Patricia Ferguson Aims For Greener Future
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Maryhill MSP Patricia Ferguson has backed The Green Insurance Company's Green Grants initiative and is urging the communities of Maryhill to apply for up to £2,000 to help fund local environmental projects. The leading environmental insurance provider has allocated £20,000 to support community projects and is inviting applications from across the country. Potential projects could include: A community garden to grow your own vegetables or a wildlife garden to encourage biodiversity A project to increase awareness of environmental issues and educate children to develop good environmental habits. Funding to help make a local community building more energy efficient. Help to...
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Patricia Ferguson Urges Local Youth Groups To Apply For CashBack Funding
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 The fourth round of funding for youth projects from the CashBack for Communities scheme is now open, and Maryhill MSP Patricia Ferguson is encouraging local youth groups to apply for a share of the cash. £2.5 million, the first portion of £6.5 million recovered earlier this year from a Russian money launderer with dealings in Scotland, is being invested directly back into local communities to provide free diversionary activities for young people. Local youth projects are able to apply for grants up to a maximum of £30,000. Patricia Ferguson said: "Too many of our local communities are affected by crime,...
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Patricia Ferguson Support Campaign To Put Young People In The Picture
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 Maryhill MSP Patricia Ferguson joined Scottish music star Amy Macdonald and members of the Scottish Youth Parliament at the launch of a massive consultation amongst the country's young people. The Scottish Youth Parliament's new project, Picture The Change, will inform the organisation's manifesto for next year's Scottish Parliament elections. The consultation will ask young people all over Scotland to picture what they would like to change to make Scotland a better place to be. Patricia Ferguson said: "This is an excellent project and i'm delighted to support it. It's very important that politicians and political parties hear from Scotland's young...
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Campaigning For Action To Tackle Knife Crime
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At the end of June the SNP Government, with the support of Liberal Democrat MSPs, blocked moves by the Labour Party to introduce minimum mandatory sentences for knife criminals during a debate in Parliament. In the same debate SNP & Lib Dem MSPs also voted to scrap short prison sentences, which will mean 7,000 criminals including knife criminals, muggers, housebreakers and even sex offenders will avoid prison. Patricia Ferguson, Labour's MSP for Maryhill, voted for the introduction of mandatory minimum sentences for carrying knives, and voted against the SNP Government's proposal to scrap short prison sentences. Speaking after the debate...
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Tackling Hospital Infections - Defending The NHS
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Speaking in the Scottish Parliament on the 24th June Patricia Ferguson MSP welcomed the Scottish Government's target of a 50% reduction in hospital-acquired infection rates among over-65s. The Labour MSP went on to ask the Health Minister how NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde was expected to implement the new initiative to reduce infection rates, given the plans to cut staff numbers and cleaning hours. Patricia Ferguson MSP for Maryhill said: "Progress has been made in tackling hospital infections and that is to be welcomed, but this is threatened by the SNP's NHS cuts which will see the loss of some...
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Parliament Calls For Evidence On Factoring Bill
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The Scottish Parliament has issued a call for evidence on the general principles of the Property Factors (Scotland) Bill. The Bill, which was introduced by Patricia Ferguson MSP at the beginning of June 2010, would require property factors to be registered to ensure that they were 'fit and proper persons' operating to minimum standards. It would also create a form of dispute resolution between property factors and homeowners. The Parliament's Local Government and Communities Committee is the lead committee for the Bill and it is seeking written evidence from all interested parties. The deadline for the receipt of written submissions...
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Action To Improve Housing
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Patricia Ferguson MSP has criticised the SNP Government's decision to cut the housing association grant, and called on them to invest in more and better homes. Speaking in Parliament the Maryhill MSP also urged the Government to support tougher action against unregistered landlords and letting agents who market their properties and to introduce a trademark to make it easier to identify registered landlords. The Scottish Government's Housing Minister, Alex Neil, promised to look seriously at Patricia Ferguson's proposals. Ms Ferguson's comments came as part of the 1st stage debate on the Scottish Government's Housing (Scotland) Bill, which will see the...
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Patricia Ferguson Calls For Investment In Glasgow's Subway
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 Patricia Ferguson MSP has called on the SNP Government to invest in Glasgow's Subway, in order to secure the future of the underground system. Speaking in the Scottish Parliament the Maryhill MSP warned that failure to invest in the Subway could result in it being closed, which would lead to gridlock across Glasgow city centre and beyond. The Labour MSP, whose Maryhill constituency includes St. George's Cross and Kelvinbridge Subway stations, highlighted the need to tackle issues such as accessibility to the system, with a lack of disabled access and the inability of the system to carry wheelchairs...
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 Patricia Ferguson MSP has joined her Labour colleagues in condeming the SNP Government's plans to cut almost 4,000 NHS jobs this year, including over 1,500 nurses. The Maryhill MSP has voiced her concern at the likely impact on patient care as a result of the cuts, which will see 1,200 jobs go in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS area. Patricia Ferguson (centre) with MSP colleagues at the launch of Scottish Labour's campaign to defend NHS jobs Launching Scottish Labour's campaign to defend NHS jobs, Shadow Health Secretary Jackie Baillie said she is appalled at the cuts. The Scottish...
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Registration Of Property Factors Comes A Step Nearer
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A Bill to require Property Factors to comply with a code of conduct and be registered has been published by Patricia Ferguson MSP. The Property Factors (Scotland) Bill will make it an offence for a property factor to operate without being registered, and will also introduce an accessible form of dispute resolution. The legislation will lead to the establishment of a code of conduct setting minimum standards of practice expected of registered property factors, and will afford greater protection for homeowners from rogue factors. The publication of the Bill follows several years of campaigning by Mike Dailly, Principal...
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SNP Schools Re-Announcement Confirms There's Still No Cash For Maryhill
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Patricia Ferguson MSP has spoken of her dismay at the SNP Government's re-announcement of funding for new schools, which confirms that there's still no cash for Maryhill. The Labour MSP had previously called for the SNP to support Glasgow to provide new schools in Wyndford and Cadder and hit out when they first announced in September 2009 and again in November 2009 the list of new schools to be built, with nothing for the communities of Maryhill. Commenting on the re-announcement Patricia Ferguson said: "When I heard that the SNP Government was to provide an update on their school building...
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Give Glasgow's Schools Fairer Funding
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Patricia Ferguson has called on the SNP Government to give Glasgow's schools a fairer funding deal. Speaking in Parliament the Maryhill MSP spoke about the growing number of children whose first language is not English, and the increasing cost to the City Council of providing extra support in class. Across the city, as many as 25 new pupils enroll every week who are not native English speakers, with some staying only a matter of months but who still require support. As well as asylum seekers and refugees the city has a high number of immigrants from the new European Union...
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Patricia Ferguson Supports Worker Protection
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Maryhill MSP Patricia Ferguson has taken part in a debate in the Scottish Parliament highlighting the need for greater protection for staff that work with members of the public. Ms Ferguson is supporting her Labour colleague Hugh Henry's Workers (Aggravated Offences) (Scotland) Bill which seeks to give workers who have face to face contact with the public through their duties greater protection. People committing offences under the new Bill could be jailed for up to 12 months and fined up to £10,000. Speaking in Parliament Patricia Ferguson said: "Violence in the workplace is never acceptable and there can be no...
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Factors' Scheme Must Be Backed By Legislation
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Patricia Ferguson has welcomed a consultation on a voluntary accreditation scheme for property managers, but the Labour MSP for Maryhill believes the scheme needs to be underpinned by law to give consumers the peace of mind they need. The Scottish Government's consultation on the voluntary scheme was launched on the 10th May. However, Patricia Ferguson whose own members Bill on the regulation of property managers will be introduced to the Parliament in June said that any scheme must be backed by law. Patricia Ferguson said: "Whilst I welcome the Scottish Government's consultation it should be pointed out that a voluntary...
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SNP Cuts Axe 1200 NHS Jobs In Glasgow
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Patricia Ferguson MSP has condemned the SNP Government for cuts in the NHS which will lead to over 1200 jobs in Greater Glasgow and Clyde being axed. The Maryhill MSP joined Scottish Labour's Health Spokesperson Jackie Baillie in accusing the Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon of putting hospitals at greater risk of infections and undermining patient care, as a result of the cuts. Greater Glasgow Health Board met with trade unions on the 13th May to give them a plan to cut over 1200 NHS jobs. Some 650 of these are nurses and midwives. This follows on from the announcement that...
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The CashBack for Communities Small Grants Scheme supports local volunteer led groups, who may not previously have had access to external funding, to enhance their programmes for young people and get positive projects off the ground. The scheme uses cash recovered from criminals to provide diversionary activities for young people. Grants of up to £2,000 are available and more information is available online at www.youthscotland.org.uk Maryhill MSP Patricia Ferguson has sent information to local groups, organisations and individuals telling them about the cash that is available and encouraging them to apply for funds. Ms Ferguson said: "I have been concerned...
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New Store Helps Local Charity
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 Patricia Ferguson has recently taken part in the official opening of a new Tesco Express store on Maryhill Road. The Maryhill MSP alsp presented a cheque for £500 from the store to representatives of the Maryhill based LOTUS charity. Patricia Ferguson MSP and Dennis Bell, Chairman of LOTUS Linking Older People through Understanding and Support (LOTUS), operates in the North Glasgow area and is for the benefit of people who are aged 60 years and older and their carers. LOTUS aims to provide services specifically tailored to the older persons need. The store chose to donate to LOTUS as...
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MSP & MP Visit YMCA Project in Maryhill
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 Labour MSP for Maryhill, Patricia Ferguson and Ann McKechin MP for Glasgow North were recently given a tour of the recently refurbished Branston Court supported accommodation residence in Maryhill by YMCA Chief Executive Officer, Joe Connolly. YMCA Branston Court, which is located in Panmure Street and overlooks Firhill Stadium, was one of their first supported housing projects in Glasgow and during its 21 year history has been providing support and shelter for young people affected by homelessness aged 16 to 25 years old. Responding to the needs of the community Branston Court now also houses young unaccompanied asylum seeker children...
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Stonelaw Residents Give Backing To Factoring Bill
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Rutherglen residents in Stonelaw Court have given their backing to moves by Glasgow Maryhill Labour MSP Patricia Ferguson to introduce more control over property factors. Miss Ferguson recently lodged the Property Factors (Scotland) Bill in the Scottish Parliament. The bill, if passed, would require Property Managers to be accredited and regulated and would also provide a form of accessible mediation for those who encounter problems. The residents gave their backing at a meeting with Miss Ferguson and local MSP James Kelly. Liz Murray, secretary of the Stonelaw Court Owners Association gave her backing to the Bill saying: "We wish Patricia...
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Breaking New Ground At Lambhill Stables
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 Patricia Ferguson MSP has attended a ground-breaking event at Lambhill Stables to celebrate the securing of the funding required and the start of on-site work to restore and enhance the Stables as an important historical landmark and environmental amenity. The Maryhill MSP joined the Chair and Director of the project, stakeholders, funders, community activists and local school children at the event to mark the significant landmark in the progress of the project. Patricia Ferguson MSP with Kieran Wild, Chair of the Lambhill Stables project, and Councillor Jim Mackechnie When complete the Lambhill Stables will deliver occupational, educational, training and...
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