Schools in Hamilton are being urged by Christina McKelvie MSP to take up the Ordnance Survey’s ‘Free Maps for 11 Year Olds’ scheme.

The scheme, which has now been operating for 7 years, offers a free OS Explorer map to every primary 7 pupil.

Last year saw the scheme give out more than 680,000 maps to pupils all over the UK and the SNP’s Ms McKelvie is encouraging schools in Hamilton to put in their orders.

The online ordering facility at www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/freemapsfor11yearolds is open till the end of November.

Commenting Christina McKelvie MSP said:

“The Free Maps for 11 Year Olds scheme has been fantastic and can provide primary 7 classes with an excellent learning tool.

“18 schools in Hamilton and Blantyre are eligible to receive maps. I would urge every school to take up the Ordnance Survey’s offer which is completely free to participate in.

“Map reading skills are important as it can be an encouragement to children to take part in outdoor activities and introduces skills that can be used for travelling around in later life.

“By owning their own map children are more encouraged to use them and learn about map-reading.

“The maps are also available to home educators at the same website by clicking on the ‘Home Educators Ordering’ link.”

Schools participating in the scheme receive the following:

One Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 scale folded Explorer map for each Primary 7 pupil on the school roll at the start of the autumn term. These maps are for the pupils to keep. They are exactly the same as those on sale in the shops at time of despatch.

Additional maps are available for teachers and belong to the school. Teachers will be able to choose how many they require up to a maximum of 1 per 25 pupils.

A guide “Teaching with Ordnance Survey free maps” will be included. This is also available as a downloadable resource from the site.

A copy of the leaflet “Map reading made easy peasy”, for each pupil.

Explanatory letters for parents/guardians.

Stickers for the pupils to personalise their maps.

Local authority has Scotland’s third highest PFI bill

Christina McKelvie MSP has hit out at figures which show that South Lanarkshire council will pay out over £90 million pounds to service PFI contracts in the next three years alone. The huge bill is the third highest facing any Scottish local authority, exceeded only by Glasgow and Edinburgh.

PFI/PPP (Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnerships) is the preferred capital investment procurement scheme of Labour and was used during its time in the Scottish Executive between 1999 and 2007. The scheme is now costing council tax payers in South Lanarkshire millions of pounds in inflated costs.

Commenting, the Central Scotland SNP MSP Christina McKelvie said:

“Labour’s PFI scheme is proving to be a total waste of taxpayers’ money and those in South Lanarkshire are being hit harder than most. How can over £90million over the next three years be value for public money?

“Thanks to their obsession with mortgaging out public sector facilities to private companies, the former Labour-led Scottish Executive has landed local councils with huge additional costs at a time when public finances are under enormous pressure.

“Public services in Scotland are already being hit by the £500m worth of cuts handed to the Scottish budget by Labour in Westminster. It is a disgrace that they also have to shoulder the massive financial burden of Scottish Labour’s PFI legacy.”

MSP consults local organisations about UK government proposals

Responding to UK government proposals to abolish some disability benefits, including attendance allowance, Central Scotland SNP MSP Christina McKelvie has spoken of her serious concern that such a move would result in vulnerable people losing out.

Attendance allowance is a tax free benefit for people with physical or learning disabilities who need assistance, for example with personal care.

The UK Government has published a green paper which proposes scrapping the allowance in favour of centralising the funds, a move which many say is in order to plug a growing funding black hole at the centre of social services in England. However, because welfare benefits are a reserved matter for the Westminster parliament, attendance allowance in the devolved nations would also be affected. Concerns have already been raised about the proposal by a number of organisations, including the RNIB and Capability Scotland.

Commenting, Ms McKelvie said:

“Disability organisations have already expressed deep reservations about this proposal, and I share their concerns.

“I am very worried that the loss of attendance allowance would result not only in potentially reduced income but also in a loss of independence, choice and control for disabled people.

“There are currently almost 11,000 people over the age of 64 in receipt of attendance allowance in South Lanarkshire alone, so the impact would be considerable.

“I have written to a number of local organisations representing disabled people, pensioners and carers to seek their views about this proposal and the impact that the loss of attendance allowance would have. I would be very pleased to hear from any other individual or organisation who shares my concerns.

“This proposal is not a done deal yet. Presented with evidence of the devastating impact that the loss of attendance allowance could have for so many people, the UK Government might be persuaded to drop this short-sighted proposal. There is still time to save attendance allowance.”

Christina spoke in the debate on 24 September:

“The Parliament should praise those councils that have received good reports and acknowledge that councils will strive to improve things by using the reports that they have received. We should encourage those councils that have not got there yet to lift their performance. Having worked on the front line, I have seen at first hand the amazing work that goes on in child protection and early intervention teams. Those workers go out every day to do a job that our society needs them to do but that we wish was not necessary. They deserve our support, and they have mine.”

To read the full text of Christina’s speech, go to http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0924-02.htm#Col19939

Hamilton area has death rates twice as high as UK average

Shocking alcohol-related death statistics revealed by the Scottish Government this week more than justify radical policy responses such as minimum alcohol pricing, Central Scotland MSP Christina McKelvie has said today.
Figures revealed in a Parliamentary written answer by Nicola Sturgeon MSP showed that all but nine Scottish parliamentary constituencies and all but one health board have alcohol-related death rates above the UK average.
Ms McKelvie pointed out today that Lanarkshire is one of the worst affected parts of Scotland, with the Hamilton area being particularly badly hit. NHS Lanarkshire has the third highest alcohol-related death rate of all Scottish NHS boards (behind Glasgow and the Western Isles) with around one and a half times more people than the UK average losing their lives to alcohol.
The Hamilton, Bellshill and Blantyre areas are the worst hit in Lanarkshire, with the area’s two Scottish Parliament constituencies recording the worst death rates in the county. Hamilton North and Bellshill is at number 13 and Hamilton South at number 15 in the alcohol death league table, with both constituencies suffering alcohol deaths of around twice the UK average.
Expressing shock and deep concern about the figures, Ms McKelvie said:
“These are shocking figures for the Hamilton area and show the scale of the challenge we face in tackling alcohol abuse.
“With the death rate from alcohol twice as high than in the UK as a whole and for the two Hamilton constituencies to have the highest death rates in Lanarkshire is a disturbing reality check for all local politicians, professionals and the drinks industry.
“These deaths take a tragic personal toll on families in the area as well as putting enormous pressure on our communities and public services.
“These figures make the Scottish Government’s package of radical measures to encourage and promote responsible drinking and to bring an end to alcohol at pocket money prices all the more urgent.
“We must take action now to avoid another generation of Scots dying through drink.”

Christina McKelvie MSP has today welcomed confirmation from Scottish Government Finance Secretary John Swinney that he will provide additional funding to local authorities in order to freeze council tax for the second year in a row.

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament debate following his Ministerial statement on the Scottish government’s draft budget, Mr Swinney told MSPs:
“The point I would make is that without the Council Tax freeze at a time when many families and individuals are reducing their working hours, facing freezes in salary or even salary cuts, families and individuals would be struggling even more than they are.
“This is not the time to be increasing the Council Tax and there would have to be a significant increase to fill for Council resources not available for support from Government. I think to protect household income at a time when we all recognise household income is fragile is what would be expected of this Government.”
Central Scotland SNP MSP Ms McKelvie commented:
“I am very pleased that the Finance Secretary has found funding to continue the council tax freeze, despite the enormous pressure placed on the Scottish budget by the £500m worth of cuts imposed by Westminster.
“South Lanarkshire has suffered badly during this recession, with thousands of people losing their jobs over the past year. The last thing that hard-pressed households need just now is to have to find extra money to pay for what would otherwise be a substantial increase in their council tax.
“I really hope that when Parliament votes on this budget my MSP colleagues from all parties will come together to support a third council tax freeze and other essential measures to help people and communities get through these tough times.”

Lanarkshire competitors among medal-winners at final in Calgary

McKelvie calls on other young Scots to demonstrate their skills in 2011

Central Scotland MSP Christina McKelvie has tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament congratulating the young Scots whose skills led them to victory at the final of the recent international WorldSkills competition in Calgary.

Among the medal-winners was Katie Watson of Hamilton, who works as a chef at Gleneagles hotel and who took bronze in the restaurant service competition. Martin Eusebi, who works at MB Aerospace in Motherwell, was awarded a medal of excellence in the mechanical engineering category.

WorldSkills is acknowledged as the world’s toughest skills competition for people aged 16 to 23. More than 51 countries took part in this year’s final. Other Scottish competitors, taking part as members of the UK team, won medals in skills areas as diverse as painting and decorating and electrical energy.

Congratulating the winners, Christina said:
“It is really heartening to hear about young people who are not only developing crucial skills, but taking them to an outstanding level. It is a great achievement and I wish them continued success in their chosen careers.

“The finals of the next WorldSkills competition will be in London in 2011. I hope that other young Scots in education or training who want to excel in their own skills areas will be inspired by the success of this year’s medal-winners and encouraged to enter.

“Scotland has a deep pool of talented young people who would, I’m sure, do themselves and all of us proud.”

People aged 16 to 23 who are in education or training can register for the next WorldSkills competition at www.worldskillsuk.org.

ENDS

Notes:
The full text of Christina McKelvie’s Scottish Parliament motion is:
Scottish Skills Success
That the Parliament congratulates Mark Nevin of Edinburgh, Richard Sagar of Langholm, Katie Watson of Hamilton and Martin Eusebi of Motherwell on their medal-winning performances, as part of the UK team, at this year’s WorldSkills competition in Calgary, Canada; notes that WorldSkills is the biggest and toughest international skills competition for young people aged 16 to 23, with more than 51 countries taking part in 45 different skills categories this year; further notes that the success of these young people has demonstrated Scotland’s up-and-coming strength in skills areas as diverse as electrical energy, painting and decorating, catering and hospitality and engineering and design; and hopes that other skilled young Scots will be inspired to enter the next WorldSkills competition to take place in London in 2011.

WorldSkills competitions are organised by in the UK by UK Skills, a not-for-profilt company sponsored by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

Further information on WorldSkills is available via the following link: http://www.worldskills.org