North Sea Oil and Gas Has Highest Levels of Investment in 30 Years

The SNP has welcomed the North Sea Oil and Gas UK report that shows the highest investment in the industry for more than three decades.

Commenting, Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford said:

"For the North Sea Oil and Gas industry to record the highest level of investment in 30 years is a clear demonstration of the continued strength of the sector.

"It makes abundantly clear that George Osborne got it badly wrong in 2011 with his surprise tax raid on the industry and that he was right to heed our calls to undo his damage at the earliest opportunity.

"The oil and gas sector clearly has a bright future ahead of it and with the powers of an independent Scotland we can ensure that these fantastic resources are put to the best possible use on behalf of people in Scotland."

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Local MP Witnesses Fraserburgh Academy Rock Challenge Success

Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford has congratulated Fraserburgh Academy for gaining first place in the North-east heats of the 2012 Global Rock Challenge.

The event was held on Saturday night at Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre and the local MP was there to witness the Broch’s success.

Commenting on the event, Eilidh said:

“I was delighted to be able to attend the Aberdeen heat this year and I was even more pleased that Fraserburgh Academy emerged triumphant at the end of the night and brought first place home to Banff & Buchan.

“The performance by the Fraserburgh pupils was truly spectacular, highly professional and deserving of their first place, in addition to the other awards they picked up on the night for drama skills, video performance and performing skills.

“In addition, Peterhead Academy is a 'Premier School' in the Global Rock Challenge competition. This means they will be once again travelling to Grimsby to compete in the Northern Premier Finals of the dance/drama competition in June, representing not only the school, but the local area and Scotland.”

The Global Rock Challenge is for the students and their teachers to create and be involved in their own production from conceptualisation through to the live performance. The challenge is also to be the best that they can without the use of nicotine, alcohol or other drugs, and there are severe penalties for anyone who fails that challenge on any event day and for their team too.

Feedback / research indicates that the concept works, with young people clamouring to return year after year to take part, with improved relationships with teachers at school, with a reduction - or even cessation - of substance abuse by team members and with a lower incidence of substance abuse generally within participating schools.

Attendance rates are also boosted, as are staying-on rates into sixth year.

The Rock Challenge® communicates health and social education messages in a positive and supportive environment.

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Mundell Under Pressure Following 'Misrepresentation' Claim

Pressure is rising on the Tories’ sole MP in Scotland after accusations he misrepresented the views of COSLA on the bedroom tax at Westminster.

Reports in today’s Herald (Friday 22) make clear that COSLA president David O’Neill has written to the Westminster Government minister demanding a retraction of claims David Mundell previously made in the House of Commons that the concerns of local authorities had been satisfied following a meeting between COSLA and Lord Freud.

Figures highlighted by the SNP recently demonstrated the significant mismatch between the number of people assessed by the DWP as needing one-bedroom social homes and the number of people who currently have them. With 60% of social housing tenants in Scotland ‘needing’ such properties but 26% currently living in one-bedroom social homes, the lack of availability means that the bedroom tax will be unavoidable for many people.

Commenting, SNP MP Eilidh Whiteford said:

“These are extremely serious accusations and if David Mundell has misrepresented COSLA’s views at Westminster, then he must set the record straight as a matter of urgency.

“Like everyone else, Scotland’s local authorities have huge concerns over the utterly unfair bedroom tax that Westminster is preparing to implement, and to suggest otherwise is simply unacceptable.

“The fact is that the bedroom tax will leave tens of thousands of people in Scotland facing bills they can’t afford - and will only be able to avoid by leaving the communities they have lived in for years and secure smaller accommodation elsewhere, with all the disruption to families and sources of support that involves.

“No amount of manufactured claims of support will change the fundamental unfairness of the bills people will soon face, or the devastating impact it will have for tens of thousands of people in Scotland.

“The determination to pursue this fundamentally flawed charge shows just how out of step Westminster is with the needs of people in Scotland. Decisions over housing benefits are the kinds of decisions we need to make for ourselves in Scotland - a position supported by 64 per cent of people in the Scottish Social Attitudes survey - and only a Yes vote in next year’s referendum will secure the right for us to do so.”

Details of COSLA’s letter to David Mundell can be viewed at http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/politics/

Figures below from the Scottish Government show the mismatch between the number of people assessed as ‘needing’ small social homes and those who currently have them.

Table 9: All tenants in social housing in Scotland
Estimated number of bedrooms needed using DWP standard v Number of bedrooms in the house
Number of bedrooms required using DWP standard			Number of bedrooms in the dwelling
			1	2	3	4	5 or more	Total	%
1			142,000	142,800	45,600	2,800	100	333,300	60.40%
2			2,900	92,700	36,900	3,000	300	135,800	24.61%
3			200	17,600	40,100	4,000	200	62,100	11.25%
4			0	1,400	11,600	2,900	100	16,000	2.90%
5 or more			0	300	2,500	1,400	400	4,600	0.83%
Total			145,100	254,800	136,700	14,100	1,100	551,800	100.00%
%			26.30%	46.18%	24.77%	2.56%	0.20%	100.00%

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SNP Questions 'Rancid' Bedroom Tax

During Scottish Questions at Westminster today two SNP MPs raised the issue of the Bedroom tax about to hit an estimated 100,000 Scots who live in social housing.

Dr Eilidh Whiteford SNP MP for Banff and Buchan and Work and Pensions spokesperson asked Tory junior minister David Mundell:

"Will he take the opportunity to distance himself from this shameful attempt by the Government to stigmatise and penalise people who live in council houses and need help with their rent?"

In his reply Mr Mundell said Dr. Whiteford was:

"Playing party politics"

Angus Robertson Westminster SNP Leader and MP for Moray then asked the Secretary of State Michael Moore:

"As one of the most rancid unfair pieces of legislation since the Poll tax, can the Secretary of State remind the House how many Scottish MPs voted for it?"

The Secretary of State was unable to answer Mr Robertson’s question. Mr Robertson continued:

"Anybody watching this debate will have noticed that the Secretary of State wasn’t prepared to confirm that 82 percent of Scottish members of this house had voted against the Bedroom tax. So just like the Poll tax an unpopular regressive measure is being imposed on the people of Scotland when the overwhelming majority of their public representatives are totally opposed to it."

Angus Robertson commented later:

"People will have seen the inability of Michael Moore to answer straightforward questions about the imposition of the Bedroom tax, and how despite a huge majority of Scotland’s MPs - over 80 per cent - voting against it this iniquitous tax will still hit Scots. Only with a Yes vote for an independent Scotland in 2014 can we stop more unfair, unwanted and undemocratic taxes being imposed on Scotland by Westminster."

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