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Local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency, Fiona Hyslop, asked the Scottish Government in Parliamentary Portfolio Questions this week, what information and resources schools will provide to engage pupils with the issues that will be discussed at COP26. Fiona also highlighted the West Lothian founded Scottish Youth Film Foundation’s COP TV Programme which will feature films and interviews created by young people from all over Scotland during COP26 and will be broadcast to schools in the USA. Fiona said, “The Scottish Film Foundation, which originated in my constituency, has bold and ambitious plans for their young people during COP26. Quite rightly, our young people want to be involved in the conversation around climate change and ask the questions they want answered. “As part of COP TV the Scottish young people involved…

Fiona Hyslop MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency has raised the issue of Valneva contracts with the Scottish Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf and the First Minister during Covid 19 Update and Questions in the Scottish Parliament this week and secured confirmation that the Scottish Government’s Business Minister, Ivan McKee, will meet the company. French vaccine maker Valneva, who have a site based in West Lothian, has said the UK Government has suddenly scrapped a deal for its Covid-19 vaccine. Fiona commented, “The circumstances of the UK Government’s decision requires greater transparency and their apparent lack of engagement with the company is of concern. “Valneva are an important employer in the key Life Sciences sector in Scotland I am pleased that in response to my questions in the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish…

Local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency, Fiona Hyslop, has welcomed the announcement of £42m funding to support bus operators in maintaining their services. The funding will be made available between October 4th 2021 and March 31st 2022. The announcement was made by Graeme Dey, Minister for Transport in response to a question Fiona Hyslop MSP had asked of the Scottish Government. Fiona said: “While hygiene measures on public transport are still needed, more and more people are using the bus as restrictions have eased. This funding extension of an additional £42m for bus companies across Scotland will go some way to support bus operators to ensure they can transport local people to where they need to go. I know this will be appreciated in West Lothian which has many towns…

Local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency, Fiona Hyslop, has welcomed the announcement of £42m funding to support bus operators in maintaining their services. The funding will be made available between October 4th 2021 and March 31st 2022. The announcement was made by Graeme Dey, Minister for Transport in response to a question Fiona Hyslop MSP had asked of the Scottish Government. Fiona said: “While hygiene measures on public transport are still needed, more and more people are using the bus as restrictions have eased. This funding extension of an additional £42m for bus companies across Scotland will go some way to support bus operators to ensure they can transport local people to where they need to go. I know this will be appreciated in West Lothian which has many towns…

During the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government Debate on the 8th of September, local Linlithgow Constituency MSP, Fiona Hyslop, spoke about the importance of a green economic recovery and called for all parties to come together to face the pressures of Covid recovery and the drive to net zero. Fiona also stressed the importance of a just transition to green energy and highlighted that her constituency of Linlithgow has experienced several industrial transitions which have not always been positive. Fiona called on the Parliament to learn lessons from previous transitions which have occurred in West Lothian to help shape a fairer future. Speaking in the debating chamber on Wednesday (Sept 8th) Fiona said; “This Programme for Government is ambitious, and it is bold and is based on a very full…

Local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency, Fiona Hyslop, welcomes announcement that 3,880 families in West Lothian have benefitted from the introduction of the Scottish Child Payment, with £632,010 paid out to families in the area. The most recent Scottish Government figures demonstrate how many families in West Lothian have benefitted from the support since its introduction in February to 30th June 2021. So far, across Scotland 108,000 children have benefitted from the payment which provides eligible families with £10-a-week. Fiona commented: “Tackling child poverty is a national mission for the SNP Government, and I am pleased to hear that 3,880 families in West Lothian are being supported. “The Scottish Child Payment has been described by charities as game-changing and we are seeing that difference across Scotland and it is fantastic…

Local Linlithgow Constituency MSP, Fiona Hyslop, who is also deputy Convener of the Net Zero Scottish Parliament Committee has commended Invinity Energy Systems (LSE:IES) in Bathgate for their clean energy technology at a visit to the facility this week. (25th August). Invinity manufactures utility-grade energy storage systems which utilise patented Vanadium Flow Battery (or “VFB”) technology to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy globally. To date, the company has over 25 megawatt-hours (MWh) of its batteries installed or under contract for delivery at more than 40 sites worldwide, including high profile projects in Scotland, England, the USA and Australia. The company’s Bathgate facility plays a crucial role in assembling the battery systems for export to customers around the world. In line with growing demand for its products, Invinity has more…

Local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency, Fiona Hyslop, continues to support the ‘Scotland Loves Local’ Campaign’ by highlighting the new local gift card initiative, which is being funded by the Scottish Government and rolled out across West Lothian and all other local authority areas. The Scotland Loves Local Gift Card is a localised card for each of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas which will encourage people to support and spend money in businesses local to them. The card, once purchased, can be used in any local business which has signed up to the initiative. The scheme will launch for consumer use later this year and Fiona encourages as many retailers as possible to sign up to the scheme, to be able to take payments through the Gift Card. The sign-up…

Local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency, Fiona Hyslop, has written to the Scottish Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth adding her support to calls that he urge the UK Government to implement the UK Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee’s recommendations to amend funds in the Miners Pension Scheme to ensure fairness for former mine workers. The Miners Pension Scheme established in 1994, meant a 50/50 split in surplus sharing between the miners and UK Government. This means that to date the UK Government has received £4.4 billion, with at least a further £1.9 billion due, whilst paying nothing into the fund. In other words, the UK Government is making an easy profit from no investment. The UK Parliament committee therefore recommended amending the 50/50 surplus sharing arrangements…