest Housing Association has shown to the Healthy Working Lives Award programme.

 “The Scottish Government is committed to doing all we can to improve the health of everyone in Scotland and initiatives such as the Awards programme have a key role to play in this.

 “The staff at Hillcrest are a perfect example of how employees can reap the benefits of the Awards programme in terms of a better, and healthier, working environment.”

Hillcrest managers have also worked to address common workplace mental health issues such as stress, with a range of training available to team leaders to help them recognise early warning signs and provide appropriate support as soon as possible. Workers have also been able to take part in stress-reducing activities in the office thanks to regular visits from alternative therapists offering reflexology and massage.

Steve Bell, Strategic Director at the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives, said: “Hillcrest is a great example of the kind of benefits that the Awards programme can offer to organisations across the country. Staff have really benefited from the changes that have been introduced and there’s a real demand for the emphasis on workplace health to continue.

“Hillcrest is just one of the workplaces to have benefited from the Awards programme. Around 200 employers have received the Award to date, and nearly 1,000 organisations have applied for the programme. It’s clear that workplace health and safety is an issue which more and more organisations are taking seriously.”

Organisations need to meet core criteria to achieve the three levels of award – Bronze, Silver and Gold – however it is designed to be flexible so employers can select the most relevant topics relevant to their own workforce. Employers who strive to tackle issues such as stress can also apply for the Mental Health and Well-Being Commendation Award.

John Mulloy, Hillcrest’s Group Chief Executive, said: “Staff are every organisation’s most valuable resource, so it’s vital we keep them as healthy and happy as possible to provide the best service we possibly can to our clients.

“The Healthy Working Lives Awards programme has given us a fantastic foundation on which to build a strong, motivated workforce, and we’re delighted that our efforts have been recognised by the Minister for Public Health.

“We’re committed to continuing to extending the support we offer to our employees, and we’re already in the process of working towards both the Gold and Mental Health and Well-being Awards.”

The Healthy Working Lives Award has been developed in consultation with businesses and health professionals across Scotland.  It is supported by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Scotland, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), the Scottish Government, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), NHS Scotland, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), Jobcentre Plus, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

For further information about the HWL Award, please contact the free national adviceline on 0800 019 2211or visit www.healthyworkinglives.com