Commenting following the visit by Justice Minister, Cathy Jamieson MSP, to Peterhead Prison today (Tuesday),
Banff and Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson said:
“This was an extremely useful visit which allowed the Minister to meet with staff, and see at first hand the fabric of the prison as well as the vital work that is done within its walls. I know that the Minister was impressed by the dedication of staff, and in particular the total culture which exists throughout the prison focussed on addressing offending behaviour.
“Peterhead plays a crucial role in the criminal justice system, a role which could not be replicated elsewhere, and I hope that the Minister will now commit to securing the long-term future of the prison and the difficult work that it does.”
Local MSP Stewart Stevenson has announced details of his annual surgery tour of Banff & Buchan communities.
Starting next Monday, the SNP MSP will be visiting over 40 towns and villages in his marathon surgery tour over the next two weeks. Mr Stevenson’s Mobile Office will be stopping at places as diverse as Boddam in the east and Bogton in the west and all points in between.
Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:
“My mobile surgery tour encompasses many small villages and communities and gives me first hand experience of hearing and seeing some of the issues on the ground.
“I think it is important for constituents to be able to meet their MSP in their own locality and the summer tour gives me the opportunity to get into some of the smaller communities that I may otherwise not be able to call upon.
“I always enjoy the summer tour immensely so I am very much looking forward to getting out on the road.”
The surgery tour kicks-off on Monday 16 August in New Pitsligo. Mr Stevenson will reach his milestone 250th surgery on Wednesday 18 August when he calls at Sandend.
Note: The surgery tour will take place over 5 days from 16 to 27 August. Surgeries will be held in the Scottish National Party caravan and no appointment is necessary although constituents are welcome to phone the office in advance to advise their attendance. Details of venues and times are attached and will be advertised in the local press.
HEALTH MINISTER MUST GIVE CLARIFICATION ON SPENDING
Shadow Deputy Health Minister Mr Stewart Stevenson MSP has today (Thursday) said that there needs to be clarification from the Health Minister about how money is being spent in the NHS after an Audit Scotland report found that while there is an increasing amount of funds being pumped into the service, more must be done to show how the money is truly benefiting patients.
Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:
“While it may be reassuring to hear that an increasing amount of money is being spent on the NHS in Scotland, what we are still unsure of is how this will truly benefit patients.
“The Auditor General has recognised that there are holes in the system and that there is an information gap surrounding the overall performance of the health service.
“There clearly needs to be a further explanation about how targets that the Executive has set will be achieved, otherwise it will be almost impossible to say for certain whether the overall performance of the health service has improved.
“The Health Minister must now make it clear about how money is being spent so that conclusions can be drawn about whether the Executive is doing what is best for Scottish patients and indeed NHS staff."
Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
