STEVENSON HAILS END OF TAX ON LEARNING

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson today hailed the formal abolition of the Graduate Endowment introduced in 2001 under the Labour/Lib Dem coalition. From today 50,000 students will benefit from no longer having to pay the £2,289 fee. This key manifesto pledge for the SNP Government was one that was recently passed in parliament through support from the SNP, Liberal Democrats, Greens, independent MSP Margo MacDonald, and one Labour rebel, Elaine Smith. All other Labour and Conservative MSP ‘s voted against its abolition.

Speaking today Mr Stevenson said:

"The scrapping of the Graduate Endowment is one that will be rightly welcomed not only by students but all sections of society in Scotland who believe in making Higher Education more accessible to Scotland’s youth and who have found an increasing debt burden in recent years.

"Recent figures show that the average student debt has doubled from £2863 in 1999 to £5808 in 2007, a disgraceful legacy of the last Labour led Executive. The treatment of students by Labour both supporting the introducing of the Graduate Endowment and subsequently opposing its abolitions is a fact that will not be lost on the student population.

"We know that the fear of debt is a real deterrent to many young people going to university and the scrapping of the Graduate Endowment will act to make academic study a more viable option for more young people in Banff and Buchan.

"It is of fundamental importance that we address the skills gap in many industries and by making Higher Education more attractive we can work towards achieving this. By reducing the financial burden on students we can ensure that the youth of Banff and Buchan are given every opportunity to attain the skills and qualifications needed to develop long and fruitful careers."

STEVENSON HAILS SLASHING OF PRESCRIPTION CHARGES AS FIRST STEP TOWARDS COMPLETE ABOLITION IN 2011

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson today hailed the introduction of new charges for prescriptions that will see the cost of buying some medicines in Scotland more than halved. The slash in prescription costs is the first step towards the SNP Government fulfilling its pledge to abolish prescription charges by 2011.
As of April 1 2008 prescription charges will be reduced to £5.00, a cut of over 25 per cent, with further phased reduction towards a total abolition of the charges in 2011. Those people who suffer from chronic or long-term conditions will also benefit from an over 50 per cent cut in the cost of prescription pre-payment certificates.

Speaking today Mr Stevenson said:

"The high cost of prescription charges has been at hot topic at my constituency surgeries and I am sure the people of Banff and Buchan will welcome what is the first stage in the abolition of prescription charges.

"We see prescription charges to be in essence a tax on ill health and a potential barrier for many people who would otherwise seek medicine and medical advice for a variety of illness. We see any financial barrier to seeking healthcare as one that can have a negative impact not only on an individual’s long term health and wellbeing but also a factor that can potentially lead to greater pressures being placed on other areas of the National Health Service further down the line.

"We believe in the right to healthcare provision irrespective of ones ability to pay and this policy will work towards matching that view. Our goal is to build a healthier nation and this is just one aspect of a wider programme to tackle Scotland shameful health record.

"Alongside the reduction in prescription charges we have also seen an extension of preventative care and the promotion of sport and changes to our unhealthy eating habits. It is through making healthcare provision and medicine more accessible while targeting specific ailments and cultural traditions with respect to diet that the SNP Government aims to greatly improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Banff and Buchan."

Retail market for non-domestic water

Infrastructure Minister Stewart Stevenson today welcomed the opening of the retail market for non-domestic water and sewerage customers, stating that it would be of major benefit to Scottish businesses.

Mr Stevenson said:

"The opening of the retail market for non-domestic water and sewerage customers is an exciting development for Scotland. For the first time all business and public bodies, such as schools and hospitals and Local Authorities, will have a choice of who supplies them with their water and sewerage services.

This is the first time such market competition has been introduced anywhere in the world.

"The role for the water industry is to provide high quality and efficient water services. Retail competition for non-domestic customers should lead to keener prices, innovation and improved customer service, thereby giving Scottish businesses a competitive edge, supporting our overall purpose of increasing sustainable economic growth."

The retail market is open to all non-domestic customers - approximately 130,000 organisations.

All suppliers require to have a license from the Water Industry Commission for Scotland. Four companies have acquired a license - Satec, Aquavitae and Business Stream (Scottish Water's arms length retail business) and Osprey Water Services, part of the Anglian Water Group.

A license condition is that retailers must offer default tariffs and levels of service to all customers - this ensures that the quality of service is maintained and that no customer can lose out as a result of the introduction of competition.