Saturday 29 September 2012

Welcome for Future Funding for Rebuilding Baldragon Academy

Welcome for Future Funding for Rebuilding Baldragon Academy
  
Labour's Education Spokesperson in the City, Councillor Laurie Bidwell, said: 
"I welcome the announcement from the Scottish Goverment that the rebuilding of Baldragon Academy has been approved.  
"I know this will be welcomed by the Baldragon staff, pupils and  parents.
"The current Baldragon Academy buildings are over 50 years old and pupils in the North West of the city deserve a Secondary School that is fit for the 21st Century.
"The original proposal by the Council included the replacement of Sidlawview Primary School on the same campus and I hope that is part of what has been approved as well.
"This really is a school for the future announcement as the government's letter makes it clear that Baldragon will not be among those schools with an accelerated start over the next 18 months.
“That might have been possible as the rebuilding of the school will be on another part of the Baldragon site.
"Unlike Harris Academy there will be no need to decant pupils during the building of the replacement Baldragon Academy."
Ward Councillor Kevin Keenan said:
"As a local Councillor, I am very pleased that a new build Baldragon Academy received the approval of the Education Minister today as part of the Government's Schools for The Future prgramme.
"However, I am a little disappointed this Project is not within the first phase of funding, which would have seen a construction start within 12 to 18 months - delivering much needed jobs for Dundee's construction workers.
"It remains great news for the pupils, staff and parents along with the wider community as this new build will deliver a much improved learning environment and is therefore very welcome."

Richard McCready : Crisis in Education and a Star Chamber

Crisis in Education and a Star Chamber
Councillor Richard McCready
29 September 2012
On Monday evening at the City Council's Education Committee we considered the Education Department's Service Plan, (the plan is found at page 4 of the pdf document. )There was a very interesting exchange of views on this important and ambitious document. 
My colleague Laurie Bidwell worried that the resources might not be there to deliver on these ambitious plans.  We then saw the benefit of having teacher representatives on the Education Committee when Arthur Forrest spoke.
Mr Forrest spoke about the “extreme problems” in
Dundee's schools trying to get supply teachers. 
He pointed out that often support for learning teachers who are employed to assist children who need extra help can often be tasked with covering for other classes. This means that the young people who require extra help and support go without appropriate support. 
Mr Forrest also described how school management teams are often “fire-fighting” rather than implementing changes.  He told the committee that:
“It's vital that we are aware of the pressure on schools.” 
This warning from the “chalk-face” is very important to all of us who have the best interests of education in the city at heart. The Director of Education accepted that there were problems in terms of staffing and highlighted that there were 56 teachers currently on maternity leave. 
I am sure that he was not suggesting that this was a problem.  The provision of maternity leave was a major step forward in terms of wokers' rights and is something that I would defend. 
I think that behind the statistics is the fact that perhaps not all of the jobs which have been declared to be redundant in the recent rounds of early retirement and voluntary redundancies were actually redundant. 
It is important that the Education Department keeps a close eye on this and ensures that every school in Dundee has the resources it requires to deliver the service we expect. There is no point in asking teachers to deliver an ambitious development plan if they are being asked to do so with one hand, metaphorically, tied behind their back.
I was also interested to hear that the Education Department has a special meeting to look at budget setting which is described as the “Star Chamber”. I was impressed that the SNP Administration in the city were happy to allow the use of this term first used by King Edward II of England
Historians will be aware that this is the Edward who was sent “homewards tae think again”

Jenny Marra : Reforming Scots Criminal Law and Practice


Jenny Marra : Reforming Scots Criminal Law and Practice (Public Consultation ) speech in the Scottish Parliament
26 September 2012
It is a pleasure to speak in this afternoons debate on all these important issues in the landscape of Scots law and evidence.
The Parliament is being asked to consider some of the most far-reaching reforms to Scots law, and it is important for us to debate them well and often to get the changes absolutely correct for everyone who is involved in the legal system, not least the victims of crime in our country.
I start by considering this afternoon’s debate.
We have heard many informed and learned speeches, in which members have raised good points that I hope the minister will consider during his closing speech, and which we should all take to committee and to subsequent debates.
I was hoping to intervene on Roderick Campbell, but I did not want to interrupt him because he always makes very learned speeches on these issues.
I wanted to pick up on a point that he made in his opening remarks about Cadder and the emergency legislation that the Scottish Parliament had to consider as a result of that judgment.
Annabel Goldie also picked up on that point.
Last year, in its manifesto, Labour proposed to conduct a full audit of Scots law to make sure that the law in our country is ECHR compliant.
Such a full-scale audit would prevent scenarios such as the emergency legislation that we faced in the wake of the Cadder case.

Kenny MacAskill: On the Cadder judgment, how would an ECHR review have affected the position, given the appeal courts decision in HMA v McLean? Is the member suggesting that our review could have overturned the decision of a High Court bench?

Jenny Marra: No, I am not suggesting that.
I am suggesting that we need to look forward and consider Scots law with an eye on ECHR.
The Cadder judgment was not the first time that Scotland had heard of the problem with section 14 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995; there had been the Salduz case a few years earlier.
Such an approach would have given the Parliament a bit more time to prepare and we would not have had to consider emergency legislation.
I hope that ministers might consider carrying out such an audit as part of a wholesale look at Scots law.
Roderick Campbell also made points about the resource implications of the Carloway proposals, and there were many other thoughtful speeches.
Christine Grahame drew the Parliament’s attention to the fact that we must consider the majority verdict.
Malcolm Chisholm made a good speech in which he pointed to Professor Fiona Raitt’s points on the sufficiency of evidence.
As a result of his speech, I think that we will all read Professor Raitt’s comments.
I understand that she has called for a wholesale review of the law of evidence.
Ministers might want to comment on that, because it perhaps does not serve the system properly to look at the issue in a piecemeal fashion.
Mary Fee made welcome remarks about children.
The voice of children is often drowned out in debates on Scots law, but she advocates powerfully for children’s rights in the legal system, and under these proposals.
I am glad that the cabinet secretary took the time to bring the motion to Parliament, because it is important to debate the proposals often and well.
We have heard in the debate that many questions remain to be answered on the Carloway review and how it is to be implemented.
Although I generally support many of Lord Carloway’s recommendations, it strikes me as a little curious that the cabinet secretary should bring the debate to the chamber before the consultation on the proposals has even closed and therefore without the evidence that has been offered by legal experts. Nonetheless, the debate is a good opportunity.
It is clear to me from the speeches made today that we need further detailed consideration of and debate about how we can effectively implement Carloways recommendations.
Full engagement with stakeholders is a necessary part of that debate.
The end of the requirement for corroboration in Scots law would be a major shift, not only in the way that verdicts are reached in our courts, but in the number of cases that will reach our courts in the first instance.
It is vital that we have the foresight to envisage the impact that the removal of corroboration would have on our legal system.
We have heard that the pressure that is being put on our court services through budget cuts and the proposed closures of sheriff courts throughout the country would undoubtedly have a bearing on the courts ability to undertake a much bigger case load.
From that perspective, I ask the cabinet secretary to consider fully the consultation on the future of our courts, not just through the lens of the challenging financial situation that he faces, but through the lens of promoting effective and speedy justice for victims of crime, as Carloway recommends.
I am in no doubt that limiting the number of jury trials too much and closing too many courts could have an adverse effect when the Carloway recommendations are implemented.
We have heard about the complexities that surround the proposal to make any change to the corroboration rule retrospective in its application.
Not least of those is the potential to put our police service and Procurator Fiscal Service under considerable strain as a result of dealing with an increased case load and the reopening of cases that did not originally come to trial.
As has been mentioned, in 58.5 per cent of cases in 2010 that did not go to trial because of insufficient evidence there would be a reasonable chance of conviction if the need for corroboration were removed.
Annabel Goldie: I want to test the members presumption. In my speech, I referred to evidence that shows that the significant changes to the way in which we prosecute rape, attempted rape and sexual offences have not led to an increase in convictions. How can the member assert that simple abolition of corroboration will ensure more convictions?
Jenny Marra: I do not think that that is exactly what I asserted.
I am saying that we need to look at things in the round to ensure that we get more convictions; we also need to look carefully at the proposals for corroboration to see what impacts they may have.
We have heard of the need to consider the changes in the wider context of access to justice.
Christine Grahame eloquently outlined Carloway’s remit and gave the Government good reason to think carefully about the proposal from my colleague, Michael McMahon, who has quite rightly taken a broader view of criminal justice that includes a debate about the not proven verdict.
Those are just a few of the issues that the SNP must face up to if it is serious about improving our criminal justice system.
The principles underlying Carloway’s recommendations are good—they are based on the rights of victims and witnesses to speedy and efficient justice, and they have their roots in human rights legislation.
If we are to have a fully informed debate about the virtues of the report, we must include the voices of all interested parties from all corners of our justice system.
We must have a holistic assessment of the criminal justice landscape, too—one that includes Michael McMahon's proposal for reforming the verdicts that can be reached in jury trials.


Councillor Richard McCready : Living Wage : Time for Action

Living Wage : Time for Action
Councillor Richard McCready
29 September 2012
I've called for Dundee City Council to make real progress on the Living Wage.
In March the City Council agreed to implement the Living Wage for all City Council employees and to promote the Living Wage to arms-length organisations and to those who enter into contracts with the City Council. 
I'm looking for Dundee City Council to respond positively to the consultation on the proposed Members' Bill from John Park MSP in the Scottish Parliament on the Living Wage (Scotland) Bill which would require private sector employees working on public sector contracts to be paid the Living Wage and/or require the Scottish Government to prepare and report to the Scottish Parliament on a strategic plan to promote the Living Wage.
I was very pleased that Dundee City Council agreed to adopt a Living Wage policy back in March.
Labour had been leading the way with calls for this.
I think that the time has come to implement the policy.
I sought an update on the policy and have been told that a report is being written, that is very good but it is action that is required. 
People should be getting this extra cash in their pockets sooner rather than later and I would like to see it in pay packets before Christmas, of all nine months after the policy was agreed.
The council should be giving a moral lead in paying at least the Living Wage to all its employees and looking for ways to encourage, cajole and even insist that contractors pay the Living Wage.
The council should be concerned about the way companies it gives business to behave.
We are rightly concerned about the health and safety record of such companies, for example, therefore I think that it is only right that we have concern about their wage rates.
The council invests huge amounts of money on behalf of the people of Dundee it is morally right that the people of Dundee benefit from the money spent on their behalf.
I want the council to bring forward this report on the implementation of the Living Wage sooner rather than later and I want the council to give a strong lead to the city and to say that the Living Wage should be paid right across the city.
I have written to the City Council's Chief Executive asking that the council responds to the consultation on the Living Wage (Scotland) Bill, which would require private sector employees on public sector contracts to be paid the Living Wage and that the Scottish Government implements a strategic plan to promote the Living Wage.
Six out of ten poor children in Scotland live in families that suffer from in-work poverty.
There is a commitment from a range of public sector bodies, including Dundee City Council, to pay their employees the Living Wage but this must go further.
Over half a million Scots still do not earn the Living Wage and it is time that changed.

Councillor Lesley Brennan : Health Board questioned on progress on psychological therapies provision


Councillor Lesley Brennan :
Health Board questioned on progress on psychological therapies provision

29 September 2012

Lesley Brennan, Councillor for East End Ward on Dundee City Council , is writing to NHS Tayside asking the health board what progress it is making to ensure that the health board meets a target of providing quicker access to mental health services by delivering a maximum waiting time of 18 weeks for referral to treatment for psychological therapies from December 2014.
The new target times for referral to psychological therapies replaced the Scottish Government target to reduce the consumption of anti-depressants .
Ms. Brennan is asking the board for details of the average time and longest waiting time for a referral to clinical psychology, and for the current numbers on their waiting lists.
 She said,  
“The health board report that they now ‘regularly meet’ the 18-week target apart from the specialities of Clinical Health Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology. 
“They say that they have pinpointed extra resources to fund more posts in applied psychology to help meet the targets for these two specialities.”
She commented,
“While anti-depressants have a role to play, people with mild and moderate depression can benefit from  psychological therapies based on counselling and cognitive behaviour .
“ Such conditions of depression are a major public health concern.
“Therefore, we have to ensure that people can take advantage of psychological therapies to help minimise the prospects of their condition worsening or becoming long-lasting.”
The Scottish Government has dropped its target to halt the increase in anti-depressant use .
It has since been replaced by the new target to “deliver faster access to mental health services by delivering 18 weeks referral to treatment for psychological therapies from December 2014.”



Friday 21 September 2012

Shortage of Places at Dundee College

Shortage of Places at Dundee College
Councillor Laurie Bidwell


21 September 2012

Figures released recently by Dundee College demonstrate a significant shortfall between the number of places at the College and the number of applicants.

At the same tine that youth unemployment is at record levels in our city, we can see that a place at Dundee College is also subject to stiff competition; 8932 applicants chasing 3812 places.
 
Dundee College

Number of applications - 19,087
Numbers of individuals applying - 8,932
(note : many applicants apply for more than one course)
Number of places - 3,812
(figures supplied by Dundee College)

It must be very disheartening to get knock backs from employers and then find you are also rebuffed when you try to improve your qualifications at college because there is such a shortage of places.

In the last two years the Scottish Government has cut the teaching budgets of Further Education Colleges by 10% each year with two more years of similar cuts scheduled. 

That has led to the number of College lecturing staff being reduced by more than 1800 across Scotland. 

This reduction in staff reduces the capacity of Colleges to provide places. 

It means that too many young people who want to get the qualifications that would help them into jobs are being denied the chance.

In a recession, we need to invest more not less in training and education so that when the upturn comes we have adults ready and well qualified to take their place in the workplaces that are expanding. 

We must not give up on our school leavers and aspiring adult learners. 

 I hope the Scottish Government reverse their cuts in the budgets of further education colleges and pay for more places. 

We can't afford another lost generation.

V & A Planning Application Approved

V & A Planning Application Approved 
Councillor Richard McCready 


21 September 2012


Last night, the City Council's Development Management Committee approved the planning application for the V&A at Dundee .

I welcome the approval of the V & A at Dundee's planning application.

I think that this development will be a great one for the city.

I look forward to work starting before too long and I hope that this will bring jobs to many local people.

I also look forward to this iconic building providing a home for an iconic British institution in the heart of our city.

I wish the project every success.
 

Dundee has the lowest percentage of people in full-time employment in mainland Scotland

Dundee has the lowest percentage of people in full-time employment in mainland Scotland 


21 September  2012

In the week that the Scottish Government reveals its budget for the coming year, Councilllor Kevin Keenan, Labour group leader on Dundee City Council, has called for more full-time jobs for Dundee.

His call comes as latest official statistics reveal that Dundee has the lowest percentage of people in full-time employment in mainland Scotland.  

Councillor Keenan said,

“ Dundee already has the highest unemployment rate - those in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance - of the four main Scottish cities, higher even than in Glasgow.

“Now it emerges that we have the lowest percentage of people in full-time employment in mainland Scotland

 “These very worrying figures mean that it is imperative that the Scottish Government’s budget produces more full time jobs for Dundee .

“I believe that the SNP Administration of Dundee City  Council should be making jobs for Dundee their main demand of the Scottish Government through the joint single outcome agreement between the council and government.

“The Council along with its partners must also deliver more modern apprenticeship opportunities  for our city’s young people , starting with  each council department taking a  minimum of 10 young people into employment, and using the modern apprenticeship scheme as a framework to assist deliver them a successful future. “

Figures : Source  - Office of National Statistics (2011 data)
Dundee 67.5 per cent
Scottish average 73.6 per cent
Aberdeen 74.1 per cent
Edinburgh  75.2 per cent
Glasgow  74.9 per cent
The only council area with a lower percentage of people on full time jobs is Orkney with 63.6 per cent

Jim McGovern supports Secretary of State’s comments on video games industry

Jim McGovern supports Secretary of State’s comments on video games industry 


21 September 2012

Dundee West MP Jim McGovern has supported comments made by the Secretary of State for Scotland that separation of Scotland from the United Kingdom would be “disastrous” for the UK video games industry.

The Secretary of State, Michael Moore MP, was responding to a question by Mr McGovern on the likely effects of separation for the industry during a session of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee in Westminster on Monday 17th September.

Mr. McGovern also pressed the Secretary of State to put pressure on the Treasury to make progress with implementing tax incentives for the industry, which were promised by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the last budget. Michael Moore assured him that he would contact the Treasury about the issue.

Jim McGovern said,

“The views of the Secretary of State chime with my own and many within the industry. 

“If Scotland separates from the UK this vital industry could be significantly harmed.

 “After the recent Scottish Government report, which ridiculously claimed the industry contributed nothing to Scotland’s economy, despite industry estimates of the industry putting £1billion into our economy every year, there are serious questions to be asked about the SNP’s commitment to supporting the industry.”

 Mr McGovern concluded,

 “As part of the United Kingdom the video games industry will benefit from tax incentives and the benefits derived from being a part of the world’s sixth largest economy. 

 “Separating Scotland from the UK would prove a very dangerous move for this and other industries, as well as for the Scottish economy as a result.”

Monday 3 September 2012

Long term unemployment amongst Dundee's young adults increases from 20 to 380 in 3 years


Long term unemployment amongst Dundee's young adults increases from 20 to 380 in 3 years

3 September 2012

The number of young adults in the 18-24 year old group in July who have been out of work for over a year is the highest in the past fifteen years.
The present number stands at 380, while in July1997 it was 445.
The Dundee figure represents 2 per cent of those claiming Job Seekers Allowance as a proportion of the population in that age group in Dundee
This Dundee figure is the highest for the 4 main Scottish cities, the others being :
Aberdeen 0.4 per cent
Glasgow 1.5 per cent
Edinburgh 0.6 per cent
Kevin Keenan, Labour group on Dundee City Council, commented on the figures saying,
“The rapid rise in long term unemployment amongst this important young adult age group is a major concern.
“Three years ago, the figure stood at 20.
“Now it stands at 380
“Part of the solution can come from both national governments.
“They should consider giving a guarantee to all 18-24 long term unemployed of a paid job for 6 months.
“This would enable them to acquire the experience of work that they need for full-time employment .
“However, this has to be just a part of a pro-jobs agenda for Dundee to turn round the economic fortunes of the whole of the city’s working population.
“ Unless both UK and Scottish Government’s tackle unemployment amongst young adults effectively, then the legacy of having so many young people without a job will remain with the city for years to come.”

Labour’s Real Job guarantee would require all young people aged 18 to 24 who have been unemployed for more than a year to go on a six month long paid job, preferably in the private sector.
The government would pay full wages directly to the business to cover 25 hours of work per week at the minimum wage – £4,000 per job.
In return, the employer would be expected to cover the training and development of the young person for a minimum of 10 hours a week.
The employer would work with private/voluntary sector welfare-to-work providers to agree how best this training can be effective, alongside intensive job-search for a permanent opportunity at the end of the six months.

Saturday 1 September 2012

Councillor Norma McGovern - Working for You




Norma McGovern - Working for You


Dryburgh - Wednesday 29th August

I attended Barnardo's Scotland SPACE Service Open Day in Dryburgh Education Centre.

This service supports children and their families who are experiencing significant difficulties at home in school or in the community.

SPACE aims to improve the quality of life for children and young people and, where possible, to enable them to remain in mainstream education and with their families.

I met some of the children and young people involved with the service, and I had the opportunity to speak to staff and managers from Barnardo's.


Menzieshill - Wednesday 29th August

I attended Menzieshill Tenants' and Residents' Association meeting.

The main item on the agenda was the problem with drug users congregating around the chemist shop each day when they are receiving their medication and the associated anti social behaviour.

In an effort to reduce this problem, it was agreed that the community police officer would visit the shopping precinct most days, more attention will be given to surveillence with the mobile police CCTV being deployed, and Crimestopper contact information will be displayed in the neighbouring shops.

The Anti Social Team have urged all residents to immediately contact the police if they see any drug activities taking place.

Thursday 30th August

I attended Dundee Carers Centre AGM and open forum day at the West Park Centre.
This was a very enjoyable event and some of the carers, young and old, gave their stories and told of their experiences to a very attentive audience.

Their stories were very heartwarming to listen to and to listen to them in their own words made the experience extra special.

There were individual round table discussions on hypothetical case studies involving carers, service users and councillors.

The one issue that came up consistently was the need for more respite for carers.

Dundee Labour smartphone websites

Dundee Labour smartphone websites

Dundee Labour dlab.mobi

Jenny Marra MSP jennymarra.mobi

Lesley Brennan lesleybrennan.mobi

Marlyn Glen marlyn.mobi

Laurie Bidwell laurie.mobi

Richard McCready rmcc.mobi