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Joe FitzPatrick MSP

• Firefighters Win SNP Support for Safety Standards Campaign

  28Feb

  Firefighters from Tayside were among those attending an MSP drop-in event yesterday [26 Feb] at Holyrood, to raise issues of health & safety in the Fire Service.

  Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick MSP who attended the meeting with representatives of the Fire Brigades Union at Holyrood, said: “There is widespread support for the report ‘In The Line of Duty’ produced by the FBU, which highlights safety issues affecting firefighters and in particular the tragic deaths of three firefighters in 2007/8.

  “The SNP MSPs who were present at the meeting in Holyrood yesterday support the calls for Common Standards in terms of response times to incidents. The FBU presented the case for the introduction of a Scottish Incident Response Standard at SNP Conference in Perth last year and it received unanimous support.

  “It makes sense to have common standards across Scotland to tackle the ‘postcode lottery’ of fire services where some areas face longer response times and are therefore at greater risk than other areas.”

  As well as the briefing yesterday by FBU officials and serving firefighters, a delegation of firefighters recently met Scottish MPs at Westminster. Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie, who was present on that occasion, said: “The firefighters’ case is sound and worthy of support. It makes sense to have the standards of protection offered by the fire service the same for every area. There were previously national standards of this type but they were abolished in 2005 and since then the service has become fragmented. The re-introduction of Incident Response Times for Scotland will create a minimum standard of response and safeguard the public wherever they live.”

• MSP Calls for Creative Scotland to be based in Dundee

  27Feb

  In the week that academics and arts bodies came together in Dundee to support a proposal to site a new outpost of the prestigious V&A Museum in Dundee, a local MSP has now written to the new Culture Minister to propose that the city should become the base for the arts body Creative Scotland.

  Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick has today written to the Minister suggesting that the new arts body Creative Scotland – formed from the merger of Scottish Screen and the Scottish Arts Council – could be sited in the city, within the proposed new V&A building. The transitional body was previously located in Abertay University’s White Space in Dundee.

  Joe FitzPatrick said: “I was very pleased with the positive approach the Culture Minister has taken towards the possibility of an outpost of the V&A being sited in Dundee Waterfront and I feel that the recent two day Conference in Dundee was a major success.”

  Outlining the case for Dundee, Joe FitzPatrick said: “Dundee has a growing reputation in the arts as well as in new media and this move would appear to me to offer considerable advantages. It is an unique opportunity to site Scotland’s leading cultural body in an iconic new arts building. It will offer benefits in terms of savings in scale costs and in terms of lower costs due to Dundee’s location.

  “There could be additional synergy in combining these two projects. The timing could not be more perfect for such a move. There is also the possibility that the move could help to bridge any funding gap for the V&A proposal. ”

  “The ongoing deliberations over Creative Scotland will involve a number of suggestions but at this stage, I am setting down a marker for Dundee as a base for the new arts body.”

• GRAY BLUNDERS INTO BANKING

  27Feb

  HAS HE FORGOTTEN HIS ROLE AS ENTERPRISE MINISTER?

  Commenting on Iain Gray’s attack at First Minister’s Questions today SNP MSP Joe FitzPatrick – a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee – said the Labour leader had blundered badly with his choice of subject since Fred Goodwin had been closely associated with Gordon Brown for over 10 years and it has even been reported that Fred Goodwin was knighted on the advice of Gordon Brown.

  He also failed to realise that his former boss, Alistair Darling, accepted in the House of Commons that Fred Goodwin’s pension was considered by the Government but that it did not understand the arrangements.

  Commenting Mr FitzPatrick said:

  “This was an incredible own goal by Iain Gray. In his attempts to smear he forgot about his party’s open flank as concerns Fred Goodwin – namely the close links between Gordon Brown and Fred Goodwin.

  “By taking this tack Iain Gray has just shown how Westminster has a great burden of responsibility for the financial crisis we face.

  “If Iain Gray wants people to resign over Fred Goodwin perhaps he should look to Gordon Brown who appointed him as an advisor and reportedly suggested Fred Goodwin for a knighthood?

  “Perhaps he can also explain why his former boss – Alistair Darling – admitted that Fred Goodwin’s pension was considered by the Government?

  “Iain Gray hasn’t got a leg to stand on concerning the financial crisis. Since Gordon Brown is so keen to say it all started in America does Iain Gray regret inviting American financial businesses to invest in Scotland in 2002?

  “It seems strange that Iain Gray and the Labour party are trying to re-write history when last October their financial mismanagement once again implicated them in the arrangements that have led today’s reports about Fred Goodwin.”

• A Tale of Two Governments On Police Numbers

  26Feb

  Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick today highlighted a report on police numbers being cut south of the border, where the London Labour government has responsibility, and said it was a timely reminder of how the SNP Government is delivering more police officers to keep Scottish communities safe.

  According to a report in The Times large numbers of police forces are planning to cut thousands of officers with one of the UK’s most experienced chief constables saying that forces in England were being dangerously weakened. The report described ‘a grim picture of falling numbers and significant and painful cuts’ south of the border.

  Commenting Joe FitzPatrick said: “This report is an indication of how things could have been in Labour were still in Government in Scotland.
  Thankfully we have an SNP Government delivering an all-time record number of officers on our streets.

  “Since the SNP came in to Government we have seen a more visible police presence on the streets, deterring crime and reassuring our citizens.

  “The SNP pledged to hire 1,000 additional police recruits – that’s 1,000 more than there would have been under Labour.

  “Figures show that in the Tayside police area the number of officers have gone up from 1,154 in the quarter ending March 07 to 1,185 under the latest figures ending in September 2008 – an increase of 31 officers.

  “The SNP Government pledged to recruit 450 police officers by the end of March 2009. With Scotland’s police forces already recruiting 440 of those recruits we are well ahead of that target.

• MSP’s Disappointment at Dundee’s ‘Bottom of the Class’ in Class Sizes league

  25Feb

  Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick today expressed his disappointment at Scottish Government Education statistics which show that Dundee City Council’s record on class size for Primary’s 1-3 is the worst in Scotland.

  In terms of the percentages of classes with 18 pupils of less, Dundee’s proportion of class sizes of 18 or less ranged from 3.1% in 2004/5 to 3.9% in 2008 while over the same period the Scottish average has increased from 10% to 13.2% and some of the rural and Island authorities have succeeded in getting more than half of their P1-3 classes to 18 pupils or less.

  Commenting on the statistics, Joe FitzPatrick said: “Primary 1-3 are the crucial years in terms of child development and in terms of children developing future discipline. There is overwhelming evidence that small class size is the biggest influence in terms of benefit in children’s learning experience in these crucial early years at school.

  “It is very disappointing that Dundee is the worst in Scotland in reducing class sizes and questions must be asked as to why Dundee City Council is such a poor performer compared to all other councils.

  “In single stage classes in Dundee, there are between 23 and 26 pupils.

  “Even taking into account that 26% of Dundee pupils are from the most deprived SIMD [Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation] zones, a comparison with Glasgow, where 46% of pupils are from the most deprived SIMD zones, shows that Dundee schools’ performed worse than Glasgow schools, which has 9.2% of P1-3 classes of 18 pupils or less.

  “In my view it is long past time for a change of administration on Dundee City Council – and for new leadership. Dundee children deserve better.”

• MSP Clarifies Cold Weather Payments’ Eligibility

  23Feb

  Cold weather over the first week in February triggered Cold Weather payments and those eligible are receiving £25 payments along with their benefits, as reported in the Courier on 14th February. However a paragraph missed out from the story as printed has led to numerous calls to an MSP’s office.

  Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick said: “A key paragraph from the press release we sent out which listed qualifying benefits for eligibility for the payments was omitted. The impression has been given that anyone on pension credit, income support or income-based jobseeker’s allowance is entitled to the payments, when you need to be on one of these and also in receipt of one or more of a number of other qualifying benefits. The list of the other qualifying benefits was in the paragraph which was omitted.

  “People are eligible for a Cold Weather Payment if they get Pension Credit, Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or one of more of a variety of other benefits. If you receive any of these benefits and if you have a child under five or get pensioner premium, or higher pensioner premium or an enhanced pensioner premium, you are entitled to the payments. Other qualifying benefits include disability premium or severe disability premium, a disabled child premium. If you are in receipt of a Child Tax Credit which includes an individual element for a child or qualifying young person who is disabled or severely disabled, you are also eligible.”

  “The key point is, you don’t have to claim the payments. They are automatically triggered and you will receive the payments with your benefits from the Job Centre Plus or Pensions Credit office.”

  Cold weather payments for Dundee postcodes were triggered for the periods 30 December to 5th January and 3rd to 9th February 2009.

  The weather station at Leuchars collects data which triggers payments in postcodes DD1-7. From 2nd to 6th February a total of nearly 50,000 payments were made in Scotland, a total payment of £1.24 million.

• Attacks on NHS Staff

  19Feb

  Commenting on the latest figures showing that of 8,000 attacks on NHS Staff in Tayside, only two were reported to the Police, Dundee West MSP Joe Fitzpatrick said:

  I deplore any assaults on NHS staff. Although only two were reported to the police, 8000 incidents were recorded, which suggests to me that the underlying problem is significant.

  “In March last year, my Dundee colleague Shona Robison, as Minster of Public Health, introduced enhanced protection measures for NHS staff as part of the Emergency Workers Act.

  In January 2007 the Justice Committee approved modifications to the Act and it now extends to cover GPs, other doctors, nurses and midwives working in the community.

  “Most people have nothing but admiration for the fantastic work of the staff in the health service.

  “Abusive or violent behaviour is entirely unacceptable and offenders must face the possibility of being charged and prosecuted. A zero tolerance policy on aggression and violence must be exactly that.

  “We must encourage NHS staff to report cases of abuse or assault in the workplace and send out a clear message to offenders that their actions will not be tolerated and they could face prosecution.”

• Dundee Schools Attendance / Truancy

  19Feb

  Commenting on figures showing that more than 70,000 school days were lost last year, Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick said:

  “The figures are undeniably poor and they are worse than the Scottish average.

  “A comparison of the attendances for 2006-7 and 2007-8 show a further decline in attendance from 89.5% to 89.1%, while the Scottish average is 93.2%.

  “However the actual figures for truancy (as opposed to unauthorised holidays, sickness, temporary exclusion or problems related to exceptional domestic circumstances etc) has increased from 2.1% to 2.3% in a year.

  “Questions must be asked as to why Dundee City Council’s education department are unable to improve their performance in this area to at least the national average.

  “These kinds of below-average performance statistics in primary and secondary education in Dundee are at odds with the city’s great leaps in higher and further educational attainment.

  “There is no underlying reason why Dundee schools should perform worse than anywhere else. We need to ‘talk up’ our schools’ and try to inspire our young people and engage them. Scotland needs its next generation to be even more ambitious. We cannot let some of our young people continue to miss out. “

• MSP ‘Disappointed’ at Three Day Loss of Post Office Services in Lochee

  18Feb

  Calls for mobile service for one day

  Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick while welcoming confirmation that the new Post Office in Lochee, at 163-165 High Street, will open for service on Tuesday 7 April, expressed disappointment that for a period of three days before that, there will be no Post Office service in the area.

  Joe FitzPatrick said: “I have been informed today that the existing branch, which still operates in the now-closed Tesco Stores at the Stack leisure Park is to cease at 6pm on Thursday 2 April, so that there will be three days, the Friday, Saturday and Monday when people in Lochee will have no post office.

  “I have been informed that during those three days, the Post Office expect constituents to use the two nearest branches, at Brantwood Avenue or Charleston branch on Craigowan Road.

  “Clearly this will cause considerable inconvenience, particularly since Mondays are big days for people to collect their pensions.

  “I am writing back to them pointing this out and asking them to consider options for providing the service locally for one day. Maybe they could provide a mobile post office service so that local folk can collect their pensions.

  “I think many of the people who normally collect their pensions on Monday in Lochee will not be able or willing to make the trip to Charleston or Brantwood Avenue.

  “Some might defer collecting it until the Tuesday but that could cause great problems on the new branch’s first day.

  “I hope that the Post Office will be able to come up with a solution to help the transition to the new service run smoothly – without leaving pensioners in Lochee facing problems collecting their pensions.”

• Cut in Prescription Charges Welcomed in Dundee

  16Feb

  Prescriptions are set to become cheaper from April as the SNP Government paves the way towards fulfilling its manifesto promise of scrapping the charges altogether.

  Joe FitzPatrick MSP said: “The second phase of price reductions will see a single prescription reduced from £5 to £4. We expect this to be agreed by the Scottish Parliament ahead of its proposed implementation on April 1.

  “Last year we reduced prescriptions from £6.85 to £5 and by 2011 they will be entirely free. We are committed to the principle that the NHS will be available free at the point of use when needed.”

  Councillor Jim Barrie, SNP Social Work spokesman on Dundee City Council said: “These reductions will particularly help those with long-term conditions to manage their health and ensure that cost is not a barrier to them obtaining and taking their medication.

  “Under the latest plans in Scotland, pre-payment certificates for prescriptions, which cover all medication for a period of four months or 12 months, will be reduced from £17 to £13 and £48 to £38 respectively. Statistics are already showing that the numbers of people using pre-paid prescriptions doubled last year after the SNP reduced their price by 51%.”