This is yet further evidence that the deregulated bus industry is failing to meet the needs of our communities. Over the past few months I have received numerous complaints from constituents about bus services that are inefficient, unreliable, or in danger of being withdrawn. In response, I launched a Bus Campaign calling on the Scottish Government to improve bus services by tightening regulation.

According to today’s report, the Competitions Commission, which in February launched a two-year investigation into the bus market, has received requests for greater regulation from local authorities across scotland.

Over the last 25 years, the deregulated free market has allowed bus firms to widen their profit margins whilst continuing to receive generous public subsidies.  By failing to provide a consistent and co-ordinated service in rural as well as urban areas, they have exploited this arrangement to their own advantage.

With budget cuts looming, the public purse cannot afford to continue subsidising private profits. Increasing regulation is the only way to ensure that bus users across the country get the service they are entitled to.

The report, entitled ‘Getting it Right for Children in Residential care’, reveals that children’s services across the country are failing to provide adequate support for those in care, and that money is being squandered as a result of inadequate communication and planning between local authorities and national government.

Approximately 1600 children a year end up in residential care, either voluntarily or by referral from courts or children’s panels. This frequently results in poor outcomes, with figures revealing that children in care have a higher risk of future unemployment, homelessness or imprisonment, and are more likely to encounter physical or mental health problems.

I want to see agencies working together to improve the prospects of children in care, and that means helping them with long-term goals such as further education, training and jobs. But whilst funding for children in care must be protected, it should also provide value for money, and it is therefore vital that the Scottish Government and local authorities work together to ensure an effective national strategy and shared long-term goals.

 Looked-after children are among the most vulnerable in our communities; they need better support if they are to realise their full potential.

If you would like to volunteer for this important new service, please contact June Vallance on 01501 825800.

The meeting took place at Merck’s research headquarters in Pennsylvania and was attended by the company’s Executive Director of Government Affairs, Bob Hunter, and Executive Director of Strategic Operations, Jeremy Caldwell.

Whilst they refused to reconsider the decision to pull out of Scotland, Merck executives expressed a willingness to explore alternatives to closure, such as the possibility of selling the site as a going concern.

Although I am disappointed and frustrated by Merck’s stance, I will continue to fight for the future of Newhouse and that of its 250 employees. My Parliamentary Motion calling for a united front on this issue has gathered significant cross-party backing.

Merck’s top priority should be to safeguard jobs, and if selling the site as a going concern is the best way of achieving this, then everything should be done to make it happen. However, Merck should not be allowed to simply cut and run.

That is why I lobbied strongly for the company to continue to support community projects and scientific research on both a local and national level. Merck have pledged to honour all existing research grants and to help find alternative places for students to continue their studies. They have also agreed to investigate the possibility of further support once the future of Newhouse has been established.

This is the least they can do. Merck has been well served by Scotland; it owes something in return.

The meeting, which was well attended by representatives from a range of local and national voluntary organisations and services, provided updates on current and future changes to volunteering, and discussed the challenges that the sector will face in the future.  It also provided an opportunity to improve communications between groups, forge new links, and generate new ideas to enhance the local voluntary sector.

I found the meeting both constructive and informative, with a selection of diferent strategies offered to help the  voluntary sector grow and flourish. I was also impressed by the number and scope of voluntary organisations operating in North Lanarkshire.

There is no doubt that there are tough times ahead for the voluntary sector. The coalition Government will call for more for less by asking voluntary organisations to compensate for cuts in the public sector. However, I am committed to working alongside the voluntary sector in North Lanarkshire and will continue to offer my support during the difficult times ahead.

I know from personal experience that diabetes can be a devastating condition, which can lead to sight loss, kidney failure and heart disease. It is vital therefore that efforts to care for people with diabetes and stem its growth are properly coordinated across Scotland.

As Convener of the Cross Party Group and as a local MSP I am well aware of the impact of diabetes and of the good work that is going on. The new Action Plan is a welcome commitment from the NHS and the Scottish Executive to build on that good work.

There are 228,000 people with diagnosed diabetes in Scotland and a further 20,000 have the condition but don’t as yet know it. In Lanarkshire there are over 26,000 people with diabetes.

The cadet movement plays an important role in developing socially responsible and active young people and offers opportunities to young people, many of whom struggle to engage with traditional education, to develop their skills and knowledge in a manner that is entirely consistent with the four key capacities of Curriculum for Excellence. 

The event, which was both exciting and enjoyable, gave the young participants the opportunity to showcase the array of skills that they have acquired over the summer months. The standard of the performances was very high, and I commend all those involved on the bravery and talent that they exhibited. It takes guts, skill and practice to perform live, and these attributes were apparent in all the performers.

I would also like to thank the staff of the Airdire @Home Centre ; not only for this event, but for the vast range of educational and support services that they provide to young people in the local community.

As @Home’s Got Talent amply illustrated, the @Home Centre is a North Lanarkshire success story of which we can all be proud.

The meetings, also attended by local Labour MP Pamela Nash, were very constructive, and I remain hopeful that a solution can be found which protects the jobs of the 250 scientists and researchers who work  on site.

Amongst the options discussed at the meetings was the possibility of persuading MSD to reverse their decision, or, alternatively, of  identifying a purchaser of Newhouse as a going concern. Also considered was the feasibility of a management buy-out.

However, if  we are to achieve a favourable outcome, Newhouse’s staff and management, along with local politicians and the Scottish and Westminster governments, must work together to formulate an effective strategy to prevent the site from closure.

Newhouse is an centre of scientific excellence, which provides much needed funding and facilities for academics and students across Scotland and the UK, and I will seek a personal meeting with Richard T. Clark, MSD’s Chief Executive, to impress on him the importance of the contribution it makes to research and development in Scotland.

It is time that the Newhouse facility got the recognition it deserves, and it is imperative that swift, decisive, and collaborative action is taken to find a solution to its impending closure.

Now in its third year, the NAe Bother campaign has proved a robust and effective means of reducing crime and cultivating better relations between the police and local communities. This years campaign is focused upon young people, and it was in this capacity that representives of the Campaign, accompanied by myself  and officials from the Scottish Prison Service, paid a visit to Shotts Prison to hear the views of inmates and prison officers on how to discourage young people from becoming involved in crime, and reduce rates of re-offending.

One proposal made was for the NAe Bother campaign to be adopted nationwide. This is a proposal I fully endorse, and I have written to Kenny MacAskill requesting the support of the Scottish Government.

I would like to thank all those involved in the NAe Bother campaign for their efforts on behalf of the local community, and to urge the Scottish Government to implement this innovative and effective campaign throughout the country.

Image used courtesy of the Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser.