Strathaven based MSP for Central Scotland, Linda Fabiani, has welcomed an announcement from the Scottish Government that the Scottish Ambulance Service is to receive an additional £4.7 million to ensure it can eliminate the practice of rostered single-crewing of traditional ambulances.

Ms Fabiani said:
“Earlier this year the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Nicola Sturgeon made it clear that the ambulance service had to take action to end the practice of rostered single crewing.

“Our much valued ambulance service has taken this on board and has delivered an action plan which sets out how this will be achieved. The additional funding will significantly increase the level of relief capacity available, eliminating the need for single crews in all but the most exceptional circumstances.

“The Scottish government have taken swift action to allay the concerns raised about the ambulance service and I hope that the public will be reassured about the quality of service they will receive if they need an ambulance – regardless of what part of Scotland they live in.”

Strathaven based MSP, Linda Fabiani, has welcomed an announcement by the Scottish Government of a new waiting time guarantee, which means that patients should wait no more than 12 weeks for surgery after being referred to hospital, thanks to the Scottish Government’s forthcoming Patient Rights Bill.

They have launched a consultation document which aims to create a legal framework of rights for patients, to support them in knowing what their rights are, and to provide effective redress where they consider that their rights are not being fully delivered.

Commenting on the consultation Ms Fabiani said:

“This is very good news for patients here in East Kilbride and Scotland as a whole. Waiting for a surgical procedure is an enduring process for anyone and that is why this government is determined to not only reduce the time that patients wait for surgery but also to give them a guarantee of the maximum time they should expect to wait.

“The SNP Government wants to support the health interests of people here and the staff that serve them. In the short while we have been in government we have already stopped the closure of A&E units in Lanarkshire and elsewhere, removed hospital parking charges, committed ourselves to end single occupancy ambulances and are now driving waiting times down – the interests of health users are central in all of these measures.

“If any member of the public wishes to contribute to the governments plans for the NHS they can make a submission during this consultation period which runs from 22 September 2008 until 16 January 2009. The consultation document on the Patients Rights Bill can be accessed at: www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/current.”

Strathaven based MSP Linda Fabiani, has welcomed the creation of 23 new pharmaceutical life sciences jobs in East Kilbride – and the safeguarding of more than 60 posts – with the help of Scottish Government Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) support.

Controlled Therapeutics (Scotland) Limited, a subsidiary of US-based Cytokine PharmaSciences Inc (CPSI), has accepted a £930,000 RSA grant to create the new jobs and safeguard the other posts.

CPSI specialises in developing products, primarily in the area of women’s health, which help the delivery of drugs to women in labour.

Ms Fabiani, who is the Scottish Government Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, commented following the announcement by Enterprise Minister, Jim Mather MSP:

“This is welcome news for East Kilbride. The grant from the Scottish Government will support the continuation of research and development work and investment in new equipment to expand the manufacturing capacity.

“Scotland already has a positive reputation in life sciences and growth in the level of research and development is helpful in boosting productivity and increasing our economic growth.

“Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) support is a scheme which complements the Scottish Government’s drive to create a more successful economy and provide opportunities for towns such as East Kilbride, which is well placed to take advantage of such opportunities.

“Cytokine PharmaSciences are investing more than 6 million US Dollars in Scotland, which is a significant amount of money at a time of economic uncertainty and a great endorsement of the workforce at the East Kilbride plant.”

Strathaven based MSP Linda Fabiani, is encouraging interested people to respond to a public consultation on modernising Scotland’s jury system.

The consultation document launched by the Scottish Government outlines plans to:
* allow Scots aged 65-70 to serve on trial juries; and
* reduce jury service exemption period from 5 to 2 years for those called to attend court as potential jurors but are not subsequently balloted to serve on a trial jury.

It also seeks views on longer term options for reform, including:
* whether the current jury size of 15 for criminal trials should be maintained or reduced;
* whether existing rules on exemptions from jury service, for example for certain categories of profession, remain appropriate or should be changed;

* options for administrative changes to the scope and operation of juror allowances, aimed at minimising hardship whilst recognising overall constraints on public expenditure; and

* options around the possible use of tribunals of judges or substitute jurors.

Commenting on the proposals Ms Fabiani said:

“I would encourage anyone who has an interest in these matters to read the proposals and if they think they have something to contribute to the consultation to make a submission.

“Our jury system of court trials is at the heart of our democracy and justice systems and we want this consultation to involve a wide range of people including the public and professional people.

“The consultation document can be viewed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent”.

Strathaven based MSP Linda Fabiani, has welcomed the establishment by the Scottish Government of the Scottish Futures Trust.

 
Sir Angus Grossart has been appointed chairman of the newly-established Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) company, which is being established to develop the expertise and investment models for a range of public infrastructure projects including new schools, hospitals and transport projects.

The Scottish Futures Trust is designed to reduce the costs to the public purse in a move away from the PFI and PPP model of funding which saw public sector projects costing hundreds of millions of pounds over the original building costs due to a contractual model that tied hospital and school projects into long term deals with contractors.

Ms Fabiani said:

“The SFT model will provide public sector projects on a Non Profit Distributing (NPD) model, designed to reduce financing costs and deliver greater impact from investment.

“We have seen the impact of PFI investment in East Kilbride with the new Hairmyres Hospital getting off to a troubled start in its early days due to problems with the building and disputes between staff and contractors. The public will also be paying in the region of £600million over the next 30 years for a building that originally cost about £67million. This is why we want to get away from this ridiculous model of funding.

“The Scottish Government will release up to £150 million each year for investment in Scotland’s public infrastructure with an infrastructure investment programme of some £35 billion over the next 10 years, and SFT will play a key role in delivering this”.

Minister for Culture, Linda Fabiani MSP, Culture Minister Linda Fabiani has announced that the Gaelic development body Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnG) is to use

£150,000 of its Scottish Government funding as a Challenge Fund

to support projects promoting the use of Gaelic in communities.

Ms Fabiani, who lives in Strathaven made the announcement while addressing the first national Gaelic in the Community conference, held in Breasclete, Isle of Lewis.

The Challenge Fund supports the Scottish Government’s priorities for the preservation and promotion of the language, as stout in the National Plan for Gaelic.

Ms Fabiani said:

“This funding will enable BnG to take forward new projects that are central to strengthening Gaelic in the community. I am delighted at this focus on a community-based approach to preserving and extending the language.

“Gaelic is a national language. We must recognise it on that basis and support it across all our communities, from areas where it is well established, to others where it is growing – such as parts of urban Scotland.

“The Scottish Government is committed to securing a sustainable and successful future for Gaelic in Scotland and the release of this funding to Bòrd na Gàidhlig is yet another step towards achieving that goal.

“In East Kilbride we have a Gaelic nursery and a Gaelic education unit in one of our schools and these are vital components in ensuring Gaelic remains an important part of our country’s identity”.

Commenting on the Legislative Programme announced by First Minister, Alex Salmond, in the Scottish Parliament last week, SNP MSP for Central Scotland and Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, Linda Fabiani, welcomed the introduction of a bill to abolish the Council Tax.

Commenting after the announcement, Ms Fabiani said:

“The abolition of the council tax is something we have committed our government to do and we know it is supported by the majority of people in Scotland who will be the ones to benefit from a much fairer system of local taxation.

“The SNP Government has already delivered a Council Tax freeze this year so that more families can keep more of their own money at a time of growing financial burden.

“Council Tax went up 60 percent under Labour and over 40 percent under the Tories it is no longer tenable to defend it as a fair tax. Even the Labour Party leadership contenders no longer want to keep it in its present form although they have yet to come up with an alternative.

“The SNP on the other hand has an alternative based on income and not on where you live, which would see as much as 80 percent of present tax payers better off. The SNP’s proposals mean a £280 million tax cut for the people of Scotland and will clearly have major benefits for families concerned about financial hardship.

“Other aspects of our future programme include introducing bills on climate change, criminal justice, health, and the legal profession. There are 15 bills in total and together they demonstrate the Government’s high ambitions for Scotland.”

Strathaven based SNP MSP Linda Fabiani, has welcomed the decision by the Scottish Government to scrap hospital car parking charges.

From 31^st December 2008 all hospital car parks operated by the NHS will be free of charge and follows an earlier introduction of a maximum £3 per day charge that has been in place since January 2008.

Speaking after the announcement was made by Cabinet Secretary for Health Nicola Sturgeon, Ms Fabiani said:
“This is a very welcome decision by the Scottish Government and will be welcomed by patients, visitors and staff alike who have no option but to attend hospital.

“Charging for hospital visits has always felt like punishing the sick and those that care for them and has always been hugely unpopular.

“It is disappointing that it has not been possible to extend free parking to car parks operated by private contractors under PFI arrangements but fortunately here in East Kilbride at Hairmyres Hospital the PFI contractor has never introduced parking charges, which is to their credit and I hope this remains the case.

“The abolition of hospital car parking and prescription charges in Scotland shows the SNP’s commitment to an NHS that is free and comes at a time when financial pressures on families are increasing. This Scottish Government is doing what it can to help in a tough economic period”.