Save the honey bee

Last night I attended the West Fife Beekeepers Association to discuss the plight of the honey bee which has seen a dramatic decline. Since the winter of 2007 there has been a 30% reduction in the population of domestic honey bees due to the varroa destructor mite.

Scottish bee farmers run up to a quarter of the UK’s commercial bee hives and also make up a significant portion of the UK’s amateur beekeeping population. Yet despite their importance, Scotland only has four bee inspectors to investigate cases of disease outbreak.

The Western honey bee plays a vital role within the planet's eco-system, pollinating 70% of the food that we eat and contributing over £165 million per year to agricultural output. Put simply, fewer bees will mean less pollination, a decline in plant life and a huge blow to animal life.

I am pressing the Scottish and UK Governments to work together to tackle this problem. I also want to see a significant increase in funding to research new treatments and see more people qualified to treat bees.

Small Business Club

Janet Torley's Small Business Club is a thriving group full of vitality. I addressed around thirty small businesspeople at East End Park and was quizzed on issues such as the banks, Europe, confidence and a range of local concerns. There certainly is a fighting spirit amongst the Fife business community.

Time to explain and apologise...

In a debate that I led on the Dunfermline Building Society in the House of Commons yesterday I concluded with the following:

"People want answers, but I have absolutely no desire to have a crude witch hunt. That is not our style in Dunfermline; it is not how we do things. However, members, staff and the community want to understand what happened. They want to know how such a fine institution for 140 years could be wrecked in a few months. They want to understand why reckless decision making caused that to happen. I urge those who were responsible—those who were in charge—to step forward, explain and apologise. We will treat them with respect and we will listen but we ask them please to accept that request. The society of 140 years deserves it."

Nationwide merger

At least the Nationwide is a mutual with a decent reputation but I am bitterly disappointed that the Government did not do more to keep the Dunfermline Building Society an independent Scottish mutual especially as the Government is partly responsible for its difficulties.

One hundred and thirty years of trusted mutual tradition in Scotland doesn't seem to be valued enough by the Treasury.

My concern now turns to jobs, branches and the HQ.

Act of financial vandalism

If the Government was to force the sale of the Dunfermline Building Society it would be a betrayel of 130 years of mutual borrowing and saving tradition - and of the hundreds of people who work for the society.

The Government has contributed to the difficulties at the society, through the 7.2m pounds compensation levy and excessive capital requirements, and therefore must accept some responsibility to save it.

There is an offer on the table from the UK's building societies which would inject finance into the society so keeping mutual and independent.

This is Gordon Brown's building society. He should step in.

Work with other societies to seek a solution for the Dunfermline

A solution to the problems at Dunfermline Building Society should involve a partnership between the mutual sector and the Government. And it must involve keeping the Society as an independent Scottish mutual.

It would be unacceptable for the society to be merged with another society, to be taken over by the government or to to be sold off to a private buyer. It's important that we do everything to defend Scotland's biggest mutual.

Iraq inquiry

I can't believe that the Government thinks its argument against an immediate inquiry into the Iraq war has a shred of credibility. It's two years since the USA undertook their Baker-Hamilton inquiry and a year since our Prime Minister promised one - in the future.

I've just left the debate on the subject in the Chamber. The Foreign Secretary praised our brave and professional troops but then proceeded to inform the House that they would be distracted by an inquiry. Indeed they are professional and wouldn't be so easily distracted.

Something to hide? I think so.