Kinship Care Support Spreads

22 May 2009

Rhoda Grant, Highlands and Islands regional Labour MSP has welcomed Children 1st support meetings taking part in Fort William.

The meetings are for all kinship carers, regardless of whether they are being supported by their local authority.

Mrs Grant said: “Children 1st do a vital job when it comes to the welfare of children, one of the most vulnerable groups in society.

“These meetings are focusing particularly on the role of kinship carers, who take on the roles of parents, whatever their situation.

“Kinship carers often do not have any financial or practical support from the local authority.”

Mrs Grant added: “Last year, their first Support Service for Kinship Carers was launched on the Black Isle and it provides a valuable support service for those people who need help and support.

“Now these facilities will be spread out across the region, which will only be of benefit.”

Meetings will be held on the last Friday of each month in Fort William, An Drochit, Claggan, between 10-11.30am.

Argyll and Bute missing out on more affordable homes

19 May 2009

Rhoda Grant, Highlands and Islands regional Labour MSP has hit out at the Scottish Government’s lack action over affordable housing.
It comes as the latest figures released claim record levels of investment in affordable housing for local authorities.
Mrs Grant said: “Scotland’s rural communities are the areas who are in most need for affordable housing. The Scottish Government’s announced they planned to build 8100 new,
affordable homes which they are calling record investment.”
“But since the SNP Government came to power, the actual number of homes built has fallen.”
“Michael Levack, the Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Federation highlighted the massive cuts that are falling in rural areas, who are in the greatest need of affordable housing.
“In Argyll and Bute, 78 home have been given the green light for next year, which is a 50% drop on last year’s figures.
Mrs Grant added: “Only last week, the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs and Environment Committee noted the need for more money to invested in building works. The Scottish Government cannot sugar coat these figures. The cuts across the country are huge, and now is the time for more projects in rural areas to be funded and not withdrawn.”

“But looking at the detail, it seems that many of Scotland’s rural communities, where the shortage of affordable housing is often at its most acute, will lose out.

“Overall, planned approvals for affordable housing in rural Scotland will actually be marginally down compared to last year, with big drops in the number of units in many rural areas including Shetland (down more than half), Perth and Kinross (down 55%), South Ayrshire (down a third) and Argyll and Bute (down almost 40%).

“This follows a report last week from the Scottish Parliament’s rural affairs and environment committee, which underlined the critical need for many more houses to be built in rural Scotland over the coming years.

“I give the Scottish Government full recognition for the priority they’ve given to maintaining investment in affordable housing through the current economic downturn

“But if we’re serious about sustaining our rural communities through that downturn and beyond, the number of affordable houses we build in rural areas needs to not go down but significantly up.”

Further calls for C-Diff Inquiry to be extended

15 May 2009

Rhoda Grant, Highlands and Islands regional Labour MSP proposed the C-Diff Inquiry be extended to the whole of Scotland at First Minister’s Questions.

Mrs Grant said: “It is vital that the public inquiry is as far reaching as possible.

“The incidents in Orkney and in Moray must now be included in any investigation.

The First Minister’s response suggests that there is scope for these latest incidents to be included, and I hope that this will happen quickly.”

Chef of the year missing out

14 May 2009

Rhoda Grant, Highlands and Islands regional Labour MSP is disappointed as VisitScotland refuse to promote the new chef of the year.

Charles Lockley was awarded the title of Scottish Chef of the Year on May 10th.

Mrs Grant said: “Charles Lockley is a four time AA rosette award winner, but the latest honour marks him out among his peers and I congratulate him on this accolade.”

“However, I am disappointed VisitScotland are not using his image on their web site or brochures, especially during a time when we are being encouraged to eat and drink Scottish Cuisine.”

“In the Highlands, we now have the country’s best chef and VisitScotland should making the most of Mr Lockley’s Boath House Hotel restaurant in Auldearn and use it to promote food and drink in the Highlands.”

Mrs Grant added: “As 2009 marks the year of the Homecoming, I am urging the Scottish Government to ensure that organisations like VisitScotland are doing all they can to promote award-winning establishments, such as the Boath House Hotel, on our doorsteps.”

Rhoda Grant has lodged the following motion in the Scottish Parliament.

VisitScotland Promoting the Scottish Chef of the Year

That the Parliament notes with disappointment the refusal of VisitScotland to promote the country’s new chef of the year, Charles Lockley, on its website and in its brochures; congratulates Mr Lockley, a Michelin-star Chef, who was awarded the Scottish Chef of the Year Award on 10th May 2009 and who also has four AA rosettes awarded to his restaurant, the Boath House Hotel in Auldearn; considers that as a public agency VisitScotland should be using its public funding to properly promote the Highlands and Scotland, including Mr Lockley and his award-winning organisation, and urges the Scottish Government during this Year of Homecoming to ensure that VisitScotland is doing all that it can to promote award-winning establishments, such as the Boath House Hotel in Auldearn.

North MSP fights to keep telephone boxes in rural areas

13 May 2009

Rhoda Grant, Highlands and Islands regional Labour MSP is calling on BT to recognise the importance of keeping telephone boxes across the north.

It comes as concerns have been raised over the possible removal of an iconic red boxes in Ross-Shire.

Mrs Grant said: “Telephone boxes play an important role in our remote and rural communities.

“It is vital that their service should be maintained, not removed.

“I have received letters from constituents in Ross-shire, who have noted undated signs pasted to phones boxes alerting them that the box would be disconnected after a consultation period.

Mrs Grant added: “I will be writing to both BT and the Highland Council to try and ensure that these life line services are being maintained in remote and rural communities, and ensure that every effort is being made to keep them.”

North MSP disappointed with Scottish Government’s lack of action on Orthoptics

01 May 2009

Rhoda Grant, Highland and Islands Labour MSP, has expressed her disappointment at the Scottish Government’s lack of action of the implementation on Orthoptic care for youngsters.

The questions were tabled after representations from constituent Stephen Wilson, whose daughter has recently been diagnosed with sight problems, which he believes would have been caught earlier had more extensive sight testing been in place.

Mrs Grant said: “The Scottish Governments lack of action on this issue is very disappointing as we look to be moving towards a healthier Scotland.

“There should be dates and deadlines in place for health boards to implement any recommendations from reports.

“In this particular case, the Minister for Public Health has acknowledged that the Health for All Children 4 report has not been completely implemented in all health board areas.

“There should be no difference in the standards of health care for children in different NHS areas. Hoping to issue more advice simply isn’t enough when it comes to children’s health.

“Children’s health should be paramount as should be giving our youngsters the best possible start in life.

“It is simply not good enough that there is continuing inequality in provision across Scotland and the Scottish Government should be taking steps to address this.”

Mrs Grant added: “I have also been in contact with NHS Highland, who have assured me they are taking steps to bring in an orthoptic Supervision of Public Health/School Nurses to undertake preschool vision screenings as an interim measure.

“The health board said they hope to have this service running within the next three months with school nurses being trained to undertake vision screening in nursery settings at the start of the autumn term of 2009.”

Stephen Wilson’s two daughters aged 10 and 7 were recently diagnosed with a ‘lazy eye’. He believes that if the recommendations of the Health for all Children 4 report had been implemented, their sight problems would have been detected and rectified at an earlier age.

Mr Wilson said: “I am calling for NHS Highland to fully implement the Hall 4 Vision Screening recommendations as a matter of urgency.

“Every month an average of 6 children in the highlands with visual impairment issues are not being identified.

“Lazy eye affects 1 in 25 children.

“Do children in the Highlands have to wait another 4 years or more before NHS Highland identifies funding?

“In the meantime other young children in the Highlands will have to suffer and endure what my two daughters have to for the rest of their lives.”

Rhoda Grant welcomes measures over Swine Flu

29 April 2009

Rhoda Grant, Highlands and Islands regional Labour MSP is backing the Scottish Government’s efforts to tackle the Swine Flu outbreak.

It comes as two cases were confirmed in Lanarkshire.

Mrs Grant said: “If people think they may have been in contact with someone who has contracted the illness they need to be aware of their own health.

“If they experience symptoms they should phone NHS 24 on 08454 242424 rather than going to their GP, they should also avoid contact with others.

“It is clear that those who have contracted the illness in Scotland have not been severely affected.

“This country has also got stock piles of anti-viral drugs that can be used in treatment which will hopefully mean that this does not have any severe consequences.

“However until more information is known we need to take sensible precautions.”

Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Cathy Jamieson said:

“We should be prepared for more potential cases, but a national pandemic flu strategy has been in place for some time.

“I believe the NHS is well prepared and Nicola Sturgeon assures me that significant stockpiles of the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza are in place.

“Labour will work closely with the Scottish Government and support any sensible precautions to stop the spread of infection should the situation develop.”

North MSP welcomes NHS Highland’s efforts to improve the orthoptic services for children

24 April 2008

Rhoda Grant, Highlands and Islands regional Labour MSP, has welcomed NHS Highland’s moves to improve Orthoptic Services for school children.

Mrs Grant said: “I took this issue up with NHS Highland after concerns raised by a constituent.

Early identification of problems mean issues can be easily rectified.”

“Visual tests are currently carried out in the NHS Highland by school nurses, not optometrists.

“This is a worrying trend, given the number of children who have presented at Raigmore Hospital with sight problems that could have been identified at the primary one stage.”

Mrs Grant added: “It is welcome news that NHS Highland are now taking steps to bring in orthoptic Supervision by school nurses to undertake preschool vision screenings as an interim measure.

“The health board have told me they hope to have this service running within the next three months with school nurses being trained to undertake vision screening in nursery settings at the start of the autumn term of 2009.

“This is a great development, but I would urge NHS Highland to move quickly to ensure that cases like the Wilsons do not repeat themselves.”

Fiddling with Bureaucracy while Crofting Burns

15 April 2009

The Labour MSPs for the Highlands and Islands, Peter Peacock, Rhoda Grant and David Stewart have accused the Scottish Government of entertaining `fiddling with bureaucracy while crofting burns’.

In a letter to Rural Affairs Minister, Roseanna Cunningham, they have argued the government’s priorities for crofting for the coming period should be to address the economic challenges facing crofting which is seeing a collapse of cattle and sheep numbers and a threat to the services which support crofting.

The MSPs are also asking her to defer what they claim will be very controversial proposed legislation which could add delay and cost into decision making at a time of economic crises for the industry.

Rhoda Grant said, “We have written to the Minister about the economic crises facing crofting and the proposed Bill, which will affect everyone in crofting.

“Legislation , especially in the current economic climate, will become a major distraction from the key issues facing crofting when all our efforts should be directed to tackling the grave concerns over stock numbers and wider issues like reforming the Scottish Rural Development Programme and Less Favoured Area Status, so that crofters can benefit more.

“In addition we are seeing threats to livestock transport , vet services and feedstock supplies, all of which crofting need.

“These problems require to be tackled urgently and diverting time and attention into debating the finer points of crofting regulation and new burdens on croft houses just doesn’t seem right just now.”

The MSPs have offered to work with the Minister and other parties in Parliament to address a desire for greater accountability of the Crofters Commission and point to the fact that the Minister has powers of direction and wide scope for action to address such concerns without resorting to legislation, unless and until those powers are found to be lacking.

Peter Peacock said, “The Crofting Acts give the Minister powers of direction over the Crofters Commission which have yet to be fully used

“These powers could be used to give the Commission more focus on absenteeism in those places where that is a real problem

“The election of the Assessors network could also be strengthened under existing powers, as a basis from which to draw new Commissioners.”

The Minister is due to visit Inverness later this week and visit a croft.

Rhoda Grant added : “During her visit this week and in other visits I hope she makes to crofts across the region, the Minister will hear first hand the issues facing crofters and the need for action.

The Government need to use all their current powers to improve the situation without diverting attention and effort into new legislation, the need for which is very controversial.

“They need to act before the economic circumstances of many crofters become untenable

“I don’t want to spend any time fiddling with bureaucracy while crofting burns.”

Rhoda Grant hits out at Scottish Government’s council house building allocations

10 April 2009

Rhoda Grant, Highlands and Islands regional Labour MSP, has hit out at the Scottish Government’s announcement on funding for council houses.

In some cases, the amount allocated was less than half what had been asked for.

Mrs Grant said: “While investment in homes is to be welcomed, there are questions to be asked over the amount of cash provided.

Shetland asked for the funds for ten homes, costing £250, 000.00

Instead, they have not been given any money out of the pot.

Mrs Grant added: “At a time when there is such a demand for affordable housing and such a demand for work in the building industry, it is surprising and disappointing that Shetland did not receive any funding.