Over 57,000 South Lanarkshire pensioners will pay no local income tax said local MSP and newly appointed Minister for Europe, Linda Fabiani.

Commenting after the debate in the Scottish Parliament on making Scotland Wealthier and Fairer the MSP for Central Scotland Region welcomed the SNP’s commitment to reform local taxation and tackle the iniquities of the Council Tax.

Ms Fabiani said that under SNP Proposals for a fair Local Income tax over 30,000 pensioners in South Lanarkshire will pay no local income tax and that an analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies has already shown that 90% of people will be better off under the proposals.

The SNP pledged that Council Tax abolition would be centre stage with a clear commitment to a £450 million tax cut – the biggest tax cut in a generation – directed to benefit pensioners and middle Scotland with taxpayers on low and middle incomes benefiting on average by between £260 and £350 a year.

Commenting on the SNP’s plans to improve the lives of Scottish families and pensioners Ms Fabiani said:

“The SNP are working hard to help families and pensioners in Scotland and South Lanarkshire.

“An SNP Government is committed to helping families and older people in South Lanarkshire live life to the full, to enjoy in their daily lives the independence and freedom of choice that is cherished by all of us.

“Council tax has gone up by 62% since 1997 and hit pensioners and working families hard. In South Lanarkshire it is little better at 52%.

“Even with the 25% discount pensioners will spend, on average, 19% of their basic state pension on council tax. In South Lanarkshire, it is again little better at 18%.

“Under SNP proposals 30,000 pensioners in South Lanarkshire who pay no income tax will have council tax abolished and pay no local income tax.

“Indeed, with a local income tax at least 90% of 56,000 state pensioners in South Lanarkshire will pay nothing or less than now.

“The SNP want to put money back in the pockets of Scottish families by introducing the biggest tax cut in a generation by abolishing the unfair council tax and replacing it with a fair system of local income tax.

“For example in South Lanarkshire this will mean that pensioner households with incomes of less than £10,000 will pay nothing at all through to a pensioner household with a joint income of up £30,000 saving as much as £600. A low income family will save over £600 through to middle earners saving as much as £400.

“The SNP’s proposals are fair, detailed and popular. 88 percent of Scots now back a fair local income tax, and that’s what an SNP government will implement with the support of the people of Scotland on Thursday.

“I believe that it’s time to scrap the unfair Council Tax. More and more Scots know it’s time for fair local tax with the SNP.”

Local MSP Linda Fabiani, has welcomed an investment of almost £1.6 billion for agriculture, forestry environment and community projects across Scotland.

The funding for the Scottish Rural Development Programme will cover the years 2007-2013.

The newly appointed Minister for Europe, Ms Fabiani said:

“This is excellent news for rural communities across the country. Farmers, foresters and environmental interests will all reap enormous benefits.

“My colleague, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead, called in key stakeholders to hear at first hand their views on the programme which they all helped to shape.

“Not only is the SNP Cabinet able to approve the programme in its entirety, but have agreed to allocate a further £70 million of Scottish Government funding over seven years to expand it further.

“What we now have is the largest investment programme in history for rural Scotland which will benefit everyone. This will ensure the programme will increase competitiveness in agriculture and forestry, enhance the environment and support rural communities.

“I am pleased the rate of voluntary modulation - the transfer of funds from the Single Farm Payment to Rural Development - will be much lower than some of the speculative figures that have appeared in recent weeks.

“The Scottish government will also be going ahead with a £10 million package as part of the seven year programme to attract new entrants into farming. New blood is essential to sustain the vitality of Scotland’s rural communities.”

Voluntary Modulation is the transfer of resources from the Single Farm Payment (Pillar 1 of the Common Agriculture Policy) to the Rural Development Fund (Pillar 2 of the CAP).

The rates of voluntary modulation for Scotland will be submitted to the European Commission as part of the UK submission on or before June 12.

These rates will be

5 per cent in 2007

8 per cent in 2008

8.5 per cent in 2009

9 per cent in each year from 2010-12 inclusive

The investment of £1.59 billion over seven years will come from the Scottish Government, the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development and national modulation of the Single Farm Payment.

The Rural Development Programme can be accessed here:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Rural/RDR/Intro

Central Scotland List MSP, Ms Linda Fabiani, has been appointed Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, in the new Scottish government, led by Alex Salmond.

Ms Fabiani expressed her delight on being appointed as a minister by Alex Salmond following his election as the very first SNP First Minister in the Scottish Parliament. She will work directly from the First Ministers office and will have responsibility for representing the Scottish government in its dealings with the European parliament as well as covering a number of other portfolios including the arts, architecture, built heritage, Historic Scotland and lottery funding, major events strategy and Gaelic.

Speaking after her appointment, Ms Fabiani said:

“I am delighted to be a member of the new Scottish government and a part of the first SNP government in history. The last couple of weeks have been very exciting and, the Scottish political landscape is now very interesting and is one which I hope will herald a new era in Scottish politics, an era of co-operation and effective decision-making based on the interests of Scotland’s people and not merely the interests of a single political party.

“I am looking forward immensely to my new role and getting to grips with a large workload. Like everyone else in the new SNP government I feel it is an absolute privilege to serve my country and I will do all I can to ensure that I promote Scotland’s interests and represent her people honestly and positively.