Linda Fabiani, SNP MSP for Central Scotland, has praised East Kilbride’s “very significant” contribution to Scotland’s achievements in the science industries and said that we should “celebrate” the nation’s success in the sector.

Speaking in a Scottish Parliament debate about the Scottish Government’s Science Strategy, Ms Fabiani highlighted the success of East Kilbride-based companies Crucial Technology Europe, Filtronic Comtek, the Worldmark Group and Controlled Therapeutics.

Describing the work of Controlled Therapeutics, which has developed the world’s leading product for aiding medically-assisted childbirth, Ms Fabiani commented:

“That is science at its best, with a Scottish company’s expertise used and recognised across the world.”

Ms Fabiani went on to describe Scottish Government support for the sector, which last year helped to create 23 new jobs at Controlled Therapeutics’ East Kilbride base, as:
“building success on top of success—it is making the most of what we have.”

The Strathaven-based MSP highlighted the particular contribution of one East Kilbride resident to promoting public understanding and knowledge of science:

“There has been much discussion about enthusing laypeople and, particularly, pupils and scholars. The Government is taking that on board, as are others. In that regard, too, science has a home in East Kilbride.

“One of our residents, retired physicist Dr Ravi Singhal, gives free public lectures in the James Watt auditorium, which are filled by people who are eager to learn about physics. He has just completed his sixth series of lectures as part of the community education initiative under the Science for All programme. I hope that Mr Singhal repeats the endeavour, because I would very much like to go along and learn.”

Central Scotland SNP MSPs, Linda Fabiani and Christina McKelvie, will join the annual Mother’s Day show of solidarity with asylum-seeker women detained inside Dungavel this Sunday.

The Mother’s Day Solidarity Gathering outside Dungavel Detention Centre is organised by Justice and Peace Scotland and begins at 1pm on Sunday 22nd March.

Both Ms Fabiani and Ms McKelvie, whose shared constituency contains Dungavel, are long-time campaigners against the incarceration of asylum-seekers.

Linda Fabiani said:
“Once again we mark yet another year when women who have come to Scotland seeking sanctuary from persecution and threats to their lives instead find themselves locked up like criminals. The SNP has always opposed this shameful treatment of vulnerable people on Scottish soil and we will continue to speak out against it until we secure an end to the detention of asylum-seekers in Dungavel.”

Christina McKelvie said:
“I am saddened and angry that the UK Government continues to pursue their disgraceful policy of incarcerating asylum-seekers without judicial scrutiny. I will once again join Justice and Peace Scotland on Mother’s Day to demonstrate solidarity with and support for the women who are trapped in this cruel system.”

Linda spoke in the debate on the Scottish Government’s Science Strategy on Thursday 19 March.

” East Kilbride houses a small but very significant science park that demonstrates Scotland’s edge in science. Among the range of successful companies there is Controlled Therapeutics, which develops and produces pharmaceuticals. The workforce in East Kilbride developed a vaginal insert to aid childbirth in cases where the birth is medically induced. That product is now the world leader, and Controlled Therapeutics estimates that: “Every minute of every day a woman somewhere in the world will give birth assisted by one of our pessaries.”

“That is science at its best, with a Scottish company’s expertise used and recognised across the world.

Linda spoke in support of the Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) Bill on Wednesday 18 March.

“Just as no one in Scotland should be targeted or victimised because of their race or religion, no one in Scotland should be targeted because of their sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability. The proposals will mean that the divisive and scarring crimes that we are talking about are taken more seriously by the justice system and by society more generally.”

Read Linda’s full speech at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/soro318-02.htm#Col15886

Strathaven based MSP Linda Fabiani, has welcomed the fact that people in the NHS Lanarkshire area can now have a say in the running of their local health board after Scottish Government plans for democratically elected health boards was passed by the Scottish Parliament.

Under the Health Boards (Membership and Elections) Bill, members of the public are able to stand for and vote in elections to health boards and together with elected local council members, they would form a majority on the board.

This progressive step would allow people to play an active part in shaping the decisions of health boards, which in 2009-10 will spend a record £8.64 billion of taxpayers’ money.

Ms Fabiani said:
“Elections to health boards are a crucial step in improving public confidence in the decision making process of health boards.

“We have experienced at first hand here in East Kilbride the issues that are raised when local people feel they are not part of this process and their wishes are overridden by considerations that do not have the full support of the community.

“When Hairmyres Hospital was forced into a fight with Monklands General for the retention of its A & E depart. We witnessed directly the rule of bureaucracy over the wishes of the majority of the people and the type of services they wanted the NHS to provide locally.

“In the end it was people power that won but the voice of the public should have been listened to much sooner and the Bill just passed should ensure that the publics voice is heard more prominently in the future and the best way of achieving this is by actively involving them at the ballot box and in the boardroom.”

The Bill will ensure that:

Elected members – including local authority representatives and those directly elected by the public – will form a majority of health board members. A chair and other members will be appointed by Ministers, as at present

Pilot elections will be held and independently evaluated before any decision on further rollout is taken by Parliament
Elections will be on a proportional representation (Single Transferable Vote) basis. A single ward will cover the whole health board area

The voting age in health board elections will be lowered to 16

Elections could take place as soon as next year in two pilot NHS boards, which are yet to be confirmed.
Elected members will replace a number of the members on each board currently appointed by Ministers.
It is anticipated that the first pilots will get underway in 2010 and last for at least two years in order that the impact of direct elections can be properly tested and independently evaluated before Parliament is asked to take a decision on the roll out of elections to other health boards.

Strathaven based MSP, Linda Fabiani, is supporting a call from the Scottish Ambulance Service to get behind a campaign for people to put an ‘ICE’ number in their phone – ‘ICE’ stands for ‘In Case of Emergency’ – and allows the emergency services to quickly get in touch with a designated family member or friend in the event of an accident.

The idea originated from a paramedic, who after frequently finding mobile phones at the scenes of accidents, could never know what was the best number to call to reach relatives so, he thought of the idea to help the emergency services contact the most appropriate person quickly.

Ms Fabiani said:

“I think this a great initiative and a very smart idea. Today most people carry mobile phones and this is a simple way of helping emergency staff contact your family or a friend to inform them of what has happened.

“Time is often at a premium during emergencies and this is a simple way of helping out the emergency services and informing family and friends very quickly.

“I know this initiative is being promoted by the police, fire and ambulance services in Grampian, and I would like to see it taken up in other parts of the country as well.

“It is a very simple thing to do and it could prove important to you so I would encourage everyone to have an ‘ICE’ contact in their phone”.