BANFFSHIRE and BUCHAN COAST Liberal Democrats

Commenting on Nicola Sturgeon refusing to rule out a hard border with England in the event of independence on the Andrew Marr Show, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said:

Responding to a letter from the Rural Economy secretary to the Rural, Economy and Connectivity Committee confirming that the Crofting Bill has been dropped, Scottish Liberal Democrat rural economy spokesperson Mike Rumbles MSP said:

"In 2017 the committee's report called for a new Bill to reform and update the law surrounding crofting.

Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has lodged a motion calling on Rugby World Cup organisers to ensure every option is explored to ensure Scotland's final pool A game can go ahead despite the challenges presented by super typhoon Hagibis.

Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has lodged a motion calling on Rugby World Cup organisers to ensure every option is explored to ensure Scotland's final pool A game can go ahead despite the challenges presented by super typhoon Hagibis.

Liam McArthur commented:

"The safety of rugby fans, players and officials in Japan is the absolute priority but I would urge World Cup officials to explore all the available options to ensure this important game goes ahead.

"If the game has to take place without an audience, or at a different time or location, it's still important it is played.

"Every nation that has sent a team over to Japan has put an incredible amount of effort into training and preparation over the last few years. It would be cruel and unsporting for Scotland not to be able to fight for its place in the next round."

The text of the motion can be found below:

Motion S5M-19384: Liam McArthur, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 10/10/2019
Scotland's Rugby World Cup
That the Parliament congratulates the Scotland team on its victories over Samoa and Russia in the Rugby World Cup in Japan; notes and commends the efforts being made by tournament organisers from a public safety perspective ahead of typhoon Hagibis making landfall in Japan; hopes that the Scotland rugby supporters in Japan, and their hosts, stay safe and encourages them to monitor the authorities' advice on weather and any disruption, and calls on the organisers to ensure that every option is explored to enable Scotland's concluding Pool A match against Japan to go ahead and for Scotland's bid to qualify for the quarter finals to be determined on the pitch.

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today called for the implementation of an offence aggravator, in the form of additional fines, for people who damage automated external defibrillators (AEDS).

Research by the Scottish Liberal Democrats showed that publicly accessible defibrillators varied hugely by area, with West Edinburgh having 39 compared to over 100 in North East Fife. AEDS are usually kept in cabinets in public locations but are locked for security purposes.

Commenting on the passage of the Transport Bill, Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Mike Rumbles MSP said:

"The SNP have passed up opportunity after opportunity to build a truly radical and forward looking bill.

"The Transport Bill was supposed to profoundly reshape Scotland's transport system. Instead it will be overshadowed by an SNP-Green attempt to plunder driver's pockets.

Responding to the news that the minutes of the meeting of NHS Lothian's board specifically overseeing the Sick Kids project revealed there were over 2,000 snagging issues identified at the hospital in May, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

"What's clear from this report is that officials were aware of the myriad of problems facing them months before they pulled the plug on the Sick Kids' opening. This has been an extremely poorly managed project.

Responding to the Scottish Childminding Association's audit of early learning and childcare (ELC), showing only 12.6% of childminders have been approved by local authorities to help deliver the ELC expansion for 3 and 4-year-olds while just 4.2% are currently delivering funded hours, Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Beatrice Wishart MSP commented:

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today criticised the Scottish Government for allowing the breast screening uptake rate to take a "downward slide", as new official figures confirmed uptake has been consistently falling on the SNP's watch.

The Scottish Government minimal uptake target is 70%, set in 2011, was not met in 4 health boards: NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (65.8%), NHS Lanarkshire (68%), NHS Lothian (69.2%) and NHS Fife (69.7%).

Responding to the government's statement setting out preparations for a no-deal exit from the European Union, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

"There is no Brexit deal that is better than the deal we already enjoy as members of the European Union.

"It's a dismal state of affairs that we're having to spend millions of pounds to prepare for a Boris Johnson Brexit that would devastate our economy and put thousands of people out of work. Precious time and money is being wasted on these dangerous plans.

"No-deal would be extremely damaging to people across the whole of the UK. We must do all that we can to stop it."

Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Mike Rumbles MSP has criticised the Transport Secretary, Michael Matheson, for failing to provide substantive answers to the specific questions put to him by MSPs on Prestwick Airport.

After raising a point of order with the Presiding Officer Mike Rumbles commented: