First Minister must explain failure of waiting times improvement plan
Responding to the news that the First Minister’s legally-binding Treatment Time Guarantee law has now been broken 272,293 times, with the 12 week standard only being achieved for 71.9% of patients in the quarter ending 31 December 2019, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP commented:
Read morePM urged to support new bill to give Hong Kong citizens the right to live in the UK
The Liberal Democrats will today present a Bill with cross-party support which would require the Government offer Hong Kong citizens the right to live in the UK.
Read moreLib Dems call for decriminalisation ahead of drugs summit
Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today said that the Scottish Government should radically overhaul their drug policy, stop sending those caught with drugs for personal use to prison and instead ensure that medical services are available to assist those who misuse drugs.
Read moreScottish Government burns through 21,000 flights since 2015
Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Mike Rumbles MSP has today criticised the Scottish Government’s air travel record, after new information uncovered by the party through a freedom of information request revealed 21,000 flights have been taken since 2015.
Read moreRennie: NHS must be at the heart of the case for the UK
The NHS should be at the heart of the case for United Kingdom according to the Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
Willie Rennie will tell the These Islands Conference in Newcastle that the case for Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom should show how caring and compassionate the people of our country have been collectively. He will say that the pro-UK campaigners should not be shy about our common achievements like the NHS and should reach out to talk about issues beyond the economic strength that comes with a single UK market.
Read moreSNP u-turn on period poverty bill
Responding to the news that the Scottish Government will now support Monica Lennon’s bill on free period products, despite previously withdrawing its support, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:
“People inside and outside the SNP told them that their opposition to the bill that would tackle period poverty was unjustifiable and I’m glad they’ve seen sense and caved. A lack of period products shouldn’t be getting in the way of women’s lives or education.
Read moreEducation Scotland reject classroom resources review, leaving kids “tinkering with broken equipment”
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s Education Committee discussing STEM teaching in early years education, Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Beatrice Wishart MSP has criticised Education Scotland for dismissing evidence that teachers and parents are having to stump up for basic classroom resources and arguing children can get by with activities including “tinkering with broken equipment”.
Read moreLib Dems call on Labour to join progressive alliance for electoral reform
Liberal Democrat constitutional affairs spokesperson and North East Fife MP Wendy Chamberlain has today written to the three Labour leadership candidates calling on them to join a progressive alliance in favour of electoral reform.
Read moreOnly one third of flood protection schemes have been completed
As Storm Dennis buffets the country, Scottish Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesperson Mike Rumbles MSP has called on the Scottish Government to scale up flood protection as he revealed that only a third of flood protection schemes identified for delivery by 2021 have been completed.
Read moreScottish Ambulance Service spent almost 2,000 hours dealing with malicious calls
Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today warned malicious calls to the Scottish Ambulance Service are putting lives at risk as new figures revealed that in the past five years there have been more than 7,000 malicious emergency calls requiring almost 2,000 hours of staff time.
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