Stevenson Welcomes Campaign To Urge Diabetics To Take Care Of Eyes

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has welcomed a new campaign launched by Health Cabinet Secretary Nicola Sturgeon aimed at encouraging diabetics to take up free regular sight tests.

Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among people of working age and the campaign by Diabetes UK Scotland and RNIB aims to raise awareness of the importance of annual screening. Figures show that of the 173,000 people with diabetes in Scotland, 55,000 have not been screened for the eye condition in the past 15 months.

Commenting Mr. Stevenson said;

"Diabetes is a condition which affects many people in Banff & Buchan and thousands across Scotland and can have a debilitating effect on lives if not treated properly.

"It is very important that people with diabetes manage their condition properly and regular screening for diabetic retinopathy is an essential part of this.

"I hope that this campaign will raise awareness of the excellent care and screening programmes available for people living with diabetes and in turn reduce the number of people losing their sight needlessly."

Stevenson Welcomes Cabinet Secretary's Support For Subsidy Appeals Reform

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has welcomed the statement from Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Richard Lochhead on subsidy appeals reform in response to a Parliamentary Question.

It was after meeting with NFUS members at New Deer Agricultural Show last summer that SNP leader Alex Salmond pledged to introduce a truly independent panel to deal with appeals to SEERAD as part of an SNP administration in Holyrood after May's elections.

Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:

"Parliamentary answers I received recently revealed that nearly 700 Single Farm Payment claimants in 2005 and 2006 had penalties totalling over £1¼ million applied to their claims due to errors found within the completed forms.

"In the context of overall number of claimants, this is not a large number but it is still far too high and I believe more could be done to address this at an earlier stage in the process.

"Failing that however, an independent appeals panel is crucial to ensure fairness and transparency so I very much welcome Richard Lochhead's commitment to reforming that procedure."

Note:

Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead's answer to a recent Parliamentary Question reaffirmed the SNP's commitment to reform the appeals process for agricultural subsidies. He stated:

"We shall be having early discussions with key stakeholders on general issues surrounding the implementation of the common agricultural policy. We shall also be undertaking a review of the EU agricultural subsidies appeals procedure."

Banff Pastor To Lead Parliament's 'Time for Reflection'

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson will welcome Pastor Norman Hill, Riverside Christian Church, Banff to the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 20 June where he will lead the Parliament in ‘Time for Reflection’.

‘Time for Reflection’ is held in the Chamber every Wednesday and Thursday during parliamentary sessions. It gives representatives from various faith groups, churches, and people of no religious affiliation the opportunity to lead the Parliament in reflection before the commencement of Chamber Business.

Commenting Mr. Stevenson said;

“I am extremely pleased to welcome Pastor Hill to the Scottish Parliament and delighted that he will have the opportunity to lead the Parliament in ‘Time for Reflection’.

“Representatives of various churches and faith groups from Banff & Buchan have spoken before the Chamber in ‘Time for Reflection’ on numerous occasions in the past and I am delighted to see this trend continuing in the third session of the Scottish Parliament.

“I hope I will be able to welcome other Pastors and faith leaders from the constituency to lead prayers before the Parliament in the near future.”