Safety of Oil industry

20th July, 2015

Safety of Oil industry

Due to the economic downturn the oil industry is facing one of the most challenging periods in its long history.

Many of my constituents who work in the sector and who have come to me with their concerns will testify to this.

The price of oil has plummeted. Jobs have been cut. The infrastructure of the rigs is ageing. And oil is becoming more difficult to extract.

It’s during times like this when we have to be particularly vigilant that health and safety standards are not compromised.

With the 30th Anniversary of Piper Alpha disaster just passed, nobody needs to be reminded of how disastrous this can be. 167 people lost their lives on that fateful day, including 5 from Inverclyde.

I relayed these concerns to the Government Minister, Fergus Ewing, when I questioned him in Parliament earlier this year.

In the last week, I also received a letter from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following my meeting with them in Glasgow.

I was pleased to hear that throughout the economic downturn they have made it clear to the oil industry that there should be no relaxation in health and safety.

It has stated that operators must be able to demonstrate that they have the necessary inspection and audit personnel to ensure that critical maintenance backlog on the rigs is being actively managed.

It hasalso emphasised that shift patterns must be properly managed to prevent staff fatigue and avoid errors or accidents occurring.

To reinforce their message the watchdog plans to inspect over 150 offshore installations in this work year aloneandhas made it clear that they will take enforcement action if standards are not met.

Falling oil prices should not result in a fall in health and safety standards.

A Divided World

13th July, 2015

A Divided World

When Roman Abramovich’s super-yacht sailed into the River Clyde just over a week ago, it provided a stark reminder of the divided world in which we live.

On the same day it arrived, I attended the Trussell Trust’s foodbank at Tesco’s Port Glasgow store, for families who can’t afford the groceries, let alone a multi-million pounds yacht.

The huge gulf which exists between the rich and poor is not the fault of those at the bottom. It is a result of the political decisions made by those at the top.

Those governments with the will power and a belief in redistribution can act to reduce inequality. Here at home the Scottish Government could use the real and substantive powers it has to make a difference.

For a start, it could ensure that people earning below the Living Wage get a pay rise. There are over six thousand jobs in Inverclyde that would benefit from this.  With rents and poverty levels soaring in our private rented sector it could also put a stop to rip off rent rises.

The UK government has a very important role to play too. For one, it needs to find a better way to reduce the deficit. Its decision announced in last week’s budget to cut tax credits will hit hundreds of working families in Inverclyde who are struggling to get buy.

Inequality is not only bad for the individual. Its impact can be felt throughout society. It demotivates the workforce. It slows down economic growth. And it puts huge pressure on our public services.

Both governments therefore need to make the right political choices and take concerted action to reduce poverty. There has to be a better way for us all.

Progress needed on end of life care

6th July,  2015

Progress needed on end of life care

Earlier this year there was a major debate in Parliament and across the country about the proposal to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland.

It was during this debate that the serious shortcomings in palliative and end of life care where brought to the fore.

Richard Meade of Marie Curie Cancer Care summed up the failings well during the health committee’s scrutiny of the legislation when he said;

“at present in Scotland, palliative care is not available to everybody and, when people get it, it often comes much too close to the end, when they could have benefited from it for far longer.”

It is in response to these concerns that last week the health committee which I convene launched an inquiry to see how it can be improved.

We could certainly learn a lot from Ardgowan Hospice which has been a cornerstone of the Inverclyde community for over thirty years with its focus on choice for patients and personalised care.

As part of its inquiry the committee would like to hear your stories. What has been your experience in accessing palliative and end of life care?  And how could it be ensured that it is available in all areas and for all types of terminal illnesses?

These are just some of the questions we are asking. If you would like to submit your views then please visit the Scottish Parliament website prior to August 12th at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/

Together I hope we can move towards a situation where high quality palliative and end of life care is available to everyone, whatever their condition, wherever they live and at the right time.

Assurances required for CalMac workforce

29th June, 2015

Assurances required for CalMac workforce

The last thing any worker wants to do is go on strike. The prospect of days or weeks without pay is a daunting one, particularly when there are bills to pay and a family to provide for.

Furthermore, no worker wants to cause inconvenience to the public or be put in the firing line.

However, speaking from experience as a former trade union official, there are times when there is no choice but to take industrial action.

This is certainly true of the CalMac workforce 200 of whom are employed at the headquarters in Gourock.

For over two years now, they have been seeking assurances regarding safe staffing levels, protection of services and pensions, yet no such assurances have been forthcoming.

The reason for their concerns is that CalMac services are being put out to tender and may be privatised as a result of one of the companies who is looking to secure the takeover.

Last week in Parliament I backed calls for the concerns of the workforce to be fully addressed.

It’s unacceptable that they have been left in the lurch for so long, particularly when you consider that they play a vital role in maintaining essential lifeline services to Scotland’s Western Islands.

I’m also supporting calls for CalMac services to remain within the public sector in order to provide protection and certainty for the workforce, passengers and tax payers.

I sincerely hope that the Scottish Government’s Transport Minister and Inverclyde MSP Derek Mackay, will listen to the many voices urging him to resist the temptation of the short-term savings that privatisation seems to offer.

Instead, he should come down on the side of the workers and the Inverclyde economy which would suffer if 200 jobs were to go at CalMac headquarters.

Votes at 16

June 22nd, 2015

Votes at 16

In the past, attempts to extend the franchise have been hard thought, from votes for working men in the 19th century and to women in the 20th century.

Last week’s decision by politicians to give sixteen and seventeen year olds the right to vote in the Scottish Parliament and local council elections required no such struggle.

There was an overwhelming consensus that following the energy and enthusiasm they showed in the build up to the Independence Referendum that they deserved it.

I have to say that I was particularly impressed by the level of insight that the thousands of young people here in Inverclyde showed during the debates in the build up to September 18th.

Similar to the extension of the franchise to 18 years olds introduced by the Harold Wilson Government in 1969, the decision to lower the voting age to sixteen reflects the spirit of the times.

However, extending the franchise on its own is not enough. We now have to ensure that we sustain the interest that has been generated by the Referendum.

Our schools with the support of the Scottish Government should continue to educate our young people about the political system, how it operates, the constraints that are imposed upon on it and the opportunities it has to achieve change.

We also need to maintain and develop forums, which allow young people to debate the issues, express their views and to get even more involved in politics. The Scottish Youth Parliament and Young Scot organisations have helped lead the way in this showing it’s not simply about voting but it’s also about making informed choices.

Community Care vital to future of NHS

15th June, 2015

Community Care vital to future of NHS

The pressure is on and has been for some time. Hospital wards at bursting point. Queues at A&E. Unfilled vacancies. Increased working hours. These are all symptoms of an NHS that is in poor health.

Last week in Parliament, there was consensus that there should be a full public debate on the future of Scotland’s National Health Service, to ensure that it adapts and evolves to meet the changing nature and scale of demand that is being placed upon it.

This consensus followed a call made by the Royal College of Nursing a few days earlier for such a debate and my motion in Parliament supporting this call.

The challenge will be to engage everyone in this debate including patients, families, carers and professionals at all levels. The Cabinet Secretary for Health Shona Robison, indicated that she wanted the Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee which I convene to assist in meeting this challenge, and I am confident we will help ensure the widest possible participation.

In the coming months there needs to be recognition that we must do far more to ensure that more people are cared for in the community close to home or in a homely setting. Good care in the community reduces the risk of people being admitted to hospital and will ease the build-up in our A&E departments.

Protecting the NHS budget is of course of crucial importance, but we also need to ensure that the social care sector is properly funded to help shift the balance of care into the community.

Ultimately, rather than looking at the issues in isolation, we need to look at the whole system if we are to improve the health of our NHS. Patients and staff deserve nothing less.

Change Law to get Aiden his Blue Badge

Press Release, 26th May 2015

Change Law to get Aiden his Blue Badge

Duncan McNeil MSP has written to Health Minister Derek McKay asking for a change in the Blue Badge law so that children like Aiden McLevy of Greenock don’t miss out.

Aiden McLevy has Downs Syndrome. Going without a Blue Badge to access disabled parking spaces makes life very difficult for him and his parents. Aiden has low muscle tone and sensory awareness. He often trips or refuses to walk and sits down on the pavement. He has a lack of safety awareness and is unpredictable and dangerous in car parks.

Duncan McNeil MSP said:

“If Aiden lived in Wales he would automatically qualify for a Blue Badge. There they have changed the law to include anyone ‘with a mental disorder who is unable to follow the route of a familiar journey without the assistance of another person.’

“The Scottish Government consulted last year on extending the law up here in Scotland. There was overwhelming support for doing so but nothing has happened yet.

I have written to Health Minister Derek McKay asking him to look at where things are regarding a change in the law and how quickly he can do it”

 NOTES TO EDITORS

1.  As of now people can obtain a Blue Badge:

-       if they receive the higher rate of the mobility component of DLA

-       if they receive PIP and have been assessed as having severely limited ability in respect of ‘planning and following journeys’ or having limited ability in respect ‘moving round’

-       if they have had entitlement to DLA terminated in accordance with PIP and immediately before that happened was a disabled person

-       if they have had entitlement to DLA terminated in accordance with PIP and immediately before that happened was a disabled person with the relevant award of DLA having been made without limit of time

 

  1. Many people with Down’s syndrome (DS) can walk and are unlikely to receive the higher mobility rate for DLA. But many also remain unable to ‘follow the route of a familiar journey without another person’ throughout their lives.

 

  1. According to evidence, children and young people with Ds under 16 are likely to be denied a Blue Badge because they can walk and thus do not meet the eligibility criteria any longer. It is important to note that many children and young people with Ds can walk but still present a danger to themselves and others because of little or no awareness of danger from traffic. Moreover many remain unable to follow a familiar journey on their own. As a result children are likely to lose their Blue Badge for a few years but, when they turn 16, they could possibly obtain a Blue Badge again under PIP criteria and the severely limited ability to plan and follow a journey on their own due to their condition.

 

  1. INCLUSION Scotland advises that ‘from 17 December 2014, a new entitlement category applies in Wales for the Blue Badge. You can now qualify automatically if, as a result of a mental disorder, you are unable to follow the route of a familiar journey without the assistance of another person (Statutory Instrument 2014/3082)’.

 

 

 

 

IRH’s £44M REPAIR BILL

Press Release, 21st April 2015

IRH’s £44M REPAIR BILL

Commenting on the revelation that Inverclyde Royal Hospital has a forty-four million pounds repair bill Duncan McNeil said:

“This is a hard-pressed community, and it gives me great concern for the future of our health services, especially since the biggest hospital in Europe, the South Glasgow University Hospital, has been built just up the road and the health board have to make that work. If this trend continues, is there a question mark over the future of IRH?”

“We need answer as to why we have got to a stage where the hospital has fallen into such a state of disrepair. The huge bill will also raise questions in people’s minds about the long-term sustainability of the building, and the impact this will have on staff and patients.”

“Given the huge health challenges we face locally, including a rising elderly population, the citizens of Inverclyde deserve the best health facilities available and the funding that would make this possible from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC) and the Scottish Government.”

“While I acknowledge the recent upgrade to IRH’s accident and emergency department, it would seem we have a long way to go to bring the whole building up to scratch.”

Notes to editors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

McNeil welcomes commitment to public debate on NHS

Press Release, 8th June 2015

McNeil welcomes Health Minister’s commitment to public debate on NHS

Duncan McNeil MSP has welcomed today’s commitment from the Cabinet Secretary for Health Shona Robison to a full public debate on the future of Scotland’s National Health Service.

Last week, the Labour MSP tabled a motion in Parliament highlighting the joint call made by the Royal Colleges for such a debate.

The Greenock and Inverclyde MSP said:

“I welcome the Cabinet Secretary’s commitment to a public debate on the future of the NHS. It’s essential that we have this debate to ensure that it does not only survive but evolves to meet the future needs of the people of Scotland.”

“Every day we are witnessing the huge pressure it is under as demand grows. It’s clear a fundamental rethink is required about what our priorities are for our NHS and the way in which we deliver health services.”

Notes to editors

Duncan McNeil’s motion lodged on Thursday is copied in below. It has received cross-party support.

S4M-13372# Duncan McNeil: NHS Scotland: Time for a Public Debate—That the Parliament notes the joint call by the Royal College of Nursing and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland for a public debate on what are considered to be the difficult decisions that need to be made about future investment in Scotland’s NHS; believes this to be a measured and considered approach that could kick start changes to the way the NHS provides services; considers that, while the NHS budget is protected and, in recent years, the number of staff employed by the NHS has increased, demand for care from Scotland’s growing and older population has increased in places such as Greenock and Inverclyde, and notes the joint call for a mature debate involving the public, health and care professionals and MSPs from all political parties so that there is a consensual approach to future changes to Scotland’s beloved NHS to ensure that it does not only survive but evolves to meet the future needs of the people of Scotland.

Supported by: Ken Macintosh*, Stuart McMillan, Dennis Robertson, Jim Hume, Tavish Scott, Lewis Macdonald, Elaine Smith, Graeme Pearson, Elaine Murray, Jackson Carlaw, Jackie Baillie, Richard Simpson, Johann Lamont, Jayne Baxter, Cara Hilton, Neil Findlay, John Pentland, Margaret McDougall, Malcolm Chisholm, Hanzala Malik, Patricia Ferguson, David Stewart, Hugh Henry, Michael McMahon

 

RBS local branch closure

Press Release, 21st May, 2015

RBS local branch closure

Commenting on the decision by the Royal Bank of Scotland to close its Greenock West Blackhall Street branch on September 9th 2015 local MSP Duncan McNeil said:

“It’s disappointing to find that this decision appears to have been taken without any engagement or consultation with the local community.”

“I’m also worried about the potential job loses that will come with this decision as well as the negative impact it will have on the town centre.”

“This is the third RBS closure in roughly three years within Inverclyde and you can see how local people might reach the conclusion that the bank is slowly but surely withdrawing from the high street.”