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Pat Glass responds to announcement First Group & MTR are to take over the South Western Franchise

Pat Glass MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Minister, commenting on the announcement that First Group and MTR are to take over the South Western Franchise, said:                             

“In an agreement made in January of last year, the Government announced that the South Western franchise around London was to be taken over by TfL at the end of the franchise period. It is therefore disappointing to see that it has now been handed over to a private operator which is partly owned by a foreign company. We are now in a ludicrous situation where 75 percent of our railways are now wholly or partly controlled by foreign states or foreign companies.

“It is also hugely disheartening to hear that bidders were required to include plans for Driver Only Operation. It is important that the new franchisee is aware of the safety critical role of the second member of staff on board and they should not seek to remove this. It seems that the Government is deliberately intent on spreading the disruption faced daily by commuters on Southern to commuters passengers using the South Western Network.

“First Group and MTR have promised more trains, more seats and a better service but now only time will tell as to whether they will deliver that.”

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Labour •

It is crucial that there is effective judicial oversight of the security services’ access to encrypted messages – Abbott

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, speaking in response to the controversy over encrypted messages in the wake of the terrorist attack at Westminster, said:

“Labour opposes an open access trawl of all messaging. Good counter-terrorism measures are nearly always intelligence led.

“In the cases of suspects or perpetrators of serious crime or terrorism, it is crucial that there is effective judicial oversight of the security services’ access to encrypted messages.

“Amber Rudd will be keen to set out exactly how the Government will ensure that law-abiding citizens’ privacy is not breached.

“Fighting terrorism is a serious business, and should not be used for political grandstanding.”

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Labour • • •

SNP letting down hundreds of youngsters with mental health problems each year

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27 Mar 2017

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Research has revealed that hundreds of children every year are receiving mental health treatment in unsuitable wards.

The release of the worrying statistics come ahead of the publication of the Scottish Government’s Mental Health Strategy this week.

It has previously been advised that all youngsters in need of acute mental health support should be treated in one of the specialist children’s mental health wards across the country.

However, between 2007 – the year the SNP came into power – and 2015, a massive 1,840 children and adolescents were admitted to non-specialist beds.  The total of 248 recorded between 2014/15 shows that the number of youngsters unable to receive treatment in these specialist units remains frighteningly high.

The Scottish Conservatives are calling for the SNP to start treating the issue of mental health with greater seriousness, and ensure that there are enough inpatient beds for children and young people across Scotland.

Scottish Conservative mental health spokesman Miles Briggs said:

“This is yet further evidence of the SNP government’s lack of attention in regard to mental health.

“It’s worrying to see so many children with acute mental health problems not being given treatment in the most appropriate environment.

“Mental health issues are now more apparent than ever and it’s only right these youngsters receive the specialist care that will give them the best possible chance of a speedy recovery.

“The SNP has to provide more support for these vulnerable people in its upcoming mental health strategy, and this means investing in children and adolescent mental health services.”

Miles Briggs PQ and table of number of children and adolescents being admitted to non-specialist beds between 1999 and 2015: http://www.scottishconservatives.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Number-of-children-and-adolescents-non-specialist-beds.pdf

Scottish Conservative mental health policy: http://www.scottishconservatives.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Scottish-Conservative-Mental-Health-Policy.pdf

 

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Scottish Conservatives • •