Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
Stewart Stevenson, SNP MSP for Banff & Buchan, today (Tuesday) warned energy company Scottish Gas that it risks plunging thousands of vulnerable Scots into fuel poverty if it proceeds with a reported 25% price rise this month.
Mr Stevenson’s comments follow the admission by Trade & Industry Secretary Alan Johnson that rising prices could force another million people across Britain into fuel poverty.
Mr Stevenson said:
“The reported increase of 25% which Scottish Gas seems set to announce to customers later this month is alarming in the extreme. If it does indeed go ahead it would mean that the company has raised its prices by a total of 45% over the past 18 months.
“Not only that, it is not even as if Scotland is as yet reliant on gas from overseas any way. In fact we sit on very large natural reserves of gas and it is ironic that in spite of this enviable situation, it is Scottish consumers who seem likely to have to pay through the nose for the product.
“Even more ironic is the fact that around 50 per cent of the UK’s gas comes ashore in Banff & Buchan at St Fergus, yet energy-rich Scotland will still have to suffer these price hikes.
“In the meantime however, rises of this nature will not just inconvenience all Scottish Gas customers. At worst they could will plunge thousands of Scots deeper into fuel poverty in a country where more than 28,000 people over 65 died of cold-related illnesses last year.
“This situation makes it imperative that research and development into all viable renewable technologies is progressed in a co-ordinated and intelligent manner.”
Karen Adam is now the MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast
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1 February 2006
Stevenson Calls For More Help For First Time Buyers
Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has called for first-time buyers to be given more support as new figures show the number of first-time buyers in Scotland reached an all-time low in 2005.
Mr Stevenson was commenting on figures from the Bank of Scotland’s First Time Buyers Annual Review, which showed only 29,000 first time buyers in Scotland over the last year, a drop of 58 per cent from 2002.
Mr Stevenson said:
“These figures once again underline the need to create the economic conditions necessary to make Scotland a higher-wage economy and enable many more Scots to afford their first home.
“The fall in the number of first-time buyers by more than half in the space of three years is yet more evidence of the Labour-Liberal partnership's grotesque mismanagement the Scottish economy.
“The cost of buying a house is spiralling out of control, rising far faster than earnings, with the end result being that many thousands of people are simply priced out of the market.
“This is having a particularly severe effect on the economy of rural areas such as North-east Scotland, where people of working age who want to live and work in the area, thereby contributing to the sustainability of rural communities, are unable to do so.
“That is why the SNP has proposed introducing a first-time buyers' grant of £2000 for every first-time buyer to help with buying their first home.
“However, there is also a severe lack of homes to rent at affordable prices, throughout the North-east. As well as putting the Scottish economy on a much more competitive basis and taking action to assist first-time buyers, the Executive must also take steps to boost the number of homes available at affordable rents.”
Mr Stevenson was commenting on figures from the Bank of Scotland’s First Time Buyers Annual Review, which showed only 29,000 first time buyers in Scotland over the last year, a drop of 58 per cent from 2002.
Mr Stevenson said:
“These figures once again underline the need to create the economic conditions necessary to make Scotland a higher-wage economy and enable many more Scots to afford their first home.
“The fall in the number of first-time buyers by more than half in the space of three years is yet more evidence of the Labour-Liberal partnership's grotesque mismanagement the Scottish economy.
“The cost of buying a house is spiralling out of control, rising far faster than earnings, with the end result being that many thousands of people are simply priced out of the market.
“This is having a particularly severe effect on the economy of rural areas such as North-east Scotland, where people of working age who want to live and work in the area, thereby contributing to the sustainability of rural communities, are unable to do so.
“That is why the SNP has proposed introducing a first-time buyers' grant of £2000 for every first-time buyer to help with buying their first home.
“However, there is also a severe lack of homes to rent at affordable prices, throughout the North-east. As well as putting the Scottish economy on a much more competitive basis and taking action to assist first-time buyers, the Executive must also take steps to boost the number of homes available at affordable rents.”
MSP Backs Scottish Environment Week
Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has given his backing to Scottish Environment Week, which runs from 6th – 12th February. Mr Stevenson is supporting North-east colleague Margaret Ewing’s Motion supporting the event.
Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:
“I very much welcome the forthcoming Scottish Environment Week and I am certain it shall be successful in its aim of highlighting the importance of our environment and its value to Scotland’s society and economy.
“As a nation, Scotland has awoken to the importance of protecting our rich and diverse environment, and recognises the dedication of individual people, workplaces and communities in striving to safeguard our environment so that future generations can benefit from and enjoy it.
“Scottish Environment Week will hopefully help us all to focus on what are becoming increasingly urgent issues. These include the degradation of our environment, pollution and the chaos climate change is bringing to Scotland in the form of more frequent extreme weather events.
"There are a great many organisations and individuals in the voluntary sector that are battling to protect our environment and Scottish Environment Week is one way of highlighting this important work.”
Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:
“I very much welcome the forthcoming Scottish Environment Week and I am certain it shall be successful in its aim of highlighting the importance of our environment and its value to Scotland’s society and economy.
“As a nation, Scotland has awoken to the importance of protecting our rich and diverse environment, and recognises the dedication of individual people, workplaces and communities in striving to safeguard our environment so that future generations can benefit from and enjoy it.
“Scottish Environment Week will hopefully help us all to focus on what are becoming increasingly urgent issues. These include the degradation of our environment, pollution and the chaos climate change is bringing to Scotland in the form of more frequent extreme weather events.
"There are a great many organisations and individuals in the voluntary sector that are battling to protect our environment and Scottish Environment Week is one way of highlighting this important work.”
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