Central Scotland SNP MSP Christina McKelvie has today urged members of the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) to push for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to be held as soon as possible in order to allow the membership to have a say in the NTS Board’s plans to close or withdraw from 11 properties, including the David Livingstone Centre in Blantyre.

The NTS has over 300,000 members. The signatures of 2,000 are required to trigger an EGM. A group of concerned NTS members, formed under the name In Trust for Scotland, have organised a push for an EGM so that members’ views can be taken into account.

Ms McKelvie, whose region includes the David Livingstone Centre, said:
“I would urge anyone who holds membership of the National Trust for Scotland and who is concerned about the threat to these 11 properties to download an EGM form from In Trust for Scotland’s website and return it today.

“I know that many National Trust members have been upset to hear that the future of important parts of Scotland’s cultural and historical heritage, such as the David Livingstone Centre, is under threat. An EGM would be their chance to ensure that the Board’s decision is at the very least properly debated and the strength of members’ feeling taken into account.”

A form calling for an EGM of the National Trust for Scotland can be downloaded at http://www.intrustforscotland.org.uk/.

S3M-03959 Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (Scottish National Party): Iraqi Trade Unions— That the Parliament welcomes Abdullah Muhsin of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers to Scotland and congratulates NASUWT on sponsoring his visit to the Scottish Trades Union Congress Annual Congress 2009; believes that he was supposed to bring representatives of Iraqi and Kurdish teachers’ unions with him but that their visas to leave Iraq and enter the United Kingdom were not granted because the Iraqi Government has seized control of the teachers’ unions under decision 3 of the Governing Council, which was appointed by the United States of America as the nominal authority in Iraq between July 2003 and June 2004 supposedly to force elections on these unions that have held conferences and elected their leadership since 2003, and condemns the UK Government for its actions in refusing these visas and thereby supporting the suppression of trade unions in Iraq.

“Tam Baillie’s commitment is demonstrated by his long career in children’s services, and by his involvement in a cause that is close to my heart, which is the incorporation into law of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. His job is a virtuous one, and it is one in which he will be required to make us politicians feel uncomfortable. That is a good thing. We will work well together, and I welcome Tam Baillie to the post and look forward to the work that we will do together. I wish him and his organisation all the best.”

Read Christina’s full speech at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0422-01.htm

Central Scotland SNP MSP Christina McKelvie has welcomed confirmation that NHS Lanarkshire will receive almost £570,000 of new funding to employ up to 66 new hospital cleaners as a boost both in the drive to stamp out hospital infections and for local employment prospects.
The new money was announced by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon, in her speech to SNP Spring Conference. Over £5m has been released to employ 600 new cleaners across NHS Scotland.
Ms McKelvie commented:
“This is a double dose of good news for Lanarkshire. The recruitment of around 66 new cleaners will not only greatly benefit NHS Lanarkshire patients, but also provide a boost for the area’s job market during this time of rising unemployment.
“NHS Lanarkshire has already made progress in reducing hospital superbugs under the tough regime put in place by the SNP Government and the employment of 66 new cleaning staff will help to continue the drive to stamp out infections. Patients will also be reassured to know that these 66 cleaners will be working in the NHS, for the NHS, employed by the NHS, and not for any private contractor.
“This is an example of more practical action for real improvement from a government that is on Scotland’s side.”

S3M-3877 Christina McKelvie: Scottish Union Learning Fund—That the Parliament notes and welcomes the participation of Scotland’s trade unions in the education of their members, thereby increasing opportunities to learn, access to learning and training for workers; further notes that much of this effort is channelled through the Scottish Union Learning Fund (SULF), and welcomes the additional funding for the SULF under the current administration.

S3M-3893♦ Christina McKelvie: Supporting Social Work—That the Parliament supports the awareness raising campaign, Social Work Changes Lives, which was launched by the Association of Directors of Social Work, the Scottish Social Services Council and the Association of Social Care Communicators on 1 April 2009; recognises the burdens that social workers carry; agrees that it is important to promote a positive image of social work acknowledging the huge variety of tasks that social work and social care staff undertake to support vulnerable people in central Scotland region and right across the country; believes that most people will come into contact with social work services at some point in their lives, whether they are receiving a service or are involved in arranging a service for others, and therefore believes that it is vitally important that social work services are well understood and valued by society.

SNP MSP for Central Scotland, Christina McKelvie has called on the UK Government to take all action possible to prevent the implementation of measures which would fundamentally undermine the human rights of women in Afghanistan.

This call comes as it was reported today (Saturday) the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, had expressed his own concern to Afghan Presdient Hamid Karzai over the Shia family law bill currently before the AfghanParliament, which would see rape legalised within marriage.

Ms McKelvie lodged a motion before the Scottish Parliament last Wednesday condemning the Afghan bill.

Commenting, Ms McKelvie said:
“This law is an attack on the fundamental rights of Afghan women.

“To allow its implementation is to legalise domestic abuse.

“President Karzai has given assurances that a review is underway. I am calling on the UK Government to ensure that these words translate into action and repeal all legislation that violates the human rights of women and children.

“Progress has been made in Afghanistan but I fear recent developments represent a return to the darkest days of the Taliban.”

The text of Ms McKelvie’s motion reads:

S3M-03857 Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (Scottish National Party):
Defend Afghan Women’s Human Rights— That the Parliament expresses deep concern at news reports that President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan has recently signed into law a Shia family law bill that is believed to deny the most basic human rights to Afghan women, including the right to refuse sex within marriage, to leave their homes without permission from a husband or father or to seek custody of their children following divorce; recalls that the denial of human rights to Afghan women by the Taliban was cited as a justification for the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001; believes that those countries involved in military action in Afghanistan then and since have a duty to protect Afghan women’s rights; calls on the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office to establish urgently exactly what provisions are contained in the Shia family law and to place diplomatic pressure on President Karzai to repeal all legislation that violates the human rights of women and children, and urges the UK Government to condemn in the strongest possible terms these latest attacks on the basic humanity of Afghan women and to exhort its international partners to do the same.

Central Scotland SNP MSP Christina McKelvie was joined last week (Friday 3 April) by Hamilton East and Earnock SNP councillor Graeme Horne on a visit to Lloyds Pharmacy in Livingstone Boulevard, Hamilton to highlight the latest cut in prescription charges in Scotland. From 1 April, prescription charges fell from £5 to £4 for a single prescription, £17 to £13 for a 4 month pre-payment certificate and £48 to £38 for a 12 month pre-payment certificate. The cost of pre-payment certificates has been slashed by more than half since 2007.

Ms McKelvie welcomed the latest reduction, which is part of the SNP Scottish Government’s policy of phased abolition of all prescription charges by 2011, saying:

“Patients across Lanarkshire have already benefited from the SNP’s phased abolition of prescription charges and this latest reduction will be another big help to all those who need medication, especially in these tough economic times. The enormous increase in people taking out pre-payment certificates since the reduction in charges began shows that this policy is genuinely benefiting people’s health as barriers to affording medication are removed. This is particularly crucial in many parts of Lanarkshire, where there are high numbers of people living with chronic illness.”

“The final abolition of prescription charges in 2011 will not only restore to Scotland’s NHS its founding principle of healthcare free at the point of access but also provide genuine improvements in health for those who need it most.”

Central Scotland SNP MSP Christina McKelvie has warmly welcomed a range of key Scottish Government measures which kick in today, Wednesday 1st of April, and which will provide crucial assistance during current economic difficulties.

Scottish Government policies that come into action today include:
• A further drop in prescription charges from £5 to £4 for a single prescription and £48 to £38 for a 12 month pre-payment certificate
• Full implementation of the Small Business Bonus Scheme, which will see hundreds of Lanarkshire businesses have their rates either slashed or abolished altogether
• Scotland’s national training programme for unemployed adults ‘Training for Work’ is being made available to people at 13 weeks unemployed instead of the previous 26 weeks unemployed
• Section 11 of the Homelessness etc (Scotland) Act 2003 comes into force, placing a new duty on landlords and creditors to notify the relevant council when they take action to recover possession of a property or when they call in the mortgage.

Ms McKelvie commented:
“In Lanarkshire, as elsewhere in the country, many people are facing the prospect of hardship over the coming months. These measures from the SNP Government will provide help when people need it most.

“Prescription charges are slashed for the second year in a row, and will be abolished altogether by 2011, while the latest reduction in small business rates will help to preserve jobs, livelihoods and local amenities.

“I am particularly pleased by the Training for Work programme being made available from 13 weeks of unemployment. The early weeks after someone loses their job are crucial, and the earlier they can access the help and support they need to negotiate the job market, the more likely they are to be able to find new work sooner rather than later.

“For people who do fall on hard times and face the potential loss of their home, there is now an early warning system in place to ensure that they can access the advice and support they need to prevent homelessness.

“These crucial measures, combined with a second year of council tax freeze in South Lanarkshire, come at just the right time and will make a real difference to families and communities in Lanarkshire.”

Christina McKelvie MSP and Cllr Graeme Horne have a message for sports clubs in the Hamilton area: there could be financial help out there out there with your name on it!

Hamilton Sports Council has financial assistance available for affiliated sports clubs to help buy equipment, train coaches, enter championship competitions or even to set up a brand new club. The grants scheme aims to increase participation in and improve the standard of sport in the Hamilton area.

Central Scotland SNP MSP, Christina McKelvie, said:
“The Scottish Government is committed to encouraging people to take part in sporting activities at all levels and removing the barriers that can sometimes lie in their way, and Hamilton Sports Council aims to do the same here in the Hamilton area. If you love taking part in sport – whether it’s football or badminton, curling or martial arts – the Sports Council wants to hear from you. There could be grant support available to help your club move to the next level, or to start a club where there wasn’t one before.”

Hamilton West and Earnock SNP councillor Graeme Horne, Chairman of Hamilton Sports Council, added:
“Over the past two years the number of clubs affiliated to the Sports Council has grown, but the number of grant applications has dropped. In the current financial climate sponsorship money is more difficult to come by, so many clubs will be needing all the help they can get. Hamilton Sports Council is here to help local clubs and individuals who want to get the most out of their sports, and we would urge them to take advantage of the financial help we have available.”

For further information about how to apply for Hamilton Sports Council grants, visit www.hamiltonsportscouncil.com or phone 01698 476 108.