Common Agricultural Policy – Parliamentary Debate

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This week I opened for Scottish Labour on the Government debate on the Common Agricultural Policy. Farming plays an important role in Scotland’s economy, society, and well-being.  Our agricultural sector not only produces food for our country and beyond, but also contributes to the vitality of our rural communities.  CAP reform is the opportunity to make sure the support, which is public money, is directed to areas where it delivers the widest public benefit.

When we consider some of the current payments – subsidy being given to land which is not actively being used, highly profitable businesses receiving significant sums of public money, while other areas receive no or little support but, it can be argued provide greater community and social benefit – this is an opportunity to deliver a fairer system that is clear about what it values.  Continue reading →

Clear to see local community group at open day

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It was great to be able to pop along to the open day at CLEAR Buckhaven and hear about the work that they carry out throughout the local community as they hosted an open day for the public to open their new office on 36 College Street Buckhaven.  

The Fife based community group was established by local residents interested in improving the surrounding area in Buckhaven along with the local environment with the aim to build a better Buckhaven.

Claire’s statement on Fife Drug Court closure

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Last month one of only two drug courts in Scotland heard its final case as Fife Drug Court closed. The court, which sits at Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline sheriff courts, was opened in 2002, following the setup of a similar initiative in Glasgow.

It was reported in the national newspapers that one of the reasons behind the closure of the drugs court in Fife was due to lack of court capacity. This follows proposed changes to the court service in Fife which will see the end of jury trials in Kirkcaldy and the closure of the sheriff court in Cupar.

I am deeply disappointed that this decision has been taken Continue reading →

The Food Train arrives in the Parliament

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Recently I spoke during my colleague Elaine Murray’s member’s debate on the food train initiative and highlighted the positive example and work of the food train in Stirling within my region.

I previously met with staff and volunteers during an event in Parliament, along with those that benefit from their hard work. It was clear then that it was a valued programme and everyone spoke positively about their experience, which is why I was delighted to speak during the debate and congratulate staff and volunteers from across the country on the work they do. Continue reading →

Carers in Fife missing out in over £6 million of support

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Carers in Fife have missed out on vital support to the tune of over £6 million according to charity Carers Scotland. The report, which puts the number of carers failing to receive their full allowance across the Kingdom at over 2,000.

Whilst we are currently in a cost of living crisis every little helps and it is vital that carers throughout the Kingdom are receiving the help and support that they deserve.

Many carers take on that role not through choice but due to a sense of duty and love. For over £6 million to sit unclaimed whilst carers face making tough decisions between heating and eating must be addressed. It is not acceptable that nearly half of carers are cutting back on food and heating when they are carrying out such an invaluable role. Continue reading →

Claire shows support for Living Wage

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The other week I signed up to the Living Wage pledge at a lobby of Parliament organised by the Scottish Living Wage campaign, alongside the Scottish Trade Unions. The campaign was organised to push for a living wage to be implemented at the heart of procurement policy in Scotland. 

At a time where so many households across Fife are facing a cost of living crisis it is important that we take all opportunities to ensure that work pays by having employers adhere to the living wage.

Continue reading →

Government must help low income families tackle fuel poverty

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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 →

Fife in the red

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Yesterday in Parliament I met with StepChange Debt Charity as they launched their Scotland in the Red research report. The report found that Scotland has the highest volume of payday lending among Stepchange Debt Charity clients in the UK. It shows that over 10% of total client debt in Scotland was the result of payday loans, and almost 20% of clients had at least one payday loan.

In Fife, Cowdenbeath and Dunfermline’s average debt was much higher than the Scottish average by £6,778 and £1,700 respectively. Both areas also join with North East Fife in having an above average payday loan debt. Kirkcaldy is also a cause for concern with more people there taking out a pay day loan than average across Scotland.

Continue reading →

National Parks: Unfinished Business

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Yesterday in Parliament I held a debate on National Parks in Scotland following a joint report by the Scottish Campaign for National Parks and the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland. The report, titled Unfinished Business: a National Parks Strategy for Scotland, rightly highlights that our landscapes in Scotland rank among the best in the world and that there should be a national strategy and a Scotland-wide debate on the way forward for national parks.

The establishment of national parks in Scotland was one of the early achievements of the Scottish Parliament and the Labour led Government with the legislation being steered through by my colleague Sarah Boyack. Our experience of existing national parks shows that they can bring a wide range of environmental, social and economic benefits. Continue reading →

Claire backs Usdaw’s calls for shoppers to ‘keep your cool’

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Today in Parliament I joined with members of the retail union Usdaw to campaign for respect for shop workers as part of the Freedom From Fear Campaign, which seeks to prevent violence, threats and abuse directed at retail staff.

Too often retail employees are confronted with violence, threats and abuse and it is really important that the people of Fife stand together and ask people to ‘keep their cool and respect shopworkers’. That is why I support Usdaw’s call for a change in the law to provide stiffer sentences for those who assault workers across the Kingdom.