Alison Thewliss

Alison Thewliss MP supports Summer Reading Challenge

by

Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, is supporting a campaign run by Scottish libraries, Tesco Bank and The Reading Agency to encourage children to take part in this year’s Tesco Bank Summer Reading Challenge Scotland.

The annual Tesco Bank Summer Reading Challenge Scotland, run by national charity The Reading Agency in partnership with Scotland’s libraries and Tesco Bank, encourages children to read at least six books of their choosing over the summer holidays, a time when children’s literacy skills traditionally dip. This year the initiative follows on naturally from the inaugural First Minister’s Reading Challenge which runs during term time, helping to contribute to a continuation of children’s reading in the break from school.

Research shows that reading for pleasure is a more powerful factor in life achievement than socio-economic background, and that children who use libraries are twice as likely to be above average readers.

The Challenge is a unique partnership between The Reading Agency and public libraries across the UK which last year got over three quarters of a million children borrowing, reading and talking about their favourite books.

This year’s challenge theme is Animal Agents, based on a detective agency staffed by all kinds of clever animals – furry, scaly and slippery – who are out to crack a case with a little help from their friends. Tony Ross, the UK’s best-selling children’s illustrator (including creator of the Little Princess books, illustrator of the Horrid Henry series by Francesca Simon, and books by David Walliams and Claire Balding), has created this year’s exclusive artwork.

To take part, all children need to do is to head to their local library where they will be given a collector folder to keep a record of their reading journey. Children that read at least six library books over the summer, will collect stickers which will give them helpful clues to crack the case and help the Animal Agents find out what’s really been going on!

Alison Thewliss MP said: “I hope parents, grandparents and carers in Glasgow will take their children to the library over the summer to sign up for the Tesco Bank Summer Reading Challenge Scotland. The challenge is free, inclusive and makes reading fun – a vital ingredient in building literacy.’

Sue Wilkinson, CEO of The Reading Agency said: “At The Reading Agency, we believe that everything changes when we read and we know from our research how much fun families and children have when taking part in the Challenge. This year we hope the wonderful characters created for us by Tony Ross will inspire more children than ever to take part and make use of their local library throughout the summer and beyond.”

Adele Mills, Senior Community Investment Manager at Tesco Bank said: “Reading for pleasure is one of the best ways to spend the long summer holiday so we’re delighted that over 40,000 children from across the country will get involved in the Tesco Bank Summer Reading Challenge Scotland through their local library. The Challenge aims to inspire children to pick up and enjoy reading books – something that will undoubtedly have a positive effect on their future.”

For more information on the Summer Reading Challenge including how to get involved and resources for schools, go to www.readingagency.org.uk/summerreadingchallenge

Follow the Summer Reading Challenge at www.facebook.com/SummerReadingChallengeUK and on Twitter @readingagency #summerreadingchallenge

Local MP slams callous decision to close Bridgeton JobCentre

by
Alison Thewliss MP sitting at her desk in Parliament

Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, has condemned today’s (Thursday) decision by the UK Government’s to close Bridgeton JobCentre, leaving only one JobCentre office in the East End of Glasgow.

The UK Government published a statement confirming that Bridgeton JobCentre, along with 6 other JobCentres in Glasgow, will be closed from 31st March 2018. The statement was released shortly after the responses to the Government’s consultation on the closure of the JobCentre were published, which demonstrated significant opposition to the closure proposals. 64% of the responses expressed concerns that local services in Bridgeton would suffer as a result of closing Bridgeton JobCentre and that jobseekers would find it more difficult to make ends meet due to increased travel costs to other JobCentres.

Glasgow has been targeted disproportionate cuts to DWP offices, with over 50% of the DWP estate, including JobCentres and support offices, earmarked for closure by the UK Government. Local Jobseekers will now need to travel over three miles to attend appointments at Shettleston JobCentre – something that 79% of consultation responses highlighted as a concern in their submissions to the Government’s own consultation.

The decision will also put considerable pressure on JobCentre staff – the full extent of which is unclear as Ministers have previously admitted, in responses to written questions tabled by Ms Thewliss, that they do not know how many people currently use Bridgeton JobCentre.

Commenting on the decision, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“The UK Government’s decision to close Bridgeton JobCentre is yet another slap in the face to the East End of Glasgow. For constituents who are already struggling, paying bus fares to get to mandatory JobCentre appointments will be an extra burden. Increased travel times will also put people at increased risk of falling foul of the Tories’ brutal sanctions regime.

“Ministers have admitted that they have no idea how many people rely on Bridgeton JobCentre, and not a single Minister visited Bridgeton JobCentre before the decision was taken to close it. Now they have decided to ignore the results of the consultation and sneak out a written statement on the closures, denying MPs an opportunity to hold Ministers to account in Parliament.

“Today’s callous decision shows that the Tories will continue to treat the people of Glasgow with contempt. I will be making every effort to bring Ministers to the despatch box to account for this poorly thought out and ill-informed decision and explain why they have not listened to the overwhelming evidence presented in their own consultation.”

Campaigning MP: Tories must scrap cruel benefits cap

by
Alison Thewliss MP sitting at her desk in Parliament

Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, has today called on the Tory Government to scrap its cruel and unfair household benefits cap, after a High Court judgement ruled that the cap was causing severe hardship to single parent families.

In a damning judgement on the cap, which restricts income obtained from benefits to £20,000 for households in Scotland, Mr Justice Collins stated that “real misery is being caused to no good purpose” in the ongoing implementation of the benefit cap. The judgement ruled that the cap should not apply to single parents with children under two, who would find it “impossible” to obtain exemption from the cap.

Following the announcement of the decision by the High Court, Ms Thewliss is now calling on the Tory Government to drop their appeal to the decision and abolish the benefit cap entirely.

Speaking after today’s decision by the court, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“Today’s judgement is yet another damning indictment on the Tories’ cruel and callous approach to reforming social security.

“It’s clear from the judgement handed down today that the Tories’ reforms are causing untold misery and plunging thousands of hard-working families into poverty. Far from helping those just about managing families that Theresa May is so fond of talking about, it’s clear from today’s judgement that Tory policies are hurting those very people the Prime Minister claims that she wants to help.

“It’s high time that Theresa May and the Tories recognised the real and serious damage that they are inflicting on families across Scotland. If they are truly serious about helping families that are just about making ends meet, they should honour today’s decision and ditch the unfair restrictions on benefits immediately.”

Alison Thewliss MP supports campaign to revolutionise Parkinson’s research

by

This Parkinson’s Awareness Week Alison Thewliss, SNP MP for Glasgow Central, has pledged their support to the charity Parkinson’s UK’s We Won’t Wait campaign, calling for urgent action to unlock the promise of research developments that could pave the way to better treatments and stop Parkinson’s drugs ‘falling behind’.

Alison Thewliss MP said;

“While great strides have been made over the past 200 years, people with Parkinson’s are still waiting for a treatment that can tackle the condition head on.

“Because of this, I am supporting Parkinson’s UK’s We Won’t Wait campaign: we need a complete step change to deliver better treatments and a cure faster.”

Research released by the charity revealed that despite being an incurable, degenerative condition which can affect anyone, in Scotland:

• Almost half (48%) of people are unsure, or wrongly say that it is possible to prevent Parkinson’s.
• Four in five (83%) are unsure, or incorrectly think that there is no limit to the amount of time Parkinson’s medication works for.
• Two in three (65%) wrongly believe that Parkinson’s medication does more than mask or ease the symptoms of the condition.

Parkinson’s UK wants to drive forward crucial developments in Parkinson’s research and to pioneer more effective treatments that are desperately needed for the 11,000 people in Scotland currently living with the condition.

Commenting on Alison Thewliss MP’s pledge, Katherine Crawford, Scotland Director at Parkinson’s UK said;

“We are delighted that Alison Thewliss MP is supporting our crucial campaign to transform Parkinson’s research. People with Parkinson’s across Scotland are telling us that they need access to new and better treatments to improve their lives, and ultimately a cure for this cruel condition.”

Two child policy and rape clause comes into force

by

A two child limit and rape clause for tax credits came into force today, which a campaigning MP says will unleash untold chaos and poverty for ‘just about managing families’ and rape survivors.

In July 2015, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announced in his summer budget plans to slash child tax credit payments to just two children per family and implement a ‘non-consensual sex exemption’, dubbed the rape clause.

The new policy, which came into force at midnight last night, requires tax credit claimants, whose third or subsequent child was conceived as a result of rape, to prove this to social workers and health professionals in order to qualify for the exemption.

Faith leaders, women’s welfare groups, trade unions and child poverty campaigners have all condemned the policy, with many sexual violence support charities refusing to act as third party verifiers for the Government.

Alison Thewliss MP – who first uncovered the policy – said:

“Today the UK government stooped to a new low, even by their austerity obsessed standards. Minister are now unleashing untold chaos and poverty for some of the most vulnerable women and families in this country – indeed, the very “just about managing” families Theresa May spoke about upon taking office as Prime Minister.

“As of midnight last night, a two child limit on child tax credits and universal credit – which is tantamount to social engineering – came into force. It largely penalises families who are already in work, so this has very little to do with reducing the welfare bill but is, instead, an ideological attack on the lowest earning families in our society.

“Independent analysis shows that the two child limit alone will mean a loss of up to £2,800 every year per child for hardworking families. If you had a third child at 11.59pm last night, over the next 18 years you could be £50,000 better off than a family whose third child was born a minute later.

“Analysis also shows that well over 200,000 children will now move into relative poverty as a result of this deeply flawed two child limit. We should be reducing child poverty, not adding hundreds of thousands more to this miserable statistic.

“What’s most horrifying is the rape clause, which is a vile policy in total chaos. Ministers are willing to give an exemption to those women whose third child was conceived as a result of rape, but they want them to prove this in a traumatic assessment from healthcare professionals and social workers. This is utterly appalling and will only seek to make rape survivors relive the trauma and brutality of the sexual violence they experienced at the hands of their perpetrator. It must be one of the most inhumane and barbaric policies ever to emanate from Whitehall.

“The rape clause has been found, even today, as being totally unworkable, with wholly inadequate guidance sneaked out during the night. There has been no proper sexual violence awareness training for healthcare professionals and social workers who’ve been asked to arbitrate on whether a woman’s child was conceived as a result of rape.

“Ministers have ducked and dived at every turn to try and avoid talking about this policy, presumably because they know it’s so unpalatable. The UK government railroaded this through Parliament using a statutory instrument which meant MPs couldn’t vote upon or debate it. It’s all well and good that the UK government has now conceded that this will need to be referred to a Delegated Legislation Committee when Parliament returns after the Easter recess. However, the fact remains, the policy is now live and will cause untold distress. The UK government must step in today and suspend this right now before serious damage is done.”

SNP politicians welcome rejection of city centre student accommodation proposal

by

Angus Millar, SNP Councillor for Anderston/City ward and Alison Thewliss, SNP MP for Glasgow Central, have today welcomed the decision by Glasgow City Councillors to reject a student accommodation development in Glasgow city centre.

Ms Thewliss and Cllr Millar, along with many other local residents and organisations, objected to the proposals to build a large student accommodation complex directly in front of Glasgow School of Art’s iconic Mackintosh building. A decision on the application was originally deferred on 7th March to allow a further hearing to take place and enable residents to voice further concerns about the proposed development.

Following the hearing this morning, councillors decided to reject the application entirely.

Commenting on the committee’s decision, Cllr Angus Millar said:

“I am delighted that this application has been refused, having attended the hearing this morning to argue against these proposals, which were overwhelmingly opposed by the community.

“The Mackintosh Building is a unique part of Glasgow’s cultural heritage and any development on this site must respect and enhance the character of the area – unlike these deeply damaging plans to throw up yet more private student accommodation.

“Communities in the city centre are all too clear that their areas are saturated with unwanted private student housing, instead of the kind of positive development and mixed communities we should be creating.

“I am so pleased to congratulate the Garnethill community, the Art School and all of the others opposed to these damaging plans for their brilliant success in persuading the council to refuse planning permission.

Commenting on the application, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“Like many others, I was pleased to learn today that yet another monolithic student development, which would dwarf an iconic part of Glasgow’s skyline, has been refused planning permission.

“The decision to reject this application is very much welcome. I am delighted that councillors have taken on board the views of residents at today’s hearing, which further exposed the folly of these plans and highlighted the significant misgivings the local community have about this wholly inappropriate development.

“Whilst today’s decision is excellent news for many residents, it’s clear that significant concerns remain about the saturation of student accommodation in the city centre. Currently there is no means of establishing the need for this type of accommodation, this must be addressed urgently through a comprehensive housing strategy.

“The SNP understands that Glasgow needs a mixed approach to housing; voting for SNP councillors on 4th May will deliver the high quality housing Glasgow needs for future generations to come.”

Alison Thewliss MP supports Bowel Cancer Awareness Month

by

Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central is supporting Bowel Cancer UK’s campaign to urge more people to take part in bowel cancer screening and save lives, as part of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in April.

More than 1,500 people die from bowel cancer in Scotland every year, it’s the country’s second biggest cancer killer.  However, it shouldn’t be. It’s treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed early. Bowel cancer screening can save lives but at the moment in some areas of the country only half of those who receive a test complete it. Thousands of people are missing out on the chance to detect bowel cancer early when it is easier to treat.

Alison Thewliss MP said, “I am committed to improving uptake rates for bowel cancer screening, both locally and nationally. Glasgow has one of the lowest uptakes of screening for bowel cancer and I would urge my constituents who are sent a bowel screening test to use it.  Taking part in bowel cancer screening is the best way to get diagnosed early.  If you are over 50, take the test when you receive it in the post. If you are younger, tell the people over 50 in your life to take the test. Early diagnosis really can save lives.”

Deborah Alsina, Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said, “I’d like to thank Alison Thewliss MP for supporting our campaign during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month to raise participation levels for bowel cancer screening. In Scotland, one in 15 men and one in 19 women will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime but it is treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed early.”

The Scotland Bowel Cancer Screening Programme can detect bowel cancer at an early stage in people with no symptoms when it is easier to treat. If you’re registered with a GP and aged 50-74, you will receive a test in the post every two years. You carry out the simple test at home in private and it comes with step by step instructions. The test looks for hidden blood in your poo, which could be an early sign of bowel cancer.

Campaigning MP welcomes Lords’ condemnation of rape clause

by
Alison Thewliss MP joins supporters at the launch of her campaign to scrap the rape clause

Campaigning MP, Alison Thewliss, has today welcomed the publication of a House of Lords’ Delegated Legislation Committee report which raises serious concerns about the UK Government’s two child policy and rape clause.

The Committee has called for the Regulations, which are due to be enacted in under a week, to be examined again by the House of Commons. According to the report, the Committee have “cast doubt as to whether the system will be fully set up by 6 April, when the legislation takes effect, and on whether the exception relating to non-consensual conception can ever be made to work.”

Members of the Committee have also rounded on the DWP’s inadequate provision of training for the rape clause third party reporting mechanism, saying that the DWP “takes no account of the training that may be necessary for the assessors eventually chosen.”

This shocking criticism highlights the poor preparations that Tory Ministers have put in place for the policy, with no training offered for the hundreds of thousands of nurses, doctors and social workers who will be expected to judge whether or not a woman’s child has been conceived as a result of rape.

Commenting on the report, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“With just days left until the two child policy and rape clause comes into force, the House of Lords’ Delegated Legislation Committee have highlighted a raft of serious flaws that are embedded within this pernicious and medieval policy.

“The cruelty of expecting benefit claimants to have to re-live the ordeal of a rape in order to access their benefits to help pay the bills and feed their family is undeniable. This report could not be any clearer – Tory Ministers’ plans for the two child policy and rape clause will not work, forcing vulnerable women to relive the ordeal of rape just to claim a benefit.

“With time ticking away, Ministers must now wake up to the warnings that the two child policy and rape clause are ill-thought-out and that they will cause unbearable hardship to families. It’s not too late for the UK Government to change tack and ditch this unworkable and medieval policy and I urge Ministers to do so now.”

Rubbish response from UK Government on post-Brexit waste and recycling policy

by

Two SNP MPs have criticised the UK Government’s lackadaisical attitude towards waste and recycling policy, as the UK today formally started the process of leaving the European Union.

SNP duo, Alison Thewliss and Calum Kerr have rounded on Tory Ministers, following a letter from Secretary of State, Sajid Javid. They say the Government was left “floundering” to explain which policies UK Councils will be expected to implement regarding waste and recycling after Britain leaves the EU.

SNP Local Government spokesperson, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“All 400 Councils across these islands have been working hard over many years to reduce waste and ensure that we send as little as possible to landfill. This has been good for our environment, and has transformed the way we deal with our resources. Our current EU membership provides local councils with clear guidance when it comes to important waste and recycling policies, yet all of this could soon be thrown on the Great Repeal Bill bonfire.

“Not for the first time, the rubbish response from the Secretary of State shows that this Government is absolutely floundering when it comes to the real detail of Brexit. Ministers obviously don’t have a clue what Councils will be asked to do, which has an impact on the decisions local authorities are making now about future investment in waste and recycling services.

“At the moment, the UK generates over 200 million tonnes of waste every year and we need to be doing more – much more – to reduce that figure if we’re to leave a better environment for the generations to come after us. Local authorities need more detail so they can plan for the future, not the usual recycled Brexit soundbites from the UK Government.

The SNP’s spokesperson on Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Calum Kerr MP said:

“Across all departments and at all levels of government, Brexit is sowing confusion. We recently learned from DEFRA that their long awaited 25 year plan for the environment has been shelved until after the UK leaves the EU. Yet a long-term strategic vision on environmental issues is more vital than ever.

“The EU has led the way in promoting the circular economy and setting ambitious waste reduction targets. This isn’t just red-tape: we know that prior to joining the ECC, Britain was known as the “dirty man of Europe”; there can be no return to that state of affairs.

“The refusal of the UK government to offer clarity and reassurance on the question of waste and recycling is yet another indication that it is prepared to pursue a reckless Brexit at any cost, with no plan for what comes next.”