Category: News

Local MSP Fiona Hyslop praises the Men’s Shed movement and Armadale Men’s Shed and the prospect of a Linlithgow Men’s Shed Local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency has praised the work of the Armadale Shed and the Men’s Shed movement following a Scottish Parliament Debate on Men Don’t Talk: Men's Sheds which was led by Christine Grahame MSP on Thursday 16th June 2022. Fiona also has added her encouragement to the establishment of a Men’s Shed in Linlithgow which is currently being explored. Armadale Men’s Shed is well established and is a recognised pillar of the local Armadale community providing a welcoming place for men to meet to talk and to share and deploy their skills in wood working, metal working and other skills and to teach others. Women also…

Local Linlithgow Constituency MSP, Fiona Hyslop, has welcomed the passing of the Miners’ Strike (Pardons) (Scotland) Bill, following a Stage 3 debate in the Scottish Parliament on 16th June 2022.   The Bill seeks to provide pardons to certain individuals who were convicted of certain offences committed during the 1984-85 national miners’ strike. The pardon will apply automatically when the requirements of the pardon are met, and the intention is to provide a collective symbolic pardon which recognises the disproportionate consequences faced by miners following their participation in the strike.  Legislators have recognised that many former miners potentially eligible for the pardon are now elderly or have regrettably died given the passage in time since the strike. As such, the Bill has been developed within an accelerated timescale to enable early…

Local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency Fiona Hyslop highlights Scams Awareness Fortnight which runs from Monday 13th June to Sunday June 26th. According to figures from Citizens Advice and the Consumer Protection Partnership around 40 million adults in the UK have been targeted by potential scams. Scammers have targeted people by email, as well as other methods of communication, claiming to be from the energy regulator Ofgem and have been asking individuals to enter their bank details in order to get an energy rebate. The numbers from Citizens Advice and the Consumer Protection Partnership show that this is a 14% increase in the number of people who have been targeted by scammers this year. Fiona said; “I am pleased to highlight Scams Awareness Fortnight as we see an alarming increase…

Local MSP For the Linlithgow Constituency, Fiona Hyslop, has welcomed the publication of the first in a series of documents from the Scottish Government, which shows how Scotland in the UK compares to other similar-sized independent European nations on key comparators. Fiona commented, “A decade of Tory austerity coupled with a Brexit that Scotland didn’t vote for has made us poorer. As the cost of living crisis deepens for people across West Lothian, it’s right that the Scottish government lays bare the cost of living with Westminster in this series of papers. “They outline how other comparable nations are wealthier, happier and fairer than Scotland currently is under Westminster control. “We have the ambition, the talent and the mandate to create a better future. Scotland needs the powers that only…

Local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency, Fiona Hyslop, has raised the Cost of Living Crisis in Parliament highlighting the impact on Scotland’s Social Security, particularly in relation to child poverty. Fiona asked the Minister for Social Security and Local Government, Ben MacPherson MSP, about the implications of the Scottish Government’s Resource Spending Review in relation to its planned programme of social security benefits. Fiona highlighted that the cost of living crisis will hit families the hardest and that tackling child poverty must be the main focus of all Governments. The Minister highlighted the Scottish Government’s investment of over £4.2 billion in benefit expenditure in 2022/23. This package of support will provide assistance to over one million people in Scotland including; low income families and households, disabled people and carers. Additionally,…

Local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency, Fiona Hyslop, congratulates volunteers across West Lothian to mark Volunteers Week 2022. Volunteers Week takes places from 1-7 June every year and is a chance to thank and celebrate volunteers both past and present. Volunteer Week Scotland is run by Volunteer Scotland who work with volunteers and organisations to support; inclusive volunteering, recognition and celebration of volunteers, community development, policy impact and lifelong engagement. Commenting on Volunteers Week Fiona said; “I want to take this opportunity say thank you to all the volunteers from every sector and in every town across West Lothian. “I have been privileged to meet many volunteers in my Constituency who I know are the beating heart of their communities due to their hard work and dedication which has helped…

During the Scottish Government Debate - Community Wealth Building – Delivering Transformation in Scotland’s Local and Regional Economies – local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency, Fiona Hyslop, delivered a speech highlighting the importance of community wealth building as part of the wellbeing economy. Fiona made it clear that community wealth building is a crucial part of developing a new economic growth model of wellbeing as it embraces the strength, ingenuity, enterprise and creativity of local people. In her speech Fiona recognised that the Community Wealth Building model involves collaboration between local authorities and their community planning partners to ensure that their collective investment decisions will help local economies grow and flourish. Commenting after the debate, Fiona said; “I was pleased to speak in this important debate, the first held on…

WLHSCP Agrees Winchburgh is a ‘Priority area’ for Additional Health Services Local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency, Fiona Hyslop, has welcomed the news that West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership recognises that additional health care facilities in Winchburgh will be necessary to meet the needs of the growing population. This news comes following a meeting Fiona had with the WLHSCP and NHS Lothian at the end of January and after Fiona wrote to the Chief Executive of NHS Lothian to highlight her concerns that West Lothian Council had reneged on their commitment to building a new Partnership Centre which would house such health services, alongside other Council services. Fiona is calling again for West Lothian Council to re-commit their support to building a Partnership Centre that includes these vital…

During the Scottish Government Debate – ‘Solidarity with Ukraine’ – local MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency, Fiona Hyslop delivered a hard-hitting speech focusing on the impact on the people of Ukraine, the need for a massive international response, economic sanctions and humanitarian aid. Fiona made clear that UK’s democracy has been and is at risk by the UK’s on-going relationship with Russia and Russian money, and that the invasion of Ukraine is a breach of international law which must be condemned. The debate showed that the Scottish Parliament stand firmly and in unity with Ukrainians and supports Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and democracy as Russia invades. Fiona’s Full Speech: This morning’s news of the invasion of Ukraine brings fear to generations who only know of war in Europe as history,…

Trading Standards organisations in Scotland enforce consumer protection legislation, but the service has struggled in recent years due to a decrease in staff coupled with an increase in demand for their services due to the impacts of Brexit and Covid. Local Authority funding for Trading Standards services from the UK Government fell from £34.7 million in 2010/11 to £32.8 million in 2020/21 and the service has seen a 32% drop in staffing levels over the last nine years. Trading Standards Scotland is funded directly by the UK Government while COSLA has responsibility for Local Authority Trading Standards services. Ms Hyslop, who has been campaigning on this issue, has raised the need for increased funding and support from the UK Government for Trading Standards Scotland in a recent letter to the…