July 13th, 2011

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil has hailed the Tall Ships event as a great success after attracting more than 700,000 visitors over four days.

Mr McNeil has put down a motion in the Scottish Parliament praising Sail Inverclyde for its handling of the event and insisted it was a great showcase for Inverclyde.

He said: “This was a fantastic occasion for both the people of Inverclyde and visitors alike and I am glad we were able to attract such big crowds to the event.

“It was a fantastic spectacle to see so many families enjoying the sight of these magnificent ships on the Clyde and enjoying the entertainment that was provided.

“I would like to pay tribute to Helen Drummond and the fantastic team at Sail Inverclyde for putting together such as successful event and I was one of thousands of people from Inverclyde who had a great time.

“More importantly, this was a fantastic showcase for Inverclyde and I hope that many of our visitors will have left with a good impression of the area.”

Motion

That the Scottish Parliament recognises the tremendous success of the Tall Ships Race 2011, which attracted more than 700,000 people to Inverclyde over a four-day period from July 9th-12th to see the 57 magnificent vessels participating in the race and the fantastic array of shore entertainment, including live performances from Lulu, Deacon Blue and The Magic Numbers and a flypast from the Red Arrows on the final day, bringing a significant economic and tourism boost to the area, notes this is the first time that the Tall Ships have visited Inverclyde since the spectacular success of the 1999 event, salutes the hard work of project manager Helen Drummond and the team at Sail Inverclyde for organising such a well-run and popular event for local people and visitors alike, and welcomes this fantastic showcase for the Inverclyde area.

September 21st, 2011

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil has expressed concern at plans to merge James Watt College with Reid Kerr in Paisley.

Education secretary Mike Russell revealed he is to set up regional clusters of college through forced mergers and has put an amalgamation of James Watt and Reid Kerr on his agenda.

They are to form the new west region under the controversial shake-up.

The local MSP fears that local decisions on funding and course provision will be taken in Paisley.

He said: “The James Watt College has been at the heart of this community for many years, helping people from Inverclyde gain the skills to get their first job or their next job.

“I have very real fears that this distinct identity which has been established at the James Watt over many years will be threatened by a forced merger.

“Rather than simply cutting costs, the Scottish Government must working with colleges like James Watt to find the best way of allowing people the opportunity to learn and develop new skills.”

29^th May, 2014

TOP HEALTH BOSS TO VISIT AREA

Scotland’s top Health Boss will visit Inverclyde on Monday to discuss the health challenges that Inverclyde faces.

Paul Gray – Chief Executive of NHS Scotland – was invited by Duncan McNeil MSP following a meeting in the Scottish Parliament.

Mr McNeil who also convenes the Scottish Parliament’s health committee has campaigned for Greenock’s health centre to be replaced with a new building after a one million pounds maintenance backlog bill was uncovered.

Paul Gray will also be meeting with local health bosses including the head of the Inverclyde Community Health and Care Partnership Brian Moore.

Duncan McNeil said:

“I’m delighted Paul Gray has agreed to visit the area to meet people on the ground and to hear about the many health challenges that Inverclyde faces. During the visit there will also be a very firm focus on the future delivery of health services in Inverclyde.”

SNP’s low pay shame

People in Inverclyde will be astonished that the SNP voted with theTories and blocked Labours proposal to pay all workers on public sector contracts the Living Wage of £7.65.

Thedecision will affect thousands of workers in Inverclyde from gaining a pay rise.

Commenting on the decision Local MSP Duncan McNeil said:

“The SNP’s failure to support low paid workers will come as a real shock to my hardworking constituents many of whom are receiving less than the Living Wage”

“This measure would have made a real difference to people struggling with rising rents, mounting energy bills and spiralling child care costs.”

“Stuart McMillan MSP for West of Scotland once again sided with the party whips against the interests of Inverclyde’s hard working poor.”

MSP in further call for tickets to reward sports clubs

Local MSP Duncan McNeil has made a further plea to the Scottish Government to reward more tickets to sports clubs for the Commonwealth Games. He quizzed the Cabinet Secretary for Sport – Shona Robison – on the issue in Parliament last week.

The Greenock and Inverclyde MSP said:

“Following the response from the Cabinet Secretary I am hopeful that more tickets will be allocated to our local sports clubs. I will continue to press the Scottish Government on the issue to ensure that the fantastic job sports volunteers do in our local community is properly recognised and rewarded.”

Notes to editors

Question to the Cabinet Secretary for the Commonwealth Games (8^th May)

Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): Last week it was announced that an additional 100,000 tickets for all the events in the opening and closing ceremonies would be available to the public. How will the cabinet secretary ensure that those additional tickets are directed to sports clubs and the people who participate in them, given that they are currently being asked to share only 1,000 tickets? Can we do more?

Shona Robison: I am happy to answer the question. We always want to do more, and we have identified those who give to sport day in, day out as volunteers in local community groups and sports organisations as being one of the key groups to which we want to promote the legacy tickets. Sportscotland is one of the agencies through which the legacy tickets will be distributed. I am happy to write to Duncan McNeil with more details on that, and if we can go further, we will.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28862.aspx?r=9156&mode=html#iob_82592

May 10th, 2011

David Cairns

On the sad death of David Cairns, the MP for Inverclyde who passed away this week after a short illness, Duncan McNeil said:

“This is a great shock to everyone and I am deeply saddened to lose such a close personal friend and colleague.

“We were all very proud of David’s achievements, the local boy from Broomhill Court who went to Notre Dame High School and rose up the ranks to become our MP and a well-regarded government minister.

“Such was his sharp intellect and wit, he could hold his own in politics at any level and commanded the respect of his political allies and foes alike.

“He will be remembered locally as a hard-working and committed constituency MP who placed himself at the heart of the community he was born and brought up in.

“Our party members have been on the campaign trail for weeks in the run-up to last week’s election and we were inundated with well-wishers asking after him. David would have been humbled by the response to his ill-health.

“My last memory of David was on the Saturday before he was taken into hospital at a local party event and he was his usual self, full of humour and stories, playing the role of host by offering drinks and food to everyone and generally enjoying himself with his friends.

“To lose someone with David’s talent and ability at just 44 is a great tragedy and all our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.

12^th December 2011

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil has called on the Scottish Government to assist Inverclyde’s bid for green manufacturing jobs.

On the back of poor unemployment figures across Scotland, the MSP quizzed Enterprise Minister Fergus Ewing over plans to use Inchgreen dry dock as renewables manufacturing base.

He also asked the minister to consider Inverclyde as a possible enterprise area when they are announced in the New Year.

He said: “With unemployment increasing all over Scotland, we need to play to our strengths in Inverclyde and make the case for investment in our area.

“We have the skills and the infrastructure to play our part in the renewables industry but we will need support if we are to make it happen.

“The introduction of enterprise areas provides one opportunity to give us an edge in this market and I have asked the Scottish Government to consider Inverclyde.

“It is only fair that communities like ours which suffer disproportionately from the cuts receive the investment and support needed to tackle the scourge of unemployment.”

September 28th, 2011

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil led a delegation to meet the First Minister to discuss the UK Government’s plans to close the Clyde Coastguard and centralise services at Belfast.

The MSP met with Alex Salmond at Bute House to gain support to overturn ‘dangerous’ decision.

Mr McNeil was joined by Stuart Atkinson and four other Maritime and Coastguard Agency reps (Calum Murray, Irene Reid and Jacqui Lewis, Joy Dunn, from the Public and Commercial Services Union, and John Mundell, chief executive of Inverclyde Council. Nine other neighbouring local authorities have signed up to the campaign.

The meeting will inform the Scottish Government’s representations to the on-going consultation into the modernisation of the coastguard services, which ends next Friday.

Duncan McNeil, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, said: “We have been working across party lines and community boundaries to build a strong coalition against this reckless decision.

“The Clyde Coastguard serves the largest area of coastline in the UK, is the busiest station in Scotland and helps safeguard cargo, ferry and even MOD traffic – it makes no sense to close this centre and politics and cost-cutting have been put before safety.

“Now that we have the support of the First Minister, I hope that we can make the UK Government think again over these dangerous cuts.”

September 28th, 2011

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil led a delegation to meet the First Minister to discuss the UK Government’s plans to close the Clyde Coastguard and centralise services at Belfast.

The MSP met with Alex Salmond at Bute House to gain support to overturn ‘dangerous’ decision.

Mr McNeil was joined by Stuart Atkinson and four other Maritime and Coastguard Agency reps (Calum Murray, Irene Reid and Jacqui Lewis, Joy Dunn, from the Public and Commercial Services Union, and John Mundell, chief executive of Inverclyde Council. Nine other neighbouring local authorities have signed up to the campaign.

The meeting will inform the Scottish Government’s representations to the on-going consultation into the modernisation of the coastguard services, which ends next Friday.

Duncan McNeil, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, said: “We have been working across party lines and community boundaries to build a strong coalition against this reckless decision.

“The Clyde Coastguard serves the largest area of coastline in the UK, is the busiest station in Scotland and helps safeguard cargo, ferry and even MOD traffic – it makes no sense to close this centre and politics and cost-cutting have been put before safety.

“Now that we have the support of the First Minister, I hope that we can make the UK Government think again over these dangerous cuts.”

September 21st, 2011

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil has expressed concern at plans to merge James Watt College with Reid Kerr in Paisley.

Education secretary Mike Russell revealed he is to set up regional clusters of college through forced mergers and has put an amalgamation of James Watt and Reid Kerr on his agenda.

They are to form the new west region under the controversial shake-up.

The local MSP fears that local decisions on funding and course provision will be taken in Paisley.

He said: “The James Watt College has been at the heart of this community for many years, helping people from Inverclyde gain the skills to get their first job or their next job.

“I have very real fears that this distinct identity which has been established at the James Watt over many years will be threatened by a forced merger.

“Rather than simply cutting costs, the Scottish Government must working with colleges like James Watt to find the best way of allowing people the opportunity to learn and develop new skills.”