Dundee SNP

LABOUR MUST TELL PUBLIC WHAT THEY WOULD CUT TO FUND GARL

Responding to the comments by Iain Gray that the Scottish Government must fund the over-budget Glasgow Airport Rail Link in order for the Labour group to support next year’s budget, the SNP’s Joe FitzPatrick has challenged Iain Gray to find the cash for the project.

Following funding cuts from Westminster, the Finance Minister John Swinney was forced to find almost £500 million of savings.

Member of Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee, Joe FitzPatrick MSP said:

“Iain Gray seems totally incapable of the simplest of sums. He wants the Scottish Government to fund every project under the sun, despite the fact his Government at Westminster is imposing unprecedented cuts. Iain Gray needs to learn than you can’t be irresponsible with the nation’s finances – his pal Gordon Brown did exactly that and lead us into the worst recession in 70 years. The SNP will not do that, we will always do what is best for the country.

“Steven Purcell has called for the scrapping of the Borders Rail Link and Free School Meals – I know this SNP Government will not ‘take food from bairns mouths’ in order to fund an unaffordable project. Mr Purcell seems to have an agenda against Scotland’s children having already sanctioned a mass cull of Glasgow’s Primary Schools.

“Iain Gray must now come out and say whether he also wants to punish school children, scrap the Borders rail project, or if he can find something else to cut, such as the new Southern General hospital or M74. He can’t make threats and demands without putting forward his own plan. He is looking more and more ridiculous every day he makes these economically illiterate and financially irresponsible remarks. “

Councillor Liz Fordyce, SNP Group Education Spokesperson on Dundee City Councillor today responded dismissively to a Labour List MSP’s attack on the cost of providing free school meals in Dundee.

Councillor Fordyce said: “Marilyn Glen seems to want to take the food from the mouths of our bairns!

“She is refusing to accept an assurance from Labour Councillor Pat Watters, President of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities that the cost of implementing free school meals is included in the Scottish Government’s Concordat with local authorities.

“The free school meals to Primary 1 – 3 children does not come into effect until 2010 and yet she has already started a campaign to prevent free school meals being introduced on the grounds of cost!

“I would ask all parents and grandparents in Dundee to make their voices heard and demand that Labour politicians stop their campaign of ‘warnings’ and veiled threats about the funding and instead work with councils and the Scottish Government to ensure that the policy comes into effect.

“Free school meals for Primary 1 – 3 children is massively popular and will make a big impact on the health of children in Scotland.

“The money is in the budget for it. Of course, Council’s budgets like everyone’s household budgets are coming under pressure due to the financial situation but there are no grounds for Labour politicians to be attacking the scheme – where there is a will there is a way. Many Councils have already said they are keen to press ahead with the scheme.

“Labour politicians should stop their scaremongering and negativity and instead work towards improving the health and education of primary school age children.”

Joe FitzPatrick, Dundee West MSP has given a warm welcome to the announcement by the Scottish Government that from August 2010 all primary 1-3 children in Dundee will get a free school meal every day.

Joe FitzPatrick said: “This is excellent news from the Scottish Government and I am sure parents in Dundee will be as happy as I am to hear about this.

“I know that in the areas where this pilot was run it was a huge success with many children having benefited from the provision of free healthy and nutritious school meals.

“It has also helped many families who may be just over the current income level for free school meals but would have found the cost of school lunches every day difficult to meet.

“Once again the Scottish National Party is delivering on policies that will make a real difference to hard pressed families in Scotland at a time of growing hardship.”

The Scottish Government announcement follows the publication of a report into the success of a pilot programme, which involved 35,000 children in West Dunbartonshire, Borders, Fife, Glasgow and East Ayrshire. It found that uptake of school meals among P1s to P3s rose from 53 per cent to 75 per cent. Within the target group of P1-P3 pupils not registered for free school meals, uptake increased from 41 per cent to 69 per cent.