Christina McKelvie MSP has congratulated St Joseph’s Primary School in Blantyre which has been awarded a grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All scheme.

Awards for All gives grants of between £500 and £10,000 for people to take part in art, sport and community activities, and projects that promote education, the environment and health in the local community.

St Joseph’s Primary School received £5,953. The school have developed a 3 part project to ease and record the transition process to their newly built campus. The grant will fund 6 digital cameras, a DVD camcorder, 6 mini DVD palm camcorders, 4 white boards, 3 LCD monitors, materials/fees for a ceramic artist, 90 pedometers and sectional costs to run an 8 week block of gym session.

SNP MSP Christina said:

“I am delighted to see that St Joseph’s have been successful in the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All scheme. This truly is a great achievement and the funding secured is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all those involved, as well as the imagination they have put into their proposal.

“This exciting project will bring real benefits to pupils and their families and I wish it every success.

“I would like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone in South Lanarkshire who are involved with charities, voluntary organisations or school groups to consider applying for the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All scheme. I am sure that ambitions will continue to grow and South Lanarkshire can continue to benefit from this excellent scheme.”

Awards for All can be contacted by calling 0870 240 2391 or email them at Scotland@awardsforall.org.uk.

As Scotland’s 1,000th school receives the coveted ‘Green Flag’ award, Christina McKelvie MSP has today congratulated the Hamilton area schools who have already blazed a trail for environmental sustainability under the Eco-Schools programme.

16 schools in Hamilton and Blantyre have already achieved Green Flag status, which shows that they have demonstrated an outstanding, pupil-led commitment to sustainability across the whole school community and through pupils’ learning. A further 10 schools in the area have achieved Bronze or Silver awards, which are stepping stones to receiving a Green Flag.

Chatelherault Primary School has even reached the ultimate goal of being declared a permanent Eco-School, having won four consecutive Green Flags. Another six schools – Auchinraith Primary in Blantyre, Neilsand Primary, Quarter Primary, St Elizabeth’s Primary, Townhill Primary and Hamilton Grammar – aren’t far behind, with three Green Flags each.

Congratulating alll the schools who have achieved awards so far, Central Scotland MSP Christina said:

“It’s clear that schools and nurseries all over Hamilton and Blantyre have embraced the sustainability agenda and are making their own, very significant contributions to achieving Scotland’s ambitious climate change targets.

“We all have a responsibility to live more sustainable lives that don’t compromise the quality of life of future generations. It’s both encouraging and insipring to see pupils of all ages in Hamilton and Blantyre setting such a great example to the grown-ups and demonstrating a real commitment to sustainability and greener thinking.

“With the dedication to our planet that is being shown by the children and young people in the Hamilton area, it’s no wonder that Scotland is one of the leaders among the 45 countries involved in the Eco-Schools programme.

“With it’s permanent Eco-School status, Chatelherault Primary has set the standard for what it’s possible to achieve, but I’m sure that schools across the area will not be long in joining them and that Hamilton and Blantyre pupils will continue to blaze a trail for sustainability and show the rest of Scotland, and the world, how it’s done.”

Further information about the Eco-Schools programme is at http://www.ecoschoolsscotland.org/

Schools in Hamilton and Blantyre which have achieved awards from the Eco-Schools programme are (highest award so far listed): Auchingramont Nursery – Silver; Auchinraith Primary – 3 x Green Flags; Chatelherault Primary – 4 x Green Flags; Craighead School – 2 x Green Flags; David Livingstone Memorial Primary – Bronze; First Step Community Nursery – Green Flag; Hamilton College – Silver; Hamilton Grammar – 3 x Green Flags; High Blantyre Primary – 2 x Green Flags; Hollandbush Nursery – Green Flag; John Ogilvie High School – Silver; Neilsand Primary – 3 x Green Flags; Quarter Primary – 3 x Green Flags; St Paul’s Primary – Bronze; St Blane’s Primary – 2 x Green Flags; St cuthbert’s Primary – Green Flag; St Elizabeth’s Primary – 3 x Green Flags; St John’s Primary – Green Flag; St Jospeph’s Primaty – Green Flag; St Mark’s Primary – Bronze; St Mary’s Primary – Green Flag; St Ninian’s Primary – Silver; Townhill Primary – 3 x Green Flags; Udston Primary – Bronze; Woodhead Primary – Bronze; Woodside Primary – Bronze.

Christina spoke in the debate on 20 May.

“In 2003, a number of us in the trade union movement—Unison, the Educational Institute of Scotland, the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association and the Transport and General Workers Union, which is now Unite—called for legislation not just for emergency workers but for all workers who undertake duties that could put them in danger of assault. That call was not answered. I felt that child protection staff, mental health officers and care staff in particular deserved their call to be answered, and I used the very example that Hugh Henry used in his speech, of a child protection worker going into a home.

“During the passage of the bill, we lobbied the Labour Party hard to include public sector and shop workers. However, it refused to do so. On 15 January 2004, Andy Kerr said:

“The common law is flexible: it can deal with attacks on public service workers whatever the circumstances. However, if we introduce a specific offence of statutory aggravation for attacks on all public service workers, that flexibility will be removed.”—[Official Report, 15 January 2004; c 4907.]

…I did not agree with that view at the time.

“Extending the act now would take away its specific focus on protecting our police officers, firefighters and ambulance staff, and all the other staff that it deals with. It would be unfortunate if one of the shining lights of good legislation from the previous Administration were to lose its focus.

“There are issues of protection and safety for shop workers; by and large, those are issues that their employers should be addressing. Proper safety at work is the responsibility of every employer, and retail employers are no different.”

Read the full debate here. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-10/sor0520-01.htm

Christina McKelvie MSP has today welcomed Scottish Government approval for byelaws passed by South Lanarkshire Council, which will prohibit the possession of alcohol for consumption outdoors in public places.

The byelaws, put forward by the council on 17 March, have been backed by the SNP government and will come into force on 10 June this year. They will cover 33 towns throughout South Lanarkshire, including Hamilton, and will strengthen existing laws against public drinking.

SNP MSP Ms McKelvie said:

“I fully expect that the introduction of these byelaws will make a big difference to the quality of life in communities across South Lanarkshire which are badly affected by the nuisance and disorder caused by public drinking.

“They will give local police more power to crack down not just on outdoors drinking itself, but also on the noise, vandalism and violence that goes with it and which makes too many people’s lives a misery.

“I believe that any minor inconvenience to the public will be more than offset by much greater gains in community safety and quality of life.

“Glasgow stepped up its existing byelaws against public drinking in 2008, and I doubt very much that many people in that city would argue for a return to the way things used to be.

“It is a priority for the SNP Government to focus action on the most problematic drinking, with bans such as these targeted at areas where there has already been trouble with drinking-related disorder. That is exactly what South Lanarkshire’s new byelaws will do and I believe they will make a positive difference to communities across the county.”

Christina McKelvie MSP today welcomed the news that 450 jobs are to be created by John Lewis in Hamilton, following investment by the Scottish Government.

Announced by the First Minister during First Minister’s Questions, the new customer contact centre at Hamilton Technology Park is due to open in June.

SNP MSP Christina, whose Central Scotland parliamentary region includes Hamilton, said:

“This is excellent news for the area and I welcome John Lewis to Hamilton.

“450 high-quality new jobs will provide a great boost to the Hamilton economy and bring new employment opportunities to the area.

“The Scottish Government is backing Lanarkshire by putting £700,000 of its money into bringing one of the UK’s biggest and best-loved businesses to the area and creating new jobs for people in Hamilton during the recession.

“This is a very welcome announcement from the First Minister and John Lewis and I hope to see John Lewis established in the town for a long time to come.”

The First Minister’s announcement can be read at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2010/05/20134003

Christina McKelvie MSP has called for an explanation from the Home Office of events over the last week and an end to all child detention as soon as possible following a statement that children of asylum seekers will no longer be detained in Scotland at the Dungavel detention centre, but instead moved immediately to the Yarls Wood detention centre in England.

SNP MSP Christina McKelvie, who highlighted the failure of the Lib Dems to bring an end to the detention of children earlier this week said:

“If this is a genuine end to the detention of children at Dungavel then it may be a positive step forward, but it does not explain the actions of the Home Office this week or bring an end to the detention of under-16s in the asylum system.

“The new UK government’s claims on asylum and detention have been badly exposed. It must be repeated that the issue in contention was not detention just at Dungavel, but detention of asylum seeker children full stop. Replacing detention at Dungavel with detention at Yarl’s Wood is not an acceptable substitute.

“Having failed at their first test we will be keeping a close eye on the commitments of this new Government to ensure that they live up to their word and do not slip back into the system of child detention so favoured by Labour ministers.”

Christina McKelvie MSP has welcomed the extension of the support scheme for part-time students on low income or benefits.

The Scottish Government is extending the scheme in order to assist people in the current economic climate and the higher than usual level of graduates affected by redundancy.

Central Scotland MSP Ms McKelvie said:

“I am delighted the scheme is being extended, giving many more people the opportunity to enhance their career prospects.

“During the past year the Individual Learning Accounts (ILA500) scheme provided fees support of £500 to more than 400 part-time students.

“This shows how successful the scheme has been and, given that more than 70% post-graduate students study part-time, it is absolutely right that the Scottish Government is continuing to help those who are facing redundancy or are unemployed.
“With the University of the West of Scotland campus in Hamilton, Motherwell College, Coatbridge College and South Lanarkshire College all expanding both their presence and their reputations as centres of educational excellence, Lanarkshire has a growing population of students who will welcome this further support from the SNP government.”

More information can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/skills-strategy/ScotAction

Christina McKelvie MSP was joined by Education Secretary Michael Russell, Cllr Clare Adamson and Cllr Graeme Horne, SNP candidate for Rutherglen and Hamilton West at the University of the West of Scotland campus in Hamilton on Tuesday 27 April to sign NUS Scotland’s Student Pledge against top-up tuition fees south of the border.

SNP MSP for Central Scotland Ms McKelvie said, “Any increase in tuition fees in England will have a serious knock-on effect on students in Scotland by reducing higher education funding here. The SNP is committed to free, high-quality university education in Scotland and we will stand firm against any cuts imposed to the Scottish education budget by whoever ends up in Downing Street after 6 May. I am proud to join the Scottish Government’s Education Secretary and the SNP’s local champions in this election to sign the NUS Student Pledge to resist top-up tuition fees.”

After they signed the pledge, Mr Russell and Ms McKelvie took a break to sample some specially-made Scottish Saltire ice-cream at the famous Equis ice-cream parlour in Hamilton.

THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT HAS LAUNCHED A HELPLINE FOR AIRLINE PASSENGERS STRANDED BECAUSE OF FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS DUE TO THE ASH FROM THE ICELANDIC VOLCANO.

FROM THE UK CALL 0800 027 0504

FROM OVERSEAS CALL +44 800 027 0504.

There is also a website with regular updates at www.scotland.gov.uk/volcanicash.

Christina McKelvie MSP has tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament to congratulate Hamilton Academical FC on retaining their Scottish Premier League status for another season.

Central Scotland MSP Christina said:

“Accies have had a great season, getting some fantastic victories under their belt. They thoroughly deserve to stay in the Premier League for another season.

“Bill Reid has shown excellent leadership of the team, and he and the players and staff all deserve to be given credit. Along with all Accies fans, I’ll be looking forward to seeing the team reach even greater heights next season.”

ENDS

The full text of Christina McKelvie’s motion reads:

S3M-06162 Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (Scottish National Party): Congratulations to Hamilton Accies— That the Parliament congratulates Hamilton Academical FC on retaining Scottish Premier League status for a further year; pays tribute to the players, fans, groundstaff and all other associated staff; gives praise to the manager, Billy Reid, for his excellent leadership of his team, and looks forward to another successful season for the Accies.