Category Archives: Parliamentary Questions

A92 Concerns raised in Parliament

Posted on by

Last week in Parliament I raised concerns over the safety of the A92 with the Transport Minister during General Questions. This followed the recent tragic fatalities that have occurred on the road.

One serious incident on the road is one too many and our thoughts go out to the families of the tragic fatalities that have occurred over the past few months. Since 2007 the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland have spent over £2 billion maintaining and improving Scotland’s trunk roads. Yet despite rising number of fatalities in the A92, the road has only seen under 1% of that spending. Continue reading →

Air quality concerns raised as reports of 1,600 dying each year

Posted on by

This week in Parliament I raised a topical question on the recent air pollution monitoring results for 2013. The report found that more than over 20 streets throughout Scotland breach safety limits regarding air pollution. This follows a report that found that nearly 1,600 people in Scotland die each year due to particle pollution. 

In my questions to the Environment Minister I highlighted both reports and worrying statistics. With air pollution contributing to heart attacks and lung disease it is important that the Scottish Government is committed to tackling air pollution across Scotland. Continue reading →

Government must help low income families tackle fuel poverty

Posted on by


Yesterday in Parliament I called for the Scottish Government to use its Climate Change Fund to help low income households tackle fuel poverty and address climate change targets.

During General Questions I asked the Minister for the Environment what meetings had taken place between the Minister and his Housing counterpart to discuss measures to tackle fuel poverty. Continue reading →

Food bank demand raise concerns over health inequalities

Posted on by

Last week during Health Questions I quizzed the Public health minister on the issue of food banks within the region after reports of a high demand for Levenmouth Foodbank since it was launched in September.

I asked the Government what action they would be taking to target resources to address health inequalities after concerns were raised that a number of people referred to food banks also suffer from other health conditions such as mental ill health. Continue reading →

Assurances needed for NHS Fife

Posted on by

Last week during Health Questions in the Scottish Parliament I quizzed the Cabinet Health Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Alex Neil MSP, to ask for assurances from the Scottish Government that Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy will be able to deal with the winter months ahead as pressures and demand increase.

I called for assurances after previous concerns over patient care and A&E waiting times at the Victoria were raised for the same time period last year. Last winter we saw that NHS Fife had the third highest number of patients waiting over 12 hours in A&E across Scotland. That is why I have pushed Alex Neil for a commitment that we won’t see this happen again in Fife. Continue reading →

Funding blow for NHS Fife

Posted on by

Today in Parliament I raised concerns about NHS Fife funding during General Questions. I raised the question following an Audit Scotland report which highlighted that NHS Fife are currently receiving less than their target funding, four years after a new funding formula was introduced. This report confirms what we have suspected all along, the NHS in Fife is facing pressures financially due to underfunding by the Scottish Government.

The report points out that NHS Fife currently receives funding below their National Resource Allocation Committee target, despite the Scottish Government first using the formula to allocate funds in 2009/10. The report claims that this brings forward uncertainty to the NHS boards’ planning as the Government has no specific timescales for achieving NRAC parity. Continue reading →

Claire raises UGC fear in Parliament

Posted on by

I have raised concerns about underground coal gasification to the Energy Minister during General Questions in Parliament after Cluff Natural Resources brought forward proposals to extract coal beneath the Firth of Forth. 

I asked Fergus Ewing if he or the Scottish Government had met with the organisation owned by Algy Cluff and what matters were discussed, I followed on by raising concerns over the contamination of rising mining water if Cluff Natural Resources were to proceed with their licenses in Fife.

I also asked if the Minister was confident that there are significant and robust safeguards currently in place within the regulatory regime to ensure that the risk of contamination is minimised. Continue reading →

Government miss second climate change target

Posted on by


After the Scottish Government failed, for the second year in a row, to meet their climate change target for reducing carbon emissions I called for a topical question to ensure the Minister would come to Parliament to explain why.  

The Government had announced on the previous Friday that they had failed to meet their 2011 target, missing it by 0.8 million tonnes. They also failed to meet their 2010 target, blaming it on a cold winter. Continue reading →

Scottish Coal concerns raised in Parliament

Posted on by


The past two days, during topical and general questions in the Scottish Parliament , I have questioned the Energy Minister Fergus Ewing on the liquidation of Scottish Coal. Administrators Blaire Nimmo and Tony Friar have so far laid off 590 workers across Scotland including 18 of the 28 jobs at St Ninian’s at Kelty.

The news of Scottish Coal’s liquidation comes after St Ninians gained permission to extract a further 70,000 tonnes of coal from the site near Kelty. We have seen this week, in the report from Coalfields Regeneration Trust,that in Scotland deprivation is higher in coalfield areas than non-coalfield areas. Scottish Coal’s liquidation will, sadly, only add to that. Continue reading →

Claire hits out at ‘flawed’ court proposals

Posted on by

I have raised in Parliament my concerns to the Justice Secretary after the Scottish Court Service outlined moves to end jury trials at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court over the next 10 years. This will take place without Parliamentary approval, with all jury trials that would have been heard at Kirkcaldy moving to Dunfermline.

The proposal also highlights plans to close Cupar Sheriff Court due to its proximity to Dundee Sheriff Court. This is subject to Parliamentary approval and if approved this change will take place in May 2014.

The move of jury trials to Dunfermline is despite the Kirkcaldy court being the busier of the two courts and the consultation recognising the ‘strength of comments made to us that Kirkcaldy would be more appropriate location for a Sheriff and jury centre serving East Fife.”

I highlighted these changes and my concerns in a question to Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill during Topical Questions. I asked the Cabinet Secretary what meetings he had with the Scottish Court Service on these proposals and if he shares concerns that this change will have a negative impact on witnesses and victims.

In his reply the Cabinet Secretary claimed there should be ‘greater trust and faith’ given to the Scottish Court Service and the Lord President.

However, statistics released to me has shown that in the past year almost three times as many jury trials took place in Kirkcaldy compared to Dunfermline, with the court also sitting for almost twice as many days and had almost double the indictments.

If these statistics remain consistent this would mean an increase in jury trials at Dunfermline Sheriff Court by 283%, with an increase in the number of days it sits by 172%. This has led to real fears of delays as a result of the changes proposed.

The decision to close Cupar Sheriff Court is despite concerns raised by increased travel distance and cost for court users.

The Scottish Court Service admitted that the closure of Cupar Sheriff Court “will result in additional travel distance, time and cost to some court users in travelling to Dundee…we recognise that for some travel may be more difficult because of limited public transport options.”

Recently it has also been announced that the Scottish Government have taken the decision to end Fife’s Drugs Court initiative at the close of the financial year 2013/14. The court had been running as a pilot project, in partnership with Fife Council, NHS Fife, Fife Police and the Scottish Court Service, since 2002.

I visited both Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline Sheriff Courts during the Consultation period before submitting my own response outlining why both courts should remain accessible to jury trials and why Cupar Sheriff Court should remain open.

I have also continually raised my concerns in the Scottish Parliament that local and rural courts may be closed due to Scottish Government cuts and I have met with local groups including local Kirkcaldy solicitors to hear their concerns over the potential changes to courts in the Kingdom.

The people of Fife deserve justice to be delivered locally and in a meaningful way. There are real concerns that moving jury trials out of Kirkcaldy and closing Cupar Sheriff Court will lead to an increase in trials delayed.

Going to court can be an extremely emotional time and lives can essentially be on hold until they see an end to the case. The Scottish Government should be making the process easier, not harder, for all involved but by stopping jury trials in Kirkcaldy and closing Cupar they will be penalising the victims and the innocent.

The views of solicitors and the general public have been ignored as these flawed proposals regarding Kirkcaldy are set to be pushed through.

It is not about blindly trusting the SCS and Lord President but about ensuring the best justice system is in place and there will be no unintended consequences that will adversely affect the Kingdom.

The decision by the Scottish Court Service, coupled with the extremely disappointing decision by the Scottish Government to stop funding the Drugs Court may lead to significant gaps in the provision of dealing with justice issues across the Kingdom.

These decisions will only add further strain to the local justice system. Stopping jury trials in Kirkcaldy will put increased pressures on the justice services in Fife and it will be the victims who lose out. I will continue to raise this matter in the Scottish Parliament.