Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
Following a meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee today, Banff and Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has welcomed the news that a 10,000 signature petition – supporting the redevelopment of Chalmers Hospital in Banff - has been referred by the Committee to the Scottish Executive and Grampian Health Board for comment. Speaking from the Scottish Parliament this morning, Mr Stevenson said:
“Today’s decision is an important milestone in the campaign for the redevelopment of Chalmers Hospital and the surrounding community who rely on good quality healthcare within the Banff area.
“With 10,000 signatures this was an extraordinary achievement for the Chalmers Hospital Action Group who have been fighting against the threat to services at our local hospital. This petition has put the issue of rural hospital services back on the agenda in the Scottish Parliament.
“The logic of the argument was clear to the Public Petitions Committee and I believe that this continued pressure on Grampian Health Board and the increased awareness of this issue within the parliament will ensure that the plight of underfunded rural hospitals can no longer be ignored.”
Karen Adam is now the MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast
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6 November 2001
19 October 2001
Macduff Distillery A Worldwide Success Story
Stewart Stevenson MSP says "Water Directives Should Not be Implemented In Scotland"
Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, visited his local whisky distillery today [Friday, 19th] as a guest of the Macduff Distillery management and of the Scotch Whisky Association. Commenting afterwards, Stewart Stevenson said,
"This was my first visit to a distillery although far from an introduction to this excellent Scottish product. I had not realised that our local Glen Deveron single malt was as large an exporter as to be among the largest brands of malt in the world. The £100 million in duty waiting to be paid to the London Exchequer from one single warehouse in Macduff shows how important we are to the national economy.
"In an age of increasing fears about adulteration of food products, Scotch Whisky stands out as something whose purity is guaranteed. My own small sample certainly bore that out!"
Turning to future threats to the whisky industry, Mr Stevenson added,
"As a large user of water, the whisky industry would, like our local fishing industry, be severely affected by any moves to introduce the EC's Water Directives to Scottish law. The Directive has been introduced primarily to control water use in the European Community in southern countries where it is scarce resource.
"We are permitted to rule that it need not apply in Scotland where the rainfall is more than adequate for our needs. In the case of Macduff Distillery it would be particularly inappropriate since they have their own private water supply.
"I shall now be writing to the Scottish Executive to re-inforce input from a number of quarters about how badly introduction of such measures not designed for Scotland would be for local industries such as whisky and fishing."
Stewart Stevenson, MSP for Banff and Buchan, visited his local whisky distillery today [Friday, 19th] as a guest of the Macduff Distillery management and of the Scotch Whisky Association. Commenting afterwards, Stewart Stevenson said,
"This was my first visit to a distillery although far from an introduction to this excellent Scottish product. I had not realised that our local Glen Deveron single malt was as large an exporter as to be among the largest brands of malt in the world. The £100 million in duty waiting to be paid to the London Exchequer from one single warehouse in Macduff shows how important we are to the national economy.
"In an age of increasing fears about adulteration of food products, Scotch Whisky stands out as something whose purity is guaranteed. My own small sample certainly bore that out!"
Turning to future threats to the whisky industry, Mr Stevenson added,
"As a large user of water, the whisky industry would, like our local fishing industry, be severely affected by any moves to introduce the EC's Water Directives to Scottish law. The Directive has been introduced primarily to control water use in the European Community in southern countries where it is scarce resource.
"We are permitted to rule that it need not apply in Scotland where the rainfall is more than adequate for our needs. In the case of Macduff Distillery it would be particularly inappropriate since they have their own private water supply.
"I shall now be writing to the Scottish Executive to re-inforce input from a number of quarters about how badly introduction of such measures not designed for Scotland would be for local industries such as whisky and fishing."
26 September 2001
Unpaid And Overworked
What Future Lies Ahead For Local Agencies In The Voluntary Sector Asks Stevenson MSP?
Speaking today in Parliament Banff and Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson spoke of his concern about the lack of funding provided to local agencies in the voluntary sector. Although the Scottish Executive has increased its funding to £39 million this year, the local agencies are not seeing the benefit. Commenting on North East examples: Grampian Addiction Problems Service and Buchan Alcohol Service Information Service Stevenson said:
“Local unpaid voluntary organisations aren’t given a lot of recognition for their work and suffer greatly from limited funding. Due to the lack of funds such organisations don’t have the ability to develop the much-needed services that the communities require.
“Local agencies also suffer from participating in unsuccessful bids when the money could be used to deliver a more productive service. It is obvious that to see that the service will, in turn, decline as a result.
“Workers in the unpaid voluntary sector are suffering from low morale, which is at an all time low. This is completely understandable as who wants to give their time and effort to a cause in which you are not only unrecognised but also undervalued and misused.
“The Scottish Executive should eradicate the local communities’ problems by directly funding the local agencies who really want to see the problems disappear”.
Speaking today in Parliament Banff and Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson spoke of his concern about the lack of funding provided to local agencies in the voluntary sector. Although the Scottish Executive has increased its funding to £39 million this year, the local agencies are not seeing the benefit. Commenting on North East examples: Grampian Addiction Problems Service and Buchan Alcohol Service Information Service Stevenson said:
“Local unpaid voluntary organisations aren’t given a lot of recognition for their work and suffer greatly from limited funding. Due to the lack of funds such organisations don’t have the ability to develop the much-needed services that the communities require.
“Local agencies also suffer from participating in unsuccessful bids when the money could be used to deliver a more productive service. It is obvious that to see that the service will, in turn, decline as a result.
“Workers in the unpaid voluntary sector are suffering from low morale, which is at an all time low. This is completely understandable as who wants to give their time and effort to a cause in which you are not only unrecognised but also undervalued and misused.
“The Scottish Executive should eradicate the local communities’ problems by directly funding the local agencies who really want to see the problems disappear”.
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