• MSPs Look to New Law to Prevent Future Dog Maulings

    30Aug

    Dundee’s MSPs today reacted to the weekend’s horrific dog mauling of a 10 year old girl in the city’s Dryburgh area. The 10 year old was pulled from her bike and mauled by two rottweilers and is presently recovering after emergency surgery. She has been left with two permanent pins in a broken jaw and severe damage to her arms and legs.

    Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick said: “This horrific attack has appalled everyone and our sympathies go to Rhianna and her family. The big question here which we must have answered is why these rottweilers were roaming about unsupervised to carry out this horrific attack. The dogs have been caught and impounded and will no doubt be put down but I hope the authorities will take action against the owner.

    “Most dog owners are reponsible, but the new Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act moves the onus from the dog to the minority of irresponsible owners who should not have a dog at all. It goes further than ever before in ensuring safe and responsible dog-ownership.”

    “It was precisely dog attacks like this over previous years which has led to the new legislation at the Scottish Parliament.

    “The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 received its Royal Assent and became law on 26 May this year. It is presently in process of implementation by local authorities and was introduced because there were loopholes in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 which had failed to make the public any safer from dangerous dogs.

    “In fact, statistics showed that the number of people attending hospital following a dog bite doubled since the Dangerous Dogs Act was introduced. It was this that forced Scottish MSPs to take action.

    Joe FItzPatrick continued: “The remit Councils now have under the new law means they have to compile a list of potential dangerous dogs and it is up to everyone to ensure that that list includes dogs ‘at risk’ of getting a ‘doggie asbos’.

    “It is not possible to ensure dog attacks never occur, these are animals – unpredictable. No-one is trying to pretend that we can do that, but these new provisions seems to go as far as is possible to prevent it.

    “The public can help by drawing the attention of the new local authority ‘authorised officers’ to incidents which have occured which may have given rise to alarm or apprehension for an individual’s own safety, the safety of some other person or the safety of an animal other that the dog in question.”

    “The Act will operate on a preventative basis. Control Orders – a written notice –  will be issued to owners of dogs that have on at least one occasion been out of control. This ‘doggie asbo’ requires the owner to bring and keep the dog under control and to have it microchipped within 14 days of the notice.

    “These orders will be issued if the behaviour of any dog gives cause for alarm or makes an individual apprehensive.

    “Once an order has been issued, the owner must comply with the terms of it. If the owner fails to comply, the local authorities can take immediate action to ensure public safety. This means that where certain circumstances warrant, local authorities have the power to order the destruction of a dangerous or unresponsive dog and this could apply even if a dangerous dogs order had not previously been issued, or in place of a further order if they had been.”

    Dundee East MSP Shona Robison said: “The new Act was specifically introduced to put an end as far as is possible to dog maulings and the type of the horrific incidents such as we have seen in Dundee over the years.

    “It is more comprehensive that previous legislation and gives the authorities more powers to tackle irresponsible dog ownership and dangerous dogs.

    “A new national database, known as ‘The Scottish Dog Control Database’ may be set up as part of the Act after consultation with local authorities to monitor the effectiveness of Dog Control Notices. The public will have a right to access information about the database.

    “The Bill was originally introduced by Alex Neil but continued by MSP Christine Grahame when Alex became Housing Minister and it should offer a greater degree of control on dangerous dogs and on who can own them and should allow us to reduce the number of incidents by making the keeping of these types of vicious breeds a thing of the past.”

  • MP & MSPs Stride Out Against Cancer

    30Aug
    Picture shows Dundee politicians Shona Robison MSP, Joe FitzPatrick MSP and Stewart Hosie MP with some of the members of their team at the start of the 24 hour charity event ‘Relay for Life’ organised by Cancer Support UK.  Their team hopes to raise more than £500 for the charity.
    The 4th Relay for Life in Dundee has attracted the largest-yet number of registered teams and should exceed previous year’s total for funds raised.
    Speaking at the event, Shona said; “We must do all we can to help fund efforts to discover treatments for cancer and care for sufferers. Around 30,000 people in Scotland are diagniosed with cancer every year and total is increasing as the population ages. Advances in treatment have greatly improved survival rates.
    “NHS Scotland has met the new national targets of treating 95% of cancer patients within two months. While this is excellent news, we should be doing all we can to fund treatment and find a cure.”
    Joe FitzPatrick added: “It’s a great way to raise some money for such a worthy cause. The large attendance this year has given us great hope that this event will get bigger every year and it is a pleasure to meet survivors and those who have had personal experience of cancer through family and relatives.”
    Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie, who walked the relay circuit laps from midnight to 4am said: “It is very poignant to see the messages around the track from those who hae lost family and relatives to this disease and what we are doing tonight is put into perspective and given a sense of value by that. It is a wonderful event which celebrates the survivors and those affected or touched in any way by cancer. Let’s make sure next year’s event isd even bigger and more successful.”
    To donate online, click here.

  • Scottish Renewables Report Welcomed in Dundee

    25Aug

    The first major study of the potential impact of the offshore wind industry in Scotland, jointly commissioned by Scottish Renewables and Scottish Enterprise, was warmly welcomed today in Dundee.

    The city’s constituency MSPs Shona Robison and Joe FitzPatrick reacted positively to the new 56 page report, launched earlier today, which suggests the new industry could lead to the creation of up to 48,000 jobs – 28,000 directly in the industry with 20,000 in related sectors – by 2020.

    The Report, ‘Scottish Offshore Wind: Creating an Industry’ claims the Scottish industry could achieve an output of between 1.3 GW to 10.6 GW dependent on the success of strategic investment and other factors.

    Dundee East MSP Shona Robison said: “This comprehensive report proves that Scotland’s renewables industry is the biggest economic prize on offer for decades. It can become the nation’s biggest employer – but only if we can grasp the opportunity and work together to make it happen.

    “Other areas in the UK and across Europe are fighting for the same jobs but Scotland starts with many natural advantages which they do not have, not least the length of our coast and the force of the wind and tidal power that can be harnessed off our shoreline.

    “We have superlative academic research expertise at the top end of the industry finding ever more efficient ways of harnessing green power and we can deploy a highly-skilled workforce. We also have considerable technical resources in marine engineering and have already made strategic investment in suitable locations, such as at Dundee Port, to help maximise our potential in the new industry.”

    Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee West and Vice-Convenor of the Cross Party Group on Renewable Energy at the Scottish Parliament, said: “Coming close on the heels of the National Renewables Infrastructure Plan, this report by Scottish Renewables and Scottish Enterprise confirms the scale of the opportunities within our grasp.

    “We are totally committed to Dundee being at the heart of the Scottish renewables industry, not just for the huge scale of jobs it might bring but because our society will benefit from lower carbon emissions as we move to greener energy.”

    “Dundee Renewables, which brings together all the key players in the public and private sectors locally, is working hard to ensure that Dundee grabs a significant share of the new industry and attracts major offshore turbine manufacturing companies to the city to build turbines and to provide maintenance and support for the offshore industry.

    “We are also working with Scottish Government and Dundee City Council to ensure that we have the required road and rail infrastructure in place at Dundee Port along with grid connections to make this happen in Dundee.”

  • MSPs Team Up to Tackle ‘Relay for Life’

    06Aug

    SNP MSPs Joe FitzPatrick and Shona Robison are putting together a team for this year’s Relay for Life, on the 28th of August.

    Joe FitzPatrick said: “We will be taking part in the fourth Dundee Relay for Life and are putting together a team to walk in relay for 24 hours around the track in Caird Park.  It’s great than we can help to promote these important fund-raising events for Cancer Research UK.

    “There is still plenty of time for local businesses,  individuals and community groups to get involved and set up a team to take part. To find out more, visit the website: www.cancerresearchuk.org/relay/venues/dundee or email: dundeerelayforlife@live.co.uk and help to make the Dundee Relay event the biggest yet.”

    Dundee East MSP Shona Robison, Minister for Public Health & Sport, said: “NHS Scotland met the national target to treat 95% of urgently referred cancer patients within two months in the reporting period between October and December 2008 and this has continued through the period October to December 2009.

    “While this is excellent news, we should be doing all we can to raise money to fund the treatment of those already suffering from cancer, and to find new cures. A great way of raising money for this valuable work is to take part in the Relay for Life.

    “The event has a particular resonance to many families who have had family members or friends affected by cancer. People in Dundee are also aware of the battle being waged right here in Dundee at the Bio-Medical campus to find long term cures and prevention strategies for the most virulent forms of the disease.

    “In February, Cancer Research UK opened its first Scottish Cancer Research Centre in Dundee. With funding of £7.5m per year, the Dundee Cancer Research UK Centre is setting the pace in finding cures for bowel, breast and skin cancer, and building on Dundee’s world class research Bio-medical reputation.

    “Every year, approximately 30,000 people in Scotland are diagnosed with cancer, and studies show that this figure is set to increase to almost 35,000 in 2016-2020 due to the rise in our elderly population.

    “Although in the past five years, overall cancer mortality rates have decreased, cancer remains a National Clinical Priority for the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland who set up ‘Better Care Scotland’ in 2008 to focus on providing qualitative improvements to the services and support provided in Scotland. “ 

  • UK Budget ‘hits the most vulnerable’ says SNP

    28Jul

    Dundee’s SNP politicians today reacted to an economic analysis produced for the Scottish Government which revealed that the UK Government Emergency Budget introduced by the Con / Lib Dem Coalition at Westminster is already impacting most on the vulnerable and least well off.

    Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie, a member of the Treasury Select Committee, said: “This Emergency Budget from the Con-Lib Dem Coalition will be very damaging to those least well off in Scotland.

    “The rise in the standard rate of VAT from 17.5% to 20% which will come into effect from January 2011 will cost the average Scottish household £380 a year. And it will have a disproportionate impact on poor households.

    “About 1.6 million in people in Scotland are likely to have income rises suppressed as a result of the adoption of the consumer price index (CPI) instead of the retail price index (RPI) as the basis for calculating increases in welfare payments.”

    The analysis shows that the Emergency Budget will have an impact on those receiving benefits, a fact which deeply concerned Dundee East MSP Shona Robison.

    Commenting on the impact on benefit payments, Shona Robison said: “Around 621,000 families in Scotland will have their income cut as a result of the three-year freeze in child benefit, and again the biggest impact will be on the least well off.

    “Households with total income above £25,000 will see their benefit entitlement cut from April 2012 as a result of the combined effect of freezing child benefit and restricting child tax credits.

    “In Dundee, across both Holyrood constituencies, there are 11,220 people in receipt of DLA at either the higher, middle or lower rates.

    “Since an objective medical assessment will be introduced for Disability Living Allowance from 2013-14, it is estimated that up to 10,700 people in Scotland may lose their entitlement to DLA in 2013-14, rising to 31,700 in the following year. This is bound to have a big impact in Dundee.

    “It is vulnerable households and families across Scotland which are being asked to bear the brunt of these Tory/Lib Dem cuts – and there are more cuts to come. This is only the start of the Westminster cuts. This analysis produced for the Scottish Government shows the extent to which the least well off people in Scotland are already being hit by these cuts from the UK Government.”

    Commenting on the damaging effects of the Budget overall, Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick said:

    “This report on the impact of the cuts coming from the initial Emergency Budget are, unfortunately, just the start. They underline the case for Scotland being given responsibility for its own finances.

    “The case for economic and financial responsibility is gaining more support all the time, with some of Scotland’s leading business people and trade union figures in favour. 

    “Giving Scotland’s Parliament and Government the economic and financial tools would enable us to make the right choices to grow our economy and protect the poorest in Scotland.”

    “Scotland needs the powers of financial responsibility so that we can boost growth in the Scottish economy – generating higher tax receipts to invest in the public services we all value – as the only alternative to the entirely dismal prospects from Westminster.

    “That is the debate in Scotland – and that is why the centre of gravity in Scottish politics continues to shift towards independence.”

  • Dundee Politicians Welcome Renewables ‘Cluster’ Plan to create 5,000 jobs

    27Jul

    Dundee politicians say the city could be building offshore wind turbines as one of three regional offshore energy manufacturing ‘clusters’ built around key port locations.

    The politicians were responding to Stage 2 of the National Renewables Infrastructure Plan (N-RIP) published today by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise.

    Dundee East MSP Shona Robison said: “This latest report recommends that the sites, including Dundee, are developed into three regional manufacturing clusters that would support the fabrication of offshore wind components and tap into the wealth of subsea expertise that already exists in Scotland.

    “If we can get the city established in constructing renewables sector hardware, then that work, and its associated secondary industry of maintenance over the next decade, will be truly vast.

    “We are absolutely committed to Dundee being at the heart of the Scottish renewables industry. Apart from the great benefits which Dundee will derive in terms of jobs, society will benefit from lower carbon emissions as we move to greener energy. ”

    Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee West and Vice-Convenor of the Cross Party Group on Renewable Energy at the Scottish Parliament, said: “The report states that a total private and public investment of £223 million would assist the creation of 11 offshore wind manufacturing sites in three regional clusters.

    “Dundee Renewables, the high-powered group formed between the key players in the public and private sectors locally, is working hard to ensure that Dundee grabs a significant share of the new industry.

    “Being a deep-water port, Dundee has many physical and geographical advantages and is one of the longest established import and export hubs for bulk products in Scotland.” 

    “Taken together these 11 sites could support the creation of up to 5,180 jobs and an annual economic impact of up to £294.5 million each year.” 

    Commenting on today’s announcement, Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie said: “Unlocking the potential of these sites will require investment from both the private and public sector.

    “It is important that the Treasury urgently releases Scotland’s £185 million Fossil Fuel Levy to allow that to be invested to further develop the Scottish renewables industry.”

  • MSPs Support Dovetail’s Diversification

    17Jul

    Picture shows Shona Robison and Joe FitzPatrick with Dovetail MD Gavin Strachan today outside the factory.

    Dundee’s two constituency MSPs today visited Dovetail Enterprises on Dunsinane Avenue to meet Managing Director Gavin Strachan and to hear of the company’s diversification to meet the new challenges of the downturn in the economy.

    Dovetail, created in 1993, employs nearly 60 workers, a high proportion of whom have disabilities, and occupy a 100,000 square foot manufacturing facility in the Dunsinane industrial estate.

    The MSPs heard about the company’s recent successes in providing doors and door-set products for the hotel market as well as their continuing success in manufacturing and installing high quality furniture products for contract and retail clients across Scotland.

    Speaking after the meeting, the MSPs said: “Dovetail is a very valuable local facility offering employment and training to many people with a disability and it makes a commercial success of what it does.

    “As well as its work for major clients it also manufactures a range of home interior and furniture products including sofas, beds, tables and chairs for the domestic consumer.

    “Dovetail provides high-quality items at competitive prices and support local people, including many with disabilities.

    “It is well worth getting a copy of their most recent catalogue or visiting the showroom if you are looking to buy or replace these items in your own home.”

  • New Immigration Advisory Service for Dundee

    10Jul

    The Immigration Advisory Service, which is the UK’s largest charity providing representation and advice in immigration and asylum law, is to start a surgery in Dundee from September this year.

    The move comes after correspondence from Dundee East MSP Shona Robison over several years to persuade the IAS of the local demand for the surgeries in the city.

    Shona Robison said: “I am pleased to have been informed today, in a reply, that the IAS will begin a monthly surgery in Dundee to provide impartial and independent advice on immigration and asylum issues and migrants rights.

    “I have been pushing the case for this since 2007 and although it is being offered initially only on a three-month trial basis, feel that it is likely to be quite busy. They have said if there is demand, it will continue beyond this period.

    “Certainly the Dundee Parliamentary Office has regular contact with individuals and community groups seeking this kind of help and support, over visas and similar issues.

    “I am aware that Dundee’s mosques are keen for this service to be offered in Dundee.

    “The surgeries will be held in the Citizens’ Advice Bureau, level 4 of the Central Library in Wellgate and will be on the first Thursdays of the month.

    “Services are provided free to those eligible and appointments can be made by telephoning 01382 431581 / 431587.”

    The Immigration Advisory Service is independent of government and is part of the Community Legal Service scheme. Further details from their website: www.iasuk.org

  • MSP Welcomes Consultations on School Move

    29Jun

    Dundee East MSP Shona Robison commented on the decision by Dundee City Council’s Education and Policy & Resources Committee last night [28th June] to support the permanent re-location of Eastern Primary School to the old Grove Academy building.

    The MSP welcomed the forthcoming consultations with the Parent Councils of both Eastern and Grove and the parents of pupils attending or expected to attend these schools and a range of other bodies including Broughty Ferry Community Council.

    Shona Robison said: “There would seem to be many educational advantages in moving Eastern Primary to the former Grove building, not least that it will lead to sharing of excellent facilities at Grove and will ease the transition for many pupils from primary to secondary level on the nearby site.

     “Of course, it will need the approval of the parents and users of the schools and the wider Broughty Ferry community to go ahead and I am pleased that the Council will be publishing a formal proposal paper, listing the educational benefits, for circulation to all interested parties, and which will be the subjects of various meetings in the community.”

    “If the move does go ahead, it should be because there is significant advantage in doing so, such as better access, better parking facilities for the new Primary and more accommodation space to allow an improvement of facilities in the new school.

    “For the council tax payers, if it goes ahead, there could be significant benefits, with possible capital and revenue savings to the Council of between £772,000 and £1m from the move.

    “I hope that all parents and users of the schools and the wider Broughty community will get involved in the consultations once the formal proposal is made available.”

  • Benefits of Council Tax Freeze for Dundee Households Outlined

    25Jun

     

    The value of the continuing Council Tax Freeze for ordinary households was underlined today at Holyrood when Cabinet Secretary for Finance John Swinney revealed that the average Band D council tax payer in Dundee would have been paid more than £212 extra over the three year period of the freeze.

    The Minister was responding to a question from Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick.

    Joe FitzPatrick said: “I asked the Cabinet Secretary how much more the average family in Dundee would be expected to pay if Council Tax had been increased by a comparatively modest 3% each year since 2007.

    “Since the introduction of the Council Tax, it had increased by 100% under Conservative and Labour Governments, and throughout that period there had been double-digit increases. 

    “Today’s figures from the Cabinet Secretary show how much help this has provided to families and households since 2007.

    “The average Band D council tax payer is  £212 per year better-off with the Council Tax freeze.”

    Commenting after the meeting, Shona Robison, Dundee East MSP said: “Labour and Conservative MSPs have regularly demanded that we should end the Council Tax Freeze – but this shows how wrong such demands are. No-one would want to return to the old days under Labour and Tory Governments and Labour Councils when your Council Tax went up and up, every single year.

    “Of course, we now have final proof of the value of the Council Tax Freeze with the Con-Lib Dem Coalition at Westminster now planning to establish a similar Council Tax Freeze in  England.

    “That wouldn’t be happening if the policy had not been such a big success in Scotland.”

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