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Shona Robison MSP

• MSP Welcomes Tay Estuary Rail Services

  31Jul

  Dundee East MSP Shona Robison welcomed the announcement of the TACTRANS (Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership) strategic proposals to establish more frequent rail services between intermediate stations on the Arbroath to Perth route.

  The MSP has been calling for more stopping trains on the route for a number of years and last year supported calls for a Tay Estuary Rail Service (TERS), a plan which had been gestating for five years and which aims to offer the opportunity to enhance service levels at stations along the line of route from Arbroath to Perth, including Broughty Ferry, Monifieth and Invergowrie.

  Shona explained: “TACTRANS had allocated £120,000 to take forward detailed appraisal of the TERS proposal and entered discussions with Transport Scotland, First ScotRail and Network Rail about commissioning a study on the Tay Estuary Rail Service.

  “They hoped to be able to improve local/regional services and improve commuting possibilities and in particular to ‘improve service levels at existing, poorly served stations such as Broughty Ferry and Monifieth.

  “It had proved impossible for us over a number of years to persuade national rail companies to have more trains stop at stations like Broughty Ferry or Monifieth so the TERS proposal was the ideal solution.

  “And I am delighted today to hear that TACTRANS hope to introduce the service within 30 months. That is very good news.

  “Part of the difficulties we previously faced was that there is considerable pressure on national timetables not to introduce more stops, which lengthens journey times.

  “Rail services are reviewed by Transport Scotland who had pointed to low passenger numbers from intermediate stations such as Broughty Ferry from times when more trains did stop there. I have always been convinced that if more trains stopped, more people would use them, and particularly for short local trips.

  ” I have every hope that the Tayside Estuary Rail Service proposals will transfer existing lightly-used halts onto the proposed hourly semi-fast local service giving much improved service levels at Broughty Ferry, Monifieth and other intermediate stations such as Invergowrie and Carnoustie without impacting adversely on the core inter-city network.”

• Minister’s ‘Good Luck’ to Scots Hockey Stars

  31Jul

  

  Picture shows L-R: Brent Deans, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Hockey, Becky Ward, Shona Robison MSP, Minister of Public Health & Sport, Lee Cousins, President of Scottish Hockey, Vikki Bunce, Ian Strachan (trainer).

  Scottish Sports Minister Shona Robison MSP today wished ‘good luck’ to the Scottish senior women’s hockey team on the eve of the game against European Champions Germany in Hanover this weekend. The game comes in the final leg of preparations for the EuroHockey Nations Championships in August.
  Scotland sit in pool B for the Championships which take place in Amsterdam from 22nd to 29th August and have been playing international matches to warm-up for the contest, most recently in Barcelona last week where they lost 2-4 against Spain who are ranked seventh in the world.
  The Minister met some of Scotland’s hockey stars earlier this summer at Dundee International Sports Centre as they began their build-up for the European Championships.

  Shona met Becky Ward and Vikki Bunce, two of Scotland’s hockey stars and spoke with Brent Deans and Lee Cousins, officials of Scottish Hockey, at a training session run by the Tayside and Fife Institute of Sport, part of a country-wide network which supports Scottish athletes to achieve world class performances.
  Shona said: “I was delighted to meet Vikki and Becky and trainer Ian Strachan and to hear of the quality of the training.
  “It is marvellous to see the enthusiasm of amateur sportsmen and women who commit themselves to full training schedules after a full day’s work.
  “I have great admiration for them and believe that their motivation will lead to great results for Scottish teams in the European Championships. Good luck to them!”
  Scottish Hockey received almost £877,000 investment this year including an award to prepare teams for the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2014.

  The Sports Minister added: “I am very pleased that our hockey players are supported by regional facilities like the Tayside and Fife Institute of Sport which helps to develop top players and to produce international class athletes here in Scotland.”

• MSP’s ‘Optimism’ on Funding for Rosendael

  27Jul
  

  Shon Robison MSP, Joe FitzPatrick MSP and Stewart Hosie MP with Major Ian Ballantyne of Scottish Veterans' Housing Assoc and staff at Rosendael

  Dundee East MSP and Public Health Minister Shona Robison today spoke of her optimism that a solution can be found on the issue of future funding for Rosedael Veterans’ Care Home.

  “I attended a meeting today with the Leader of Dundee City Council, and the Chief Executive designate, which discussed the issue of funding for Rosendael. I was assured that no final decision had been reached.

  “The issue had been under discussion for the past 18 months and I was made aware of the issue during a visit which I made to Rosendael, with fellow MSP Joe FitzPatrick and Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie in March this year [see picture of the politicians with Major Ian Ballantyne (of Scottish Veterans' Housing Association) and Rosendael staff].

  “I am assured today that the Council is going to be meeting urgently with the Scottish Veterans’ Housing Association to identify a solution to the funding issue for Rosendael. I am optimistic that such a solution can be found.

  “There is no doubt of the commitment of the Scottish Government to supporting veterans as demonstrated through the priority treatment given to veterans through the health service and through other such support. I am sure that commitment is one shared by Dundee City Council.”

• MSP’s Reassurance on Grove Health Centre Patients’ List

  27Jul

  Dundee East MSP Shona Robison wrote to all patients who had been removed from the list of Grove Health Centre in Broughty Ferry. Shona felt it was important to offer reassurance to all 200 patients of the Grove Health Centre who had been removed from the practice list.
  Shona said: “While I can understand the frustration of patients, the most important thing to stress here is that they have the right to apply directly to join the list of another local practice.
  “I would urge everyone in this situation to make arrangements as soon as possible and help is available from NHS Tayside if required.
  “The reason for these removals is a decision by the practice to only take patients from within its practice boundary, which was defined in 2004. Demand from within this boundary has been high and the practice has a duty to accommodate people.
  “Unfortunately, this has meant people who registered before 2004 and who live outside the practice boundary can no longer be treated at the Grove Health Centre.
  “NHS Tayside have assured me that nearby practices are happy to take those patients removed from the Grove list.”

• MSPs Comment on Chief Constable Announcement

  02Jul

  Dundee’s SNP MSPs today wished Tayside Chief Constable Kevin Mathieson well after hearing the unexpected news of his early retirement from the police force.

  Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick said: “Although we understand his reasons, we are disappointed to hear that he is leaving as he was an effective and able Chief Constable. He had made significant inroads into local crime statistics, which are now at a ten-year low, and in particular he was taking strong action in tackling drug and alcohol abuse in Dundee.”

  Shona Robison, Dundee East MSP added: “The Chief Constable was leading the way into the civilianising of the police force which was allowing more officers to return to front line duties. Obviously his decision is a personal one and we wish him well for the future.

  “Kevin Mathieson leaves Tayside Police in a strong position, with more officers deployed than ever before and the prospect of the new-build Police national Forensic Laboratory in Dundee to aid their efforts in fighting crime.”