Sunday Mail - come on don't rip off our kids

I've got one unhappy 12 year old at home today. After my morning ramble up the hills this morning I dropped into Kinnesswood store to collect the Sunday Times and Sunday Mail.

My 12 year old son was delighted to see the special offer in the Mail for a FREE Star Wars toy emblazoned on the front page. Yet when he tried to redeem the voucher and collect his FREE toy he was told he was three hours too late.

In fact there we only sufficient toys to last 30 minutes - one box. Apparently the shop assistant has faced lots of angry children - and parents - today. It was hardly her fault but she was on the front line.

If the Sunday Mail values its brand it should immediately ensure that all stores have sufficient FREE toys to meet demand. And because today's vouchers are only valid for today they should accept these vouchers throughout this week.

Come on Sunday Mail - don't rip off our kids.

Come and hear Chris Huhne MP

Come and hear

Chris Huhne MP

Shadow Home Secretary and Lib Dem Leadership contender at the

Dunfermline Liberal Democrats Annual Dinner

Friday 11^th September

Pitfirrane Arms Hotel, Crossford

Tickets at £25 are available from the Lib Dem office on 01383 841700 or email info@dunfermlinelibdems.org.uk

“A former financial journalist, who went on to make a fortune in the City, Chris Huhne has made much of the experience he gained before becoming an MP in 2005. He has certainly never lacked ambition.”

BBC website

Chernobyl children from Ukraine

One of the first groups of Ukrainian children from Chernobyl to visit the UK in years was hosted in Dunfermline over the summer.

I've been working with the Chernobyl charities to persuade the UK Government to waive the VISA charges for these and thousands of other children. The Government don't charge Chernobyl children from Belarus but seem to think it is acceptable to charge for Chernobyl children from Ukraine.

After a positive meeting with ministers in July I've heard nothing despite numerous calls. These charges are big sums for the charities but are peanuts to the Government. The charities have scraped sufficient funds together this year to bring over children from Ukraine but it is not sustainable in the long term.

Scrapyards - from dirty and polluting to saviours of the environment

I've paid a visit to the car scrapyard in Inverkeithing - UPULLIT which is owned by Copart

I visited them to discuss issues surrounding the implementation of the government's car scrappage scheme and also how they are contributing to the reduction of waste to landfill through their operations at the site.

With hundreds of cars for sale in parts or whole this is a significant business for West Fife and makes a valued contribution to the reduction of waste which has an impact on the environment.

I was impressed by the strict health and safety measures and the dedication to make this a thriving business.

Landfill tax changes could hit carbon capture

In the last budget the government sneaked out a proposal to increase landfill tax on PFA (power station ash) from £2.50 a tonne to £40 a tonne (up to £72 by 2012/13).

The industry is very concerned that this may have an impact on the financial viability of coal power generation at a time when another arm of government is seeking to make the sums add up on carbon capture technology. It is estimated that the proposal alone could increase electricity generation from coal by 5-10%.

The Treasury say that there are now alternative/commercial uses for PFA but the market has been extensively exploited (see Scotash) and it is doubtful there is more capacity.

The consultation is available at

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/Budget2009/bud09_landfill_tax_964.pdf

See document page 19 and 20 and paragraph 3.8 in particular.

In addition indigenous coal is higher ash than imported thereby incentivising power generators to import more coal to save on landfill.

Therefore, the UK coal industry will be disadvantaged by

• The desire to raise more tax


• Indigenous coal being higher ash than imported coal


• Deep mined coal being higher ash than UK surface mined and imported coals.

Rather than helping the environment this tax could damage if it.

It seems to be a simple case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

My fourth summer tour starts tomorrow

With around sixty stops in six days I start my fourth Summer Tour of the constituency tomorrow. to bend my ear in person come and join me at any of the following locations...

Monday 24th August
8.45 - 9.10am - Masterton Primary School (outside school gates)
9.25 - 9.55am - Ali's Mini Market, Thane Place, Dunfermline
10.15 - 10.45am - John Connelly Court, Dunfermline
11.05 - 11.35am - Hanover Court, Kilmartin Way, Dunfermline
12.10 - 1.10pm - Kingsgate Shopping Centre, Dunfermline
2.10 - 2.40pm - Seath House, 5 Transy Place, Dunfermline
2.55 - 3.30pm - St. Leonards Primary School, Dunfermline (outside school gates)
3.45 - 4.15pm - Whitelaw Court, Whitelaw Place, Dunfermline
4.30 - 5pm - Halbeath shop, Dunfermline
5.15 - 6.15pm - Touch Community Centre, Dunfermline

Tuesday 25th August
8.45 - 9.10am - Hill of Beath Primary School (outside school gates)
9.25 - 9.55am - Friary Court, Inverkeithing
10.10 - 10.55am - Crossgates Post Office
11.10 - 11.50am - Dalbeath Crescent shops, Cowdenbeath
12.10 - 1.10pm - Kingseat Post Office
2.10 - 2.40pm - Wilma's, Brock Street, North Queensferry
2.55 - 3.30pm - Inverkeithing Primary School (outside school gates)
3.45 - 4.15pm - Fraser Avenue, Inverkeithing
4.30 - 5pm - Deas Road, Inverkeithing
5.15 - 6.15pm - Inverkeithing Post Office, Main Street

Wednesday 26th August
8.45 - 9.10am - Saline Primary School (outside school gates)
9.25 - 9.55am - Saline Post Office
10.10 - 10.40am - Steelend old shop
11 - 12noon - Sivewright Court, Kirk Street, Kincardine
12.10 - 1.10pm - High Street, Kincardine
2.10 - 2.40pm - Culross Post Office
2.55 - 3.30pm - Crombie Primary School (outside school gates)
3.45 - 4.15pm - Newmills Post Office
4.30 - 5pm - Co-op, High Valleyfield
5.15 - 6.15pm - Spar, Cairneyhill

Thursday 27th August
8.45 - 9.10am - Townhill Primary School (outside school gates)
9.25 - 9.55am - Co-op, Townhill Road, Dunfermline
10.05 - 10.35am - Nethertown Broad Street, Dunfermline
10.45 - 11.15am - Newsagent, Forth Street, Dunfermline
11.30am - 12.15pm - Shops, Turnstone Road, Dunfermline
12.30 - 1.10pm - Co-op, East Baldridge Drive, Dunfermline
2.10 - 2.40pm - Wellwood Shop
2.55 - 3.30pm - Oakley School Campus (outside school gates)
3.45 - 4.15pm - Blairhall Post Office
4.30 - 5pm - Carnock Post Office
5.15 - 6.15pm - Robertson Road shops, Dunfermline

Friday 28th August
7.30 - 8.30am - Ferry Toll Park and Ride
8.45 - 9.10am - Camdean Primary School, Rosyth (outside school gates)
9.25 - 9.50am - Spar, Sherbrooke Road, Rosyth
10 - 10.45am - Calum MacDonald Court, Admiralty Road, Rosyth
11 - 11.55am - Post Office, Hilton Road, Rosyth
12.10 - 1.10pm - Co-op, Castlandhill Road, Rosyth
2.10 - 2.40pm - Queensferry Road/Park Road junction, Rosyth
2.55 - 3.30pm - Duloch Primary School, Dunfermline (outside school gates)
3.45 - 4.15pm - Co-op Pharmacy, Hospital Hill, Dunfermline
4.30 - 5pm - Post Office, Limekilns
5.15 - 6.15pm - David Sands, Duncan Crescent, Dunfermline

Saturday 29th August
9.30 - 10.30am - ASDA, Halbeath
10.45am - 12.15pm - Dunfermline High Street

Super Carriers – refits in France?

The Ministry of Defence is seriously considering turning its back on Rosyth dockyard and awarding the contract for the refit of our new super carriers to yards in France, Spain or Holland.

A letter I received from the Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell confirms other confidential reports I have received. It reads as follows:

“As part of the development work, a range of options to establish the best value for money solution are being examined; these naturally include undertaking the work in UK dockyards such as Rosyth.”

Only “include”!

To even consider foreign yards when we have top notch facilities and a highly skilled workforce that is perfectly capable of doing the work on our doorstep only confirms that the MOD has lost its marbles.

We’ve already invested £50million in Rosyth Dockyard so that it can take the carriers, which will be the biggest ships in the Royal Navy.

The MOD number crunchers seem to think that by no longer supporting a yard they will cut their costs but whilst this may look good on a balance sheet it will not be good value for money.

This is the MOD that thought it was good value for money to spend an extra £1billion on the carriers without creating one extra job or any additional capability just to stay within the treasury’s annual spending limits.

Rosyth is the logical place, in fact the only place in the UK, to refit the carriers in future and the Labour government must tell those MOD officials to rule out foreign yards now.

(Pics: Top is Nazaire in France; 2nd is Rosyth; 3rd is Navantia Ferrol in Spain and 4th is Cherbourg in France. The letter is below.)