Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
"Labour's Land Reform Bill Timid" says MSP Stewart Stevenson
The Scots Parliament's Justice 2 Committee will be meeting in Inverness' Town House today [Monday] to take evidence on the New Labour-Liberal Democrat Land Reform Bill.
In advance of today's meeting Banff and Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson hit out at a number of gaps in proposals for the community right to buy provisions:
“Evidence given to the Committee so far suggests that far from being an attempt to radically change patterns of land ownership in Scotland, the Executive's Bill is a damp squib.
"This Bill may only change ownership of about one thirtieth of Scotland's land. In the crofting counties, the Bill makes only modest proposals to extend local ownership but in the remainder of Scotland, the barriers to community right to buy are formidable.
"A substantial proportion of land in Scotland is owned by companies or by family trusts. The present proposals would exclude such land from the general 'right to buy' in the Bill..
"Labour are trumpeting that they have delivered on a 100-year commitment. Their timid Bill actually means that in another 100 years, the majority of Scotland's land could remain in the hands the very people who have a stranglehold on it today."
Karen Adam is now the MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast
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14 January 2002
10 January 2002
No Plans To Help Deck Hands After Decommissioning
“Minister must consider remember that only owners are being compensated”
says MSP Stewart Stevenson
In Response to a question from Banff & Buchan MSP, Stewart Stevenson, the Rural Development Minister, Ross Finnie made clear that the Scottish Executive has no plans for support of people employed on fishing vessels that are being decommissioned.
Speaking after Parliamentary Questions today [Thursday], Mr Stevenson said,
“I find it very disappointing that the Minister was unable to give any information about the number of people be affected by decommissioning.
“With the first Press Forward even now being broken up for scrap at Sandhaven, it is now urgent that the Scottish Executive take steps to ensure that the several hundred deckhands and engineers across Scotland who may lose their jobs are properly looked after.”
Turning the general effects of decommissioning, Mr Stevenson commented,
“The owners of vessels leaving the fishing industry are being compensated. I have pointed to the wider impact since the outset. Crews could be losing out and local businesses that have supplied and serviced the decommissioned vessels will also suffer.
“I am astonished that no information about this has been gathered. Once again support for the people in the fishing industry is inadequate and late.”
says MSP Stewart Stevenson
In Response to a question from Banff & Buchan MSP, Stewart Stevenson, the Rural Development Minister, Ross Finnie made clear that the Scottish Executive has no plans for support of people employed on fishing vessels that are being decommissioned.
Speaking after Parliamentary Questions today [Thursday], Mr Stevenson said,
“I find it very disappointing that the Minister was unable to give any information about the number of people be affected by decommissioning.
“With the first Press Forward even now being broken up for scrap at Sandhaven, it is now urgent that the Scottish Executive take steps to ensure that the several hundred deckhands and engineers across Scotland who may lose their jobs are properly looked after.”
Turning the general effects of decommissioning, Mr Stevenson commented,
“The owners of vessels leaving the fishing industry are being compensated. I have pointed to the wider impact since the outset. Crews could be losing out and local businesses that have supplied and serviced the decommissioned vessels will also suffer.
“I am astonished that no information about this has been gathered. Once again support for the people in the fishing industry is inadequate and late.”
3 January 2002
Disregard for Economic Impact of New Aggregates Tax
“Another Stealth Tax from Brown to Penalise Scotland” says MSP Stewart Stevenson
Parliamentary Answers received during the Scottish Parliament’s Christmas recess reveal that the Scottish Executive has no strategy for dealing with the effects of the introduction of the Aggregates Tax in Scotland.
Speaking today, Banff & Buchan MSP, Stewart Stevenson commented;
“The introduction of the Aggregates Tax will clearly place substantial new burdens on both Scottish quarries and on the capital projects that use aggregate products.
“With a tax of £1.60 per ton, roads, railway maintenance, new schools & hospitals will pay substantially more for their cement, stone and tar. And yet the Scottish Executive tells me that ‘Assessment of economic impacts of taxation measures is a matter for HM Treasury.’
“This indicates a blatant disregard for Scotland’s economic health.”
Speaking about the very different response of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Executive, Stewart Stevenson said,
“There has been a vigorous response to the imposition of Gordon Brown’s new stealth tax in Northern Ireland. Debate there convinced all political parties that the return of money via a very small reduction in National Insurance would be far less than the cost of the tax.
“Like so many other new taxes, the effect is a net transfer of money to big cities such as London. And the successful campaign to restrict imposition of the new tax in Northern Ireland shows the way.
“It appears that the Labour-Liberal coalition in Scotland have not even put the case to London despite the evidence from Northern Ireland that it is actually possible to get London to listen when the case is overwhelming.
“If Labour in Scotland cannot stand up for our economic interests, it is time they moved over and made way for people who will. Only the SNP will always fight for our interests.”
Parliamentary Answers received during the Scottish Parliament’s Christmas recess reveal that the Scottish Executive has no strategy for dealing with the effects of the introduction of the Aggregates Tax in Scotland.
Speaking today, Banff & Buchan MSP, Stewart Stevenson commented;
“The introduction of the Aggregates Tax will clearly place substantial new burdens on both Scottish quarries and on the capital projects that use aggregate products.
“With a tax of £1.60 per ton, roads, railway maintenance, new schools & hospitals will pay substantially more for their cement, stone and tar. And yet the Scottish Executive tells me that ‘Assessment of economic impacts of taxation measures is a matter for HM Treasury.’
“This indicates a blatant disregard for Scotland’s economic health.”
Speaking about the very different response of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Executive, Stewart Stevenson said,
“There has been a vigorous response to the imposition of Gordon Brown’s new stealth tax in Northern Ireland. Debate there convinced all political parties that the return of money via a very small reduction in National Insurance would be far less than the cost of the tax.
“Like so many other new taxes, the effect is a net transfer of money to big cities such as London. And the successful campaign to restrict imposition of the new tax in Northern Ireland shows the way.
“It appears that the Labour-Liberal coalition in Scotland have not even put the case to London despite the evidence from Northern Ireland that it is actually possible to get London to listen when the case is overwhelming.
“If Labour in Scotland cannot stand up for our economic interests, it is time they moved over and made way for people who will. Only the SNP will always fight for our interests.”
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