Pensionsdealoutrage
I was delighted to see so many local women attending the Woman Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) event held in Strathaven in which both Mhairi Black MP and I spoke to update on the current campaign.
It was extremely moving to hear accounts from women who have been impacted directly, and I was pleased to have the opportunity to answer questions from constituents to give reassurance that I and my colleagues, will continue to speak up regarding this unacceptable situation.
My work will continue this week on WASPI as I present the petition on behalf of our local constituents to the House of Commons.
As Climate Justice Spokesperson for our group at Westminster, I was pleased to welcome the announcement that the Scottish Government has blocked Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) from Scotland.
We have an obligation to meet our climate change targets and UCG would make this almost impossible.
We cannot claim to be world leaders and ask others to follow our example if we do not take expert advice on board and take decisive action.
This week at Westminster, as Chair of the Disability All Party Parliamentary Group, I am delighted to host our Paralympians at a special reception to celebrate their achievements at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.
This event will be sponsored by Channel 4 who have provided fantastic coverage of the Paralympics and with whom I have been working in support of their disability inclusivity agenda.
It’s really great to see people and organisations showcasing these achievements.
At home in the constituency, I was pleased to meet with Concept Northern, a business based in the East Kilbride Village.
They provide tailored support to people with disabilities to get into the workplace and have a fantastic vision for a “Disability First Stop Shop” based in our constituency.
There are a wide range of practical adaptations that make a difference and it was surprising to find how many changes can be implemented simply, such as use of different fonts to be used to make letters and publications easier to read for people with Dyslexia.
I also met with our team from the National Engineering Laboratory.
They undertake fascinating work and provide support for the National Measurement System across the whole of the UK.
As a specialist resource, it is so important that they are properly funded to ensure they can continue to provide innovative research and I have written to the UK Government to ask that they continue to support this work and acknowledge the importance of their contribution.
My local campaign for a full-time test site here in East Kilbride is continuing, and I am pushing the DVSA for the results for their assessment to the suitability of using the local Legion premises.
We need this situation resolved as quickly as we can to resume testing in East Kilbride, and I am doing all I can to push this.
I am pleased to inform that car parking for staff at the Hunter Health Centre will also now be reviewed in November by NHS Lanarkshire.
A review is welcome in response to the campaign concerns that I have raised regarding some nursing, administration and AHP staff paying charges whilst others do not.
I will push for staff to be treated fairly and for promises made by NHS Lanarkshire prior to the site move to staff to be upheld.