BANFFSHIRE and BUCHAN COAST Liberal Democrats

Responding to the news that the NHS will remain on an emergency footing until 31st March 2021, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

"People were hoping and expecting that we were on our way to eliminating the virus and progressing back to something like normal. The new restrictions and rising infection rates have deeply dashed those hopes.

The motion to the full meeting of Oldham Council (Wednesday September 9) reads:

Not every Disability is Visible

This Council notes that:

• The charity Crohn's and Colitis UK is encouraging venues providing accessible public toilets to install new signage. This is to help stop stigma and discrimination towards people with 'invisible illnesses' such as Crohn's Disease and ulcerative colitis.
• There have been instances nationally where such individuals using an accessible toilet have been accused by staff members of being ineligible to use them.
• These signs have two standing figures and a wheelchair user with the words Accessible Toilet and the logo 'Not every disability is visible'.
• The Government has decided recently that large accessible toilets for severely disabled people - known as Changing Places - will be made compulsory for large new buildings, such as shopping centres, supermarkets, sports and arts venues, in England from 2021.

The Oldham Liberal Democrats are backing a national campaign to raise public awareness that not everyone who uses an accessible public toilet has a visible disability.The campaign by the charity Crohn's and Colitis UK encourages venues with such toilets to install special signage with the logo 'Not every disability is visible'.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has today sounded the alarm on "serious deficiencies" with Scotland's quarantine system following an exchange with Professor Linda Bauld at a meeting of Holyrood's Covid Committee.

In response to questioning from Willie Rennie, Professor Bauld stated that "It's absolutely clear that people coming back into the country have brought the virus with them. We've got specific examples of that and quarantine is not being followed". She also raised concerns about Scotland's testing infrastructure.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today called on the Scottish Government to reverse their decision not to offer financial support to the residential outdoor education sector.

The Deputy First Minister confirmed that no funding would be made available to providers, despite warnings that centres are in danger of closing down for good.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have renewed their calls to bring forward the long-delayed Police Scotland staff survey, as yet more evidence of serial under-supporting of officers and staff emerges.

A 2015 exercise where police staff and officers were invited to share their views on their work lives exposed serious problems in the working culture and practices within Scotland's police force. Police Scotland originally promised this exercise would be repeated in 2017.

Responding to the news that the opening of the delayed Sick Kids has now been delayed from the autumn to 25^th January 2021, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson and Edinburgh Western MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

"This update reveals the saga of the Sick Kids hospital move is set to drag on for many more months.

Commenting on this morning's report from the Scottish Fiscal Commission which reveals that the Scottish Government has received some £6.5Bn in additional funding to tackle the economic impact of the pandemic, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said:

"This amounts to a £6.5billion warm jacket from the United Kingdom which protects our NHS and schools from the chill winds of the pandemic.