Kenneth J Gibson MSP

The Local Government And Communities Committee which is deliberating on the Non-Domestic Rates (Scotland) Bill at Stage 2

Last week, Tory and Labour MSPs on the Local Government and Communities Committee of the Scottish Parliament voted to support a Green amendment to return non-domestic rates to local authority control, rather than have one for...

New pension measures to help NHS Scotland retain highly experienced staff have been announced by the SNP Government. 

From 01 December 2019, an interim policy will give eligible NHS staff the option to have their employer pension contributions paid to them as part of their basic pay. 

UK Tory Government pension rules mean t...

Responding to a new report published by Friends of the Earth, the SNP has challenged the next UK Government to match the SNP’s record and ambitious targets.

The report reveals that funding for tree planting and forestry in England in 2017-18 fell by 43%. 

In contrast, funding in Scotland increased as the SNP Government steps up efforts to tackle...

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf MSP has demanded that the Treasury pay back £175 million taken from Scottish police and fire services.

The organisations became liable for VAT after merging from regional into national bodies in 2013 – though no other territorial police services in the UK had to pay.

The Scottish bodies paid £35 million a year in the...

Hospital patients and staff will benefit from the creation of 70 new posts for trainee doctors across 17 medical specialities.

All of the additional posts will support hospital-based medical specialities identified as being under pressure from increased patient need, including radiology, oncology, anaesthesia, intensive care and obstetrics and gy...

Recommendations to improve support for care leavers at risk of homelessness have been welcomed by Housing Minister Kevin Stewart MSP.

A working group, co-ordinated by the A Way Home Scotland coalition, has produced eight recommendations to make support for care leavers simpler and more consistent across Scotland in the Youth Homelessness Preventi...

An action plan to help homeowners and businesses prevent damage caused by flooding has been launched by Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham MSP.

Living With Flooding sets out advice to stop or mitigate flooding and says minor adaptions, such as installing a flood guard and raising the height of electrical sockets, can prevent damage or redu...

Arran’s MSP Kenneth Gibson is delighted that the SNP Government has awarded £3,612,000 to Arran Development Trust (ADT) through an Offer in Principle Grant from the Rural & Islands Housing Fund. This is the largest grant awarded to a community group from this fund.

The grant will be used as part of an £8.5 million financial package to provide 43...

Restrictions on the use of fireworks on private property across Scotland will be considered by a new review group.

The group will also consider changes to the times at which fireworks can be let off and look at options around the potential introduction of no-fireworks zones.

The Chair and full remit of the action group will be announced shortly.

Th...

Retailers who accept the return of single-use drinks containers could qualify for rates relief, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP has said. 

On 08 May, Ministers announced their plans for a Deposit Return Scheme which would see all shops that sell bottles or cans of drink reimburse customers 20p per returned container. 

As a re...