BANFFSHIRE and BUCHAN COAST Liberal Democrats

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP today said that the Scottish Government needs to give NHS staff the resources they urgently need to tackle patients' "winter woes" as new figures reveal A&E performance has "plummeted" to its lowest level since the Beast from the East.

Responding to the motion tabled by the Government to introduce proxy voting, Jo Swinson, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said:

"This change is much-needed and long overdue. The delay has already had serious consequences for MPs, their new babies and their constituents.

"This announcement is not a guarantee and the Government must now work with all parties to ensure the vote on Monday is successful.

"When 54,000 women face pregnancy and maternity discrimination at work every year, it is appalling that Parliament still operates such archaic rules for new parents when it should be setting an example for the rest of the country.

"This is a momentous time in our country's future with more crucial Brexit votes expected in the weeks to come. It is time for Parliament to get its act together so that voices of all constituencies will be heard, whether or not their MP happens to have a tiny baby."

New analysis from Which? has today revealed that several of Scotland's rural and island local authorities remain at the bottom of the table for internet speeds, including Orkney, Shetland and Argyll and Bute.

Orkney has an average speed of just 3mbps - the worst in the UK. Meanwhile, Shetland averages 6.7mbps (the third worst), followed by Argyll and Bute (7mbps), Moray (7.1mbps), Highland (8.9), Borders (9.3), and Aberdeenshire and Perth & Kinross (both 10.1mbps)

On "Blue Monday" Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton has called for non-departmental public bodies such as Skills Development Scotland and Scottish Enterprise to record staff absences due to mental ill health, as part of a new push to boost mental health in the workplace.

Responding to a series of comments from senior nationalist politicians calling for moves towards a second independence referendum, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said:

"It's cynical in the extreme for senior nationalists to stoke the fires of independence to distract attention away from the crises elsewhere in the SNP.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has today called for Article 50 to be extended and for the Government to commit to a People's Vote.

Mr Rennie said:

"Parliament has spoken and Theresa May's deal is dead. A no deal Brexit would be devastating, with British exports snarled up in bureaucratic form filling and potentially shortages of food and medicine.

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has today revealed figures indicating that the equivalent of 24 operational appliances are on average unavailable to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) due to staffing.

A freedom of information request from the Scottish Liberal Democrats to the SFRS revealed that across Scotland appliances were "unavailable due to staffing on an average of 3.83% of the time" across a 12 month period. This increases to 4.72% of the time across stations in the East service delivery area.

Responding to the Scottish Government's announcement that a leading Consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist will oversee the independent expert review of mental health and wellbeing support for young people in custody, Scottish Liberal Democrats justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said:

"Authorities urgently need to get to the bottom of what has happened at Polmont in particular but also establish how to stop the loss of more young lives in future.

Responding to the publication of the Cross Party Group on Cancer's review of the Scottish Government's five year plan, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

"This report raises some really alarming questions about the future of cancer care in Scotland.

"Vacancies jeopardise the quality of care and put unnecessary stress on remaining staff. This is a direct result of years of SNP mismanagement of workforce planning.

Responding to this evening's no confidence vote, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said:

"The Prime Minister has scraped through this vote but the deal she put her name to is dead and she has all the authority of a Tunnocks teacake.

"There is now nowhere left for the Labour leadership to hide. They must listen to the overwhelming majority of Labour supporters and back a People's Vote.