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S2M-1572 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : The Unclaimed Millions— That the Parliament welcomes the research commissioned by Macmillan Cancer Relief into the extent of unclaimed disability living allowance by people with a terminal diagnosis of cancer, undertaken by the Centre for Economics of Health at the University of Wales, Bangor; notes with concern the figures that show that 64% of people with terminal cancer in Scotland did not claim, amounting to nearly £15 million unclaimed and affecting 9,783 people; notes also that many others living long term with cancer are also eligible for benefit so the true amount going unclaimed, and the number of people affected, is much higher; further notes that Scotland has the lowest claim rate in the whole of the United Kingdom and that someone in Scotland with cancer is twice as likely not to claim benefit as someone in Wales and almost three times as likely not to claim as someone in Northern Ireland, and calls on the Scottish Executive to improve the targeting of funds to ensure that this vulnerable group receive the access to benefits they are entitled to and, further, to work with local NHS boards to introduce measures to address patients’ financial concerns.
Lodged on 07 July 2004; current
S2M-1524 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Big Business for Borders Rail— That the Parliament welcomes the support given to the restoration of the Waverley Line by major business leaders of BT Scotland, Standard Life, Scottish Widows and the public sector employer, NHS Lothian, the Borders being the only region in Western Europe currently without a railway station and with poor road links; endorses the comments made by Brendan Dick of BT Scotland that the rail link would help to address the needs of the capital in terms of workforce, congestion and “the benefits to the long-term viability of the Borders economy are also clear to see”; further endorses the comments made by Dermot Gorman of NHS Lothian who, as a large employer, welcomes an initiative allowing a pool of people to be available to ease recruitment problems; believes that the railway would open up a new commuter market for vacancies, helping to raise the average earnings in the Borders, currently 21% lower than the Scottish rate, and calls on the Scottish Executive to stop procrastinating over the business case and to give its unconditional support to the Waverley Line by ensuring that the £130 million funding is provided now.
Supported by: Mr Stewart Maxwell, Mr Adam Ingram
Lodged on 22 June 2004; current
S2M-1476 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Hate Crime Against Disabled People in Scotland— That the Parliament notes with concern the report, Hate Crime Against Disabled People in Scotland: A Survey Report, produced by Capability Scotland in conjunction with the Disability Rights Commission; deplores the prevalence of hate crime across Scotland towards disabled people; further notes the figures showing 47% of respondents reporting being frightened or attacked because of their disability, that one in five suffered an attack once a week, with women and under 44-year-olds most vulnerable to frequent attacks and that 73% had suffered from verbal attacks; notes as a consequence that 47% avoid certain areas, 38% change their usual routines and 25% are forced to move home; calls on the Scottish Executive to work with the police to improve reporting procedures for disabled people, and further calls on the Executive to campaign to tackle the prejudices that exist in society against people with disabilities.
Supported by: Mr Michael Matheson, Stewart Stevenson, Linda Fabiani, Tricia Marwick, Donald Gorrie, Mr Adam Ingram, Elaine Smith
Lodged on 15 June 2004; current
S2M-1460 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Roxburgh Citizens Advice Bureau: 30 Years of Serving the Community— That the Parliament recognises the invaluable work of Citizens Advice Bureau offices Scotland-wide and notes that, in the past year of its work, Roxburgh Citizens Advice Bureau, like bureaux Scotland-wide, has offered free, confidential and independent information, advice and advocacy on any subject to anyone who requests it and also helps the community by campaigning on social issues; notes that this year alone it helped the public to claim £805,658 to which they were entitled, and congratulates all volunteers, past and present, as it celebrates 30 years of service in the community.
Supported by: Colin Fox, Mr Adam Ingram, Donald Gorrie
Lodged on 11 June 2004; current
S2M-1411 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Borders Voluntary Community Care Forum— That the Parliament recognises the sterling work of Scotland’s countless volunteers and notes the contribution of Borders Voluntary Community Care Forum, with representatives from Alzheimer Scotland-Action on Dementia, Borders Independent Advocacy Service, Borderline, Borders Local Health Council, Borders Carers Centre, the Disabled Persons Housing Service, Borders Visual Impairment Network, the British Red Cross, Encompass, Gala Day Services, New Horizons Borders, Penumbra Youth Project, People First Borders and Scottish Borders Elder Council and also the contribution of individual members; notes its mission statement “to represent the views of all those with an interest in community care to the agencies responsible for the planning and provision of community care services in the Scottish Borders”, and congratulates it on another successful year’s work on behalf of Borders users and carers.
Supported by: Bruce Crawford, Mrs Margaret Ewing, Rob Gibson, Mr Stewart Maxwell, Ms Sandra White, Mr Adam Ingram, Donald Gorrie, Alex Neil, Mr Michael Matheson, John Swinburne
Lodged on 03 June 2004; current
S2M-1324.1 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Netherdale Campus Textile Design Course— As an amendment to motion S2M-1324 in the name of Ms Rosemary Byrne (Netherdale Campus Textile Design Course), leave out from “the Vice-Principal” to end and insert, “Mr Jim Wallace, Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, to intervene and secure an arrangement with Heriot-Watt University that will ensure continuation of textile design courses in the home of Scottish textiles.”
Lodged on 24 May 2004; current
See S2M-1324
S2M-1233 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Borders Cancerline for Welfare Benefits Advice— That the Parliament applauds the work of Borders Cancerline for Welfare Benefits Advice, a partnership between Macmillan Cancer Relief and the Disablement Income Group Scotland, which commenced at the beginning of April and provides a dedicated telephone helpline for those affected by cancer and their carers in the Borders, giving access to professionally trained staff with an understanding of cancer, its treatments and effects, a personal adviser to provide support and guidance through the complex process of claiming relevant benefits and help in completing claim forms by phone, and urges the Scottish Executive to support all similar projects which can have only positive benefits, both emotional and financial, for people at a very vulnerable time in their lives.
Supported by: Phil Gallie, Mr Adam Ingram, Mr Stewart Maxwell, Donald Gorrie, John Swinburne, Mr Michael Matheson, Ms Sandra White
Lodged on 29 April 2004; current
S2M-1227 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Unseen— That the Parliament notes the report by the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB), Unseen – Neglect, isolation and household poverty amongst older people with sight loss, of March 2004; notes that nine out of 10 blind and partially-sighted people are aged 60 and over and that the recurring theme in the survey is that people in older age groups were poorer and less likely to have received services designed to help them live independently and safely and, in particular, that in the area of support and care only 48% have received a home assessment, only 32% were aware of mobility training and only 46% of the social services rehabilitation service; notes that only 37% had been offered a cooker sticker and 47% a liquid level indicator; notes that 74% have an income below £195 per week with only 20% aware of extra expenses available for sight loss, and therefore supports the RNIB’s recommendations that every person with sight loss is offered an assessment of needs, suitable services and suitable tools so that they can live independently and with dignity, that attendance allowance should be automatically available to all registered blind and partially-sighted people and that Her Majesty’s Government should issue benefit take-up targets and fund advocacy for take-up projects as part of a drive to ensure that benefits reach all entitled to them.
Supported by: Frances Curran, Mr Adam Ingram, Carolyn Leckie, Mr Stewart Maxwell, Ms Sandra White, Donald Gorrie, John Swinburne, Mr Michael Matheson
Lodged on 29 April 2004; current
S2M-1203 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Foster Care Fortnight— That the Parliament welcomes the annual Foster Care Fortnight organised by the Fostering Network that is to take place between 10 and 24 May 2004; further welcomes the excellent work undertaken by the Fostering Network in supporting fostering within Scotland; notes with concern the shortfall of 650 foster carers across Scotland and the report Progress with Complexity by Angus Skinner, Chief Social Work Inspector, which gives a headline figure of 367 children and young people still awaiting a placement; notes also the figure of 20 to 50% of all children in foster care being required to move three or more times in inappropriate placements to the detriment of their educational and emotional well-being; further notes the calls for a uniform minimum allowance scheme across Scotland to provide significant help in boosting the recruitment and retention of foster carers, and calls on the Scottish Executive to ensure that local authorities are in a position to pay the Fostering Network's minimum recommended allowances, recognised by the Inland Revenue as the basis for new tax exemptions introduced in 2003, as the first step in introducing a nationwide “Payment for Skills” scheme.
Supported by: Fiona Hyslop, John Swinburne, Donald Gorrie, Mr Adam Ingram, Ms Sandra White
Lodged on 26 April 2004; current
S2M-1003# Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Crisis for Borders Schools— That the Parliament notes with concern the proposed closure of the following Borders schools: Cranshaws, Teviothead, Eccles/Leitholm, Hutton, Roberton, Ednam, Channelkirk, Newlands, Oxnam, Glen Douglas, Heriot and Fountainhall; further notes that Scottish Borders Council in its consultation document Management Review of the School Estate in the Scottish Borders, in particular the chart describing the factors that may be considered when making decisions on the schools’ long-term viability, did not include the “importance of the local school to the community” which had been included in the first stage evaluation; reminds the Scottish Executive of its commitment in A Partnership for a Better Scotland to “continued reform so that our public services are designed and delivered around the needs of individuals and the community within which they live” and also its commitment in Building our Future Scotland's School Estate to place “the child at the centre, meeting the needs of the individual” and “the school at the heart of the community, meeting the needs of the communities”; believes that the proposed closures, against the expressed wishes of many communities, are driven by the requirements of proposed PPP/PFI school building programmes, and therefore believes that the Executive should adhere to its aforesaid commitments and reject rural school closure proposals which, if they proceed, will permanently damage fragile communities.
Supported by: Frances Curran, Carolyn Leckie, Bruce Crawford, Mrs Margaret Ewing, Rob Gibson, Fiona Hyslop, Mr Adam Ingram, Mr Michael Matheson, Bruce McFee, Ms Sandra White, Brian Adam, Fergus Ewing, Richard Lochhead, Campbell Martin, Jim Mather, Mr Stewart Maxwell, Alasdair Morgan, Alex Neil, Stewart Stevenson, John Swinburne, Rosemary Byrne
Lodged on 04 March 2004; taken in the Chamber on 25 March 2004
S2M-975 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Gift Aid— That the Parliament notes with concern that the future of at least six of Scotland’s leading visitor attractions has been thrown into jeopardy by plans by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to change the rules on gift aid donations to wildlife and heritage charities such as Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland’s second most popular visitor attraction, along with five of Scotland’s five star visitor attractions, the Royal Yacht Britannia, Discovery Point and Verdant Works, Dundee, the Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick, and the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, which would all, as a consequence, face serious financial difficulties; notes that some of these attractions may even face the possibility of closure should the public’s ability to donate their admission charge to these charities be withdrawn, as proposed, in April 2005; notes that these attractions contribute millions of pounds to their local economies and between them employ over 400 people; notes that in 2003 the benefit of gift aid tax rebates to these four attractions accounted for approximately 10 to 20% of their admission income and, given their very marginal commercial viability, they may now have to face some serious choices with regard to their long-term future, and accordingly calls upon the Scottish Executive to make urgent representations to the Chancellor to retain the current gift aid scheme insofar as it affects these vital visitor attractions.
Supported by: Roseanna Cunningham, Mrs Margaret Ewing, Robin Harper, Mr Adam Ingram, Mr Stewart Maxwell, Alex Neil, Shona Robison, Shiona Baird, Donald Gorrie, Ms Sandra White, Rosemary Byrne, Fiona Hyslop, John Swinburne, Jean Turner, Tommy Sheridan, Eleanor Scott, Linda Fabiani
Lodged on 27 February 2004; not current as of 25 May 2004
S2M-954 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : The Viability of Care Commission Self-Funding— That the Parliament notes the response on 2 February 2004 from the National Association of Inspection and Registration Officers, the professional association representing care commission officers working for the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, to the Scottish Executive consultation paper on proposals for maximum fees to be levied by the Care Commission; notes in particular that the response questions whether it is realistic that the cost of regulation be covered by fee income generation and that currently there is a significant shortfall between the cost of regulation and fee income generation; notes that, if full cost is implemented even incrementally as the Executive intends, the response doubts whether the current level of regulation and protection for service users can be sustained without making fees prohibitively expensive; notes that to make ends meet it may be necessary to reduce the levels of regulatory visits and workforce to meet available income, with “resulting consequences for the safeguarding of vulnerable service users”; refers to the answer to question S2W-4301 by Mr Tom McCabe on 5 December 2003 stating that a financial and management policy review of the Care Commission is not due until April 2007, and therefore, in all these circumstances, and given the informed source of these concerns and the increasing demands on the Commission, calls upon the Executive to abandon the self-funding principle now.
Supported by: Mr Michael Matheson, Alex Neil, John Swinburne, Ms Sandra White
Lodged on 24 February 2004; not current as of 25 May 2004
S2M-930 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Consumer Credit Licensing— That the Parliament notes with concern an article in the Mail on Sunday on 22 February 2004 reporting that a journalist, using his bona fide personal details, was granted a consumer credit licence permitting him, inter alia, to offer loans, offer debt counselling and arrange consolidated debt schemes after the most minimal inquiry by a trading standards officer, namely a brief telephone call confirming these personal details; notes that neither the trading standards officer nor the application form for the licence made any inquiry as to the applicant’s current employment status or experience in the field; notes the Department of Trade and Industry’s White Paper Fair, Clear and Competitive – The Consumer Credit Market in the 21st Century issued in December 2003 and, in particular, the section on the licensing regime on page 44 and the proposed reforms; notes that, under devolution, the fall-out from personal debt, for example bankruptcies, relationship breakdown and ill-health, all has its cost to the Scottish budget, and therefore urges the Scottish Executive to make representations in the strongest terms to ensure that the loopholes so apparent in the reported example cannot be repeated and further to make urgent representations that, pending a change in the law, procedures are tightened.
Supported by: Rosie Kane, Tommy Sheridan, Mr Michael Matheson, Ms Sandra White, Elaine Smith
Lodged on 23 February 2004; not current as of 25 May 2004
S2M-903 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Fostering— That the Parliament notes the shortage of foster carers, currently standing at 650 in Scotland, and the need to encourage greater recruitment; recognises the excellent work done by the Fostering Network in highlighting the problems facing foster children and their carers and the work they do in conjunction with local authorities to improve the prospects for both the children in need of foster care and those who wish to foster, and accordingly urges the Scottish Executive, as part of its ongoing work with the Fostering Network, to provide practical assistance in publicising and promoting recruitment in this most important vocation.
Supported by: Rosie Kane, Mr Michael Matheson, Alex Neil, Stewart Stevenson, Scott Barrie, John Swinburne, Tommy Sheridan, Frances Curran, Carolyn Leckie, Donald Gorrie, Ms Sandra White, Linda Fabiani, Elaine Smith
Lodged on 10 February 2004; not current as of 25 May 2004
S2M-880 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Miss X: Chief Inspector of Social Work Report— That the Parliament notes with concern that following the conviction of James Mercer, Alexander Maben and Ross Douglas in July 2002 of serious assaults on Miss X, there have been three reports into Scottish Borders Council Social Work Department’s handling of the case, the Stallard Report, published in October 2002, the Black Report, published in June 2003 and the Bates Report, published in September 2003 and that thereafter the Minister for Education and Young People announced an inspection of the case by the Chief Inspector of Social Work on 13 June 2003; further notes that the final report with recommendations was sent to Scottish Borders Council on 21 November 2003 and according to the council returned to the inspectorate in December 2003; notes that since December 2003 several senior managers in the council’s Social Work Department with involvement in the case have negotiated early retirement packages which would see them leave their positions by March/April 2004, and therefore, in all the above circumstances, calls on the Scottish Executive to inquire of the Chief Inspector of Social Work the reasons for the delay in publication, with a view to securing publication now.
Supported by: Brian Adam, Tommy Sheridan, Campbell Martin, Mr Stewart Maxwell, Bruce McFee, Ms Sandra White, Frances Curran, Mr Adam Ingram, Rosie Kane, Carolyn Leckie, Alex Neil, Mrs Margaret Ewing, Fiona Hyslop, John Swinburne
Lodged on 05 February 2004; not current as of 25 May 2004
S2M-872 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Homelessness in East Lothian— That the Parliament notes with concern the findings of the Pathfinder Inspection Report in January 2004 regarding the performance of East Lothian Council in its functions as a social landlord, particularly in relation to its homelessness obligations; further notes the indictment of services delivered to homeless people, that the council (a) operates a quota system for the allocation of re-lets to homeless people so that only one in four is so allocated, resulting in a high number of households being placed in bed and breakfast accommodation for “significant periods of time”, (b) is failing to offer any accommodation to a small number of households to whom it owes a statutory duty, and (c) could not provide inspectors with reliable figures on the provision of permanent accommodation for homeless people; recognises that the report recommends, inter alia that the council (a) provides access to suitable temporary accommodation for all homeless people to whom it has a duty, (b) must publish a policy setting out its rules for allocating houses to homeless people to whom it has a duty and ensure that that policy complies with statutory requirements, and (c) should ensure that homeless applicants are always referred to an appropriate officer for assessment and that any discussion of an applicant’s circumstances is appropriate, adequate and is conducted in private; further notes that the report found “a general lack of enthusiasm on the part of the council to consider any change to its current approach to the allocation of permanent accommodation to homeless people”, and calls on the Scottish Executive, as a matter of some urgency, to take appropriate steps to ensure that the council complies with its statutory obligations in the interests of the vulnerable homeless people in East Lothian.
Supported by: Tommy Sheridan, Frances Curran, Rosie Kane, Carolyn Leckie
Lodged on 05 February 2004; not current as of 25 May 2004
S2M-843 Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Dead Tired— That the Parliament notes the findings in the report endorsed by the British Sleep Society Dead Tired, in particular that the International Classification of Sleep Disorders lists some 84 sleep disorders placed in various categories including dysomnias (initiating and maintaining sleep), parasomnias (nightmares, sleep-walking, sleep-talking) and extrinsic sleep disorders such as alcohol-dependent sleep, that some 70,000 Scots are estimated to have some form of sleep disorder though the actual figure may be much higher, that sleepiness is estimated to be the cause of some 20% of motorway accidents, that sleep disorders have a direct impact on the workplace and employment prospects, that the direct costs to the NHS have never been properly assessed and that the impact on the individual and his or her family can be family break-up; notes that healthcare provision for sleep disorders in the NHS is, to say the least, inadequate; notes that there has been little or no training for professionals and little or no research into sleep disorders, and therefore considers that the Scottish Executive should issue, as a first step, guidance for professionals and the general public on sleep disorders and initiate research into the (a) scale of the problem, (b) cost to the public purse and (c) current provision in the public, private and voluntary sectors, of people with sleep disorders.
Supported by: Mrs Margaret Ewing, Rob Gibson, Mr Adam Ingram, John Swinburne, Ms Sandra White, Alex Neil, Mr Michael Matheson, Tommy Sheridan
Lodged on 30 January 2004; not current as of 30 March 2004
S2M-822# Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : "In Touch", Out of Touch?— That the Parliament notes the success of projects such as “In Touch” in Galashiels which, through New Futures funding, enables young people between the ages of 16 and 25 to move towards education, training and employment; further notes that since January 2000, when the project started, some 200 young people have used its facilities, that currently there are 35 to 40 clients, that some referrals are from social work, some from youth offending services and some are from Penumbra, among other agencies, that of those who have taken part for whom outcomes are known only five are known to have gone to, or returned to, prison and that 23 started in full-time employment, four started in part-time work and 31 went into some form of further education; is most concerned that this project will run out of New Futures funding at the end of March 2004, and therefore believes that the Scottish Executive should as a matter of urgency provide, either through direct funding or through the Scottish Enterprise New Futures Fund, interim funding until either the termination of the New Futures Fund nationally or “In Touch” secures substitute funding, whichever is the earlier.
Supported by: Rob Gibson, Mr Michael Matheson, Mr Stewart Maxwell, Alex Neil, Bruce Crawford, Ms Sandra White, Mr Adam Ingram, Rosemary Byrne
Lodged on 27 January 2004; not current as of 30 March 2004
S2M-778# Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP) : Borders Tourist Board Hospitality Assured Award— That the Parliament notes that Borders Tourist Board was the first regional tourism organisation in the UK to achieve an award under the national Hospitality Assured Scheme promoted by the British Hospitality Organisation, benchmarking it against some of the top hospitality companies; further notes that its 2003 summer promotional campaign generated a 59% conversion from enquiry to booking; congratulates it on its successful “dog friendly” campaign; notes, however, that in the Scott Wilson feasibility study into the reinstatement of the Waverley Line scant analysis was undertaken of the impact of reinstatement on the tourism industry, and therefore considers that the Scottish Executive, in its consideration of the business case for the Waverley Line, should give due regard to the real potential for tourism, building on the efforts of this award-winning board.
Supported by: Mr Michael Matheson, Mr Adam Ingram
Lodged on 12 January 2004; not current as of 30 March 2004
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