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  Hyslop Calls on Tories to Condemn Family Cap and Rape Clause Following today’s Scottish Parliament debate on Child Tax Credit Cuts, Fiona Hyslop MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency is calling on all Tory MSPs to oppose the shocking and inhumane two child limit and rape clause.    The family cap limits tax credits to only two children per family – unless the mother can prove that a third child was conceived as a result of rape or during an abusive relationship. Fiona said; “The Tory policy that has become known as the rape clause, requiring women to disclose deeply personal information and prove that a third or subsequent child was conceived as a result of rape in order to claim tax credits, is both disgraceful and disgusting.   “The Conservatives at…

Fiona Hyslop Comments on Blackburn local Employment Scheme Commenting on the recent developments at Blackburn Local Employment Scheme with regards to funding, Fiona Hyslop MSP said: “As the local Constituency MSP I met with Blackburn Local Employment Scheme (BLES) on October 3rd to hear how I could help and assist them with the financial issues they were having. I wrote to the Employability Minister Jamie Hepburn on October 14th after speaking with Skills Development Scotland about BLES. One of the key issues is that BLES wanted to switch funding for training between 16 and 17 year olds and 18 year olds and over and I enquired about the flexibility of transfer funding between the two groups in the short term. “I understand that BLES believe that their Employability Funding was reduced in 2016/17, but in…

Hyslop Encourages Residents to Attend Airport Meeting Local Constituency MSP for Linlithgow, Fiona Hyslop is urging local residents in Winchburgh to attend a meeting with Edinburgh Airport on Wednesday 19th April at Winchburgh Church in Millgate at 7pm to have their concerns on airport flight paths addressed. Fiona said; “Since the start of the year I have received a number of emails from constituents in Winchburgh raising their concerns about Edinburgh Airport’s current flight path consultation. Particularly as the original airport postcode checker said that they would not be in the original design envelope consultation. “I have met and written to Edinburgh Airport recently to discuss the concerns my constituents have regarding their proposed and preferred flight path routes and have encouraged my constituents to make their views known directly…

Royal Bank of Scotland Petition has over 350 signatures in One Week Local Constituency MSP Fiona Hyslop has said that her petition to keep the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Whitburn Branch open has received over 350 signatures in just one week. Fiona added; “The petition I started last week asking for signatures from local people and businesses who wanted to see the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Whitburn branch remain open has reached over 350 signatures in just one week. “46% of customers who use the Whitburn RBS branch do not use digital banking and may not have access to online services. Many of these people will be older people or those with young families who will find it difficult to make the four mile journey to the closest branch which…

Hyslop Welcomes Parliament Support for Scotland Choosing its own Future Local Constituency MSP Fiona Hyslop has welcomed the result of Tuesday’s (28th March) debate on Scotland’s Choice which saw a majority of MSPs voting in favour of giving the people of Scotland the choice of whether to vote in favour of a hard Brexit or to be an Independent Country. Fiona, who spoke in the chamber opening the second day of debate for the Scottish Government, said; “It is entirely right that this decision on Scotland’s future should be made by the people of Scotland and following Tuesday’s debate, the Scottish Parliament now has the democratic right to open discussions with the UK Government to enable an independence referendum to be held. It would be undemocratic, indefensible and completely unsustainable…

  Hyslop Organises Petition to Keep RBS Whitburn Open Local Constituency MSP, Fiona Hyslop is organising a petition, backed by local SNP Councillors Mary Dickson and Jim Dickson, to keep the Royal Bank of Scotland Building in Whitburn open. This is following the news that RBS plan to close the bank on Whitburn’s Main Street in the next 6 months. Fiona said; “The Royal Bank of Scotland Building in Whitburn is in the heart of the town offering easy banking access to the increasing number of older residents in Whitburn who live and shop locally. “46% of customers who use the Whitburn RBS branch do not use digital banking and many of these customers may be older people or parents with young children who older cannot always make the four…

Hyslop Opposes Whitburn RBS Closure Fiona Hyslop MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency has written to Royal Bank of Scotland opposing their decision to close their Whitburn Branch. Fiona said, “I have contacted RBS to express my concerns about the closure of their Whitburn Branch. “The Royal Bank of Scotland Building in Whitburn is in the heart of the town offering easy banking access to the increasing number of older residents in Whitburn who live and shop locally. “46% of customers who use the Whitburn RBS branch do not use digital banking and many of these customers may be older people or parents with young children who older cannot always make the four mile journey to the closest RBS Branch in Bathgate. “I have asked for a meeting with RBS to…

Hyslop Comment on Johnston and Johnston Plant Closure “I am very saddened to hear that Johnson and Johnson has announced that it is entering consultation with staff on the potential closure of its Ethicon facility in Livingston, putting around 400 local jobs at risk. Although the plant is in the Almond Valley Constituency, I expect that constituents in my constituency will be affected. “I am aware that the First Minister, Business Minister Paul Wheelhouse and the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, have been engaging with Johnson and Johnson, along with enterprise agencies, to identify every possible support for the business.  This work has been detailed and intensive, exploring what can be done both to help address and understand immediate business challenges, and to look at the…

Fiona Hyslop Welcomes Transport Minister to West Lothian Local Constituency MSP, Fiona Hyslop invited the Minister for Transport and Islands, Humza Yousaf MSP to West Lothian to show the Minister West Lothian’s many transport links. Fiona drove the Transport Minister from the new railway station in Armadale, through the A801 Avon Gorge Road and passed through the Winchburgh Development. Fiona commented; “As well as the new Forth Crossing scheduled to open later this year and two of the busiest roads in Scotland (the M8 and M9), I also have two of the most used train lines running through my constituency. and I was pleased to have the opportunity to discuss local transport matters with the Minister this morning. (8th March) “I took the Minister to see the A801 Avon Gorge…

Hyslop Welcomes Record NHS Staff Levels with 10.2% increase in last 10 Years Fiona Hyslop MSP for the Linlithgow Constituency has welcomed new figures published this week (7th March) revealing that the number of staff working in NHS Lothian has risen by 10.2% over the last 10 years. At the end of 2016, there was over 20,085 staff working with NHS Lothian and an overall headcount of 162,302 staff across NHS Scotland, with nearly 1,000 of these staff members recruited in the last year.  In the same year, health spending per head was 7.2% higher in Scotland compared to England, where the health service has been described by the Red Cross as facing a “humanitarian crisis”.   Commenting, Fiona said; “Ten years of SNP Government has produced 12,200 more staff…