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Dear Constituent

Welcome to my website and the regular update on my work.


At First Minister’s Question Time I raised the issue of Creative Scotland. There has been a distinct lack of clarity, transparency and consultation throughout the process of establishing Creative Scotland and I asked the First Minister how he will go about restoring confidence among the Artistic Community in Scotland. I understand that the long overdue meeting between the Culture Minister and the Scottish Artists Union has now been arranged and I asked the First Minister if he will instruct the reintroduction of a stand-alone Creative Scotland bill in the interests of retaining the confidence of the Artistic Community.

In Glasgow Kelvin, I visited Hyndland Secondary School to participate in an event in light of the recent conflict in Gaza. The conflict and the images we have all seen on the Television and Internet obviously affects us all, including our young people. The event gave me the opportunity to discuss with the senior pupils the issues surrounding the conflict, as well as answering the many questions that they had. Having twice visited Gaza as well as my role as Convener of the Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Palestine, I was able to relate to the pupils the situation for people living in Gaza and provide them with a genuine insight into life in Gaza.

As you know, I have worked extensively for an improvement in the provision and regulation of Bus services, including leading a Debate in the Scottish Parliament on the issue. I am aware from speaking to constituents that there is room for improvement in bus services serving Glasgow Kelvin. Bus timetables and fares are a common concern; so too are vehicle standards; be it smoky diesel emissions or buses difficult to access for people with mobility problems.

My colleague, Charlie Gordon MSP, is currently consulting the public on a proposed “Regulation of Bus Services Bill”. I am delighted that he has done so and I am supporting the Bill. The Bill would simplify and strengthen local council’s powers to step in and organise adequate bus services in communities where the local bus market has failed.

The Bill would also extend free bus travel to people in receipt of the lower rate of Disability Living Allowance and it would allow free travel to eligible users of buses run by community transport organisations; again both of these are issues which come up at my surgeries and both measures would improve the quality of life of many of my constituents.

But the Bill can only proceed if the Scottish Parliament receives evidence from members of the public supporting its proposed measures and a petition is available for signing at my Constituency Office.

Please consider responding to the consultation by the closing date of 27th February 2009. You can also make your views known on the Bill by e-mailing Charlie Gordon MSP at charlie.gordon.msp@scottish.parliament.uk or in writing to Charlie Gordon MSP, The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP.

The public consultation on the Bill is available from my website, and also at www.charliegordonmsp.com. Hard copies are available by contacting Charlie Gordon’s office either by e-mail: charlie.gordon.msp@scottish.parliament.uk or by telephone 0141-632-8645.

The issue raised by Iain Gray at First Minister’s Question Time was the First Minister’s dithering on knife crime ahead of Parliament hosting a Knife Summit on Friday 23rd January which was organised by the Parliament’s Petitions Committee as a response to the 15,000 people who signed the petition calling for mandatory jail sentences for knife crime. Last June the First Minister said he was considering that and other measures and a Criminal Justice bill would be forthcoming, but as Iain Gray pointed out, the SNP's document Revitalising Justice lists what the SNPs Criminal Justice Bill will contain and it does not mention knife crime. Moreover, in April 2007 the Parliament legislated to licence the sale of non-domestic knives. The government has never implemented it. They say they might do so in September this year – by which time it will have waited for two and a half years. Eighty-one per cent of knife criminals who do go to jail get a sentence of only six months or less, that's only four out of five, yet the First Minister wants to abolish sentences of six months or less. That would leave around 850 convicted knife criminals every year freed to carry knives. I cannot support this policy, it is time to toughen the message on knife crime and I call on the Government to be bold enough to continue to strengthen our Criminal Justice System. The message must be if you carry a knife, even for the first time, you should await trial on remand or under supervision, such as an electronic tag or curfew.

Thanks for stopping by.


Pauline McNeill MSP
for Glasgow Kelvin

 

Updated 26 January 2009

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