Chernobyl children - work under threat

I've recently posted an article on my work with the Chernobyl children's charities and the possible threat to their work. Take a look on the Dunfermline Press website

Scottish Labour MPs

It's no surprise to me that Adam Ingram, John Robertson and Jim Sheridan are leading a charge to return powers from the Scottish Parliament to Westminster as they have never fully accepted devolution Through loyalty to their leadership they have been forced to stew in their own juices for the last decade.

Using the nuclear energy fig leaf to protect their nakedness will deceive only a few - probably those who would prefer to see the abolition of the Scottish Parliament or to see MSPs neutered.

Their motivation is little to do with any considered analysis of the constitutional settlement. I suspect it's more to do with their crude, partisan opposition to fair votes and jealousy of those who are making decisions in Holyrood.

Crombie tenants deserve better

For twenty years tenants in Central and Farm Road in the small village of Crombie have had to put up with substandard housing. In the late eighties the Government declared that the Unitroy design of houses were Statutory Defective at which point the landlords, Scottish Homes (now Fife Housing), stopped almost all investment in the properties as it was estimated that they would only have a short life and therefore any investment would be wasted.

Twenty years on the houses are still standing but are not wind and watertight and are expensive to heat because of the poor heating systems and insulation. Further investigations have found that the properties could last for a further fifteen to twenty years but that isn't long enough to justify any investment (thirty years is the usual return period) and it's not short enough to demolish.

So the residents are left in limbo, living in substandard housing. Yet Housing Minister Stewart Maxwell has turned down pleas for assistance. That's why the residents are launching a campaign to urge the Government to take action. They're not taking no for an answer - and quite right too!

Budget success

It's good to see that Tavish Scott has driven a hard bargain with the SNP on the Scottish budget.

Successes include action to fund the building of schools, the Scottish Government's involvement in the Calman Commission, planning for future tax cuts and a refocussing of the Scottish Government onto economic recovery. We might even see a resolution to the dispute over the funding of the new Forth Crossing.

Tavish has shown effective leadership and good judgement.

No mugs in the tearoom

London literally ground to a halt yesterday but apart from the lack of milk in my local store the only real disruption the snow caused me was the lack of mugs in the Commons' tea room. I'm not sure why mugs are more vulnerable to the freezing weather than cups but I thought it best not to ask.

Refuge for miscarriage of justice victims

I get the chance to work with a range of immensely talented people with passion and drive. Paddy Hill and Gerry Conlon are two of the finest examples. Today I took the opportunity to press the Justice Minister on the need to establish a refuge for people who have been wrongly imprisoned.

I was pleased that the Minister agreed to meet a delegation for a second time to discuss Paddy and Gerry's idea. The first meeting was with Maria Eagle who received us well and even cancelled two of her subsequent meetings so she could extend our meeting. I am sure we will get a similar reception for our next meeting and hope that we can further progress the campaign for a desperately need refuge.

Here's the transcript from today's question:

Willie Rennie: That is very welcome, but when innocent people are wrongly imprisoned, it is a traumatic experience that can scar them for life. When they are released, they often receive little support other than a helpline, which is welcome but not sufficient. Will the Minister meet me, a cross-party delegation of Members and Paddy Hill and Gerry Conlon of the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation, to consider their proposal for a refuge that will give such people the residential, in-depth support that they need and deserve?

The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Mr. David Hanson): I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman’s comments. Of course, I and my ministerial colleagues will happily meet him, because how individuals are reintegrated back into society, particularly when they have been proved innocent, is an important issue.

School exclusions reduced

Brian Blanchflower, the Head at Dunfermline High School, is rightly very proud of his Inclusion Unit which halved exclusions from the school. It's a partnership with Apex Scotland and has been part funded by Fife Council.

I met four of the pupils who had benefited from Karen's (the unit leader) work which addressed and challenged their behaviour and provided them with the tools, skills and confidence to be able to handle life both at and beyond the school. A visit to Perth prison, a discussion with a prisoner and a talk on drugs were just some of the practical ways in which the project reinforced the messages and lessons from the classroom.

Karen has done some magnificent work with young people who needed her. It's a work that has delivered clear results - for the school, the community and most importantly of all the young people themselves.