Welcome to the web site of Ross Finnie MSP

This site is designed to give news and information about the issues that I am involved in as a Liberal Democrat MSP for the West of Scotland. My electoral region of the West of Scotland covers the constituencies of Clydebank and Milnigavie, Cunningham North, Dumbarton, Eastwood, Greenock and Inverclyde, Paisley North, Paisley South, Strathkelvin and Bearsden and West Renfrewshire.

I have taken up a large number of Issues since I was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999; I was a Cabinet Minister for the first two terms (1999-2007) principally as Minister for Environment and Rural Development. I am currently the Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary for Health in the Scottish Parliament and deputy Convenor of the Parliament's Health and Sports Committee. This means that Environment, Health and Rural matters are amongst my key interests, alongside the wide range of issues which constituents raise with me as Regional List MSP. Some of the current issues include:-

• Tackling alcohol abuse in the West of Scotland by implementing a Liberal Democrat action plan including a sustained government education/advertising campaign to challenged cultural norms, a crackdown on rogue retailers who continue to sell alcohol to minors. An end to the deep discounting and cheap promotions of alcohol products in all off sales and supermarkets. Compulsory labelling requirements for alcohol products instead of the current voluntary agreement with the drinks industry and a reduction in the drink driving limit to 50 mg.

• Continuing to campaign against the Governments misguided proposal to stigmatise all young people between 18 and 21 years old from buying alcohol from an off sales.

• Backing calls for the public inquiry into the devastating C Diff outbreak at the Vale of Leven Hospital to extend to the whole of Scotland.

• Supporting James Watt College and its management team in their efforts to restore James Watt to one of the best colleges of further education in Scotland.

• Supporting calls for further investment at Inverclyde Royal Hospital and the Vale of Leven Hospital so that they can effectively serve their local communities and end NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's ridiculous obsession with centralising services at the Royal Alexandra Hospital Paisley.

• Supporting calls for a "Vision Zero" policy to be introduced across Scotland to drastically reduce the number of children killed in road accidents.

• Calling for fuel parity across the West of Scotland, as it is unfair that some parts of the West of Scotland pay up to 5p more a litre than other constituencies.

• Campaigning against the proposed new coal fired power plant at Hunterston which the SNP Government will be content to approve if the 1600MW Power Station contains Carbon Capture Storage covering 25% of the plant at the outset. Meaning that at least 1300MW of its CO2 emissions will be unabated for the next ten to fifteen years. The Liberal Democrats are in support of Carbon Capture technology but feel it should be tested on existing coal plants thus restricting the increase of CO2 emissions, not create a new power plant creating new unabated CO2 emissions.

• Campaigning against NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's absurd plans to move Inverclyde and Vale of Leven Community Maternity Units to an on-call service at nights and weekends. The proposals are completely incompatible with the health boards promise to promote and increase usage of the CMU's. Answers to Parliamentary Questions have also shown that the planned changed to an on-call service is not based on evidence as the majority of babies born in Inverclyde and the Vale of Leven were born outside the hours of 9am to 5pm.

• Continues to campaign for the long term retention of the League of Hospital Friends Tea Bar which is staffed by a rota of 60 voluntary workers and serves tea, coffee, rolls and a variety of healthy eating options. The service has been in existence for 36 years and has used its profits to refurbish the cafeteria, fund a volunteer hospital transport system and pay for additional medical equipment at the hospital. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are proposing evicting this wonderful charity to replace it with their own aroma styled café.

• Continues to campaign against NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's plans to move 30 continuing care beds to a new site at Blawarthill. With St Margaret's Hospice losing funding for its continuing care provision from 2013 threatening its long term future. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde doesn't need extra care beds at Blawarthill and the Liberal Democrats will continue to campaign against these ludicrous proposals to threaten the long term future of this wonderful hospice.

If you wish to contact me on any issue, please email ross.finnie.msp@scottish.parliament.uk or contact me at my constituency office on 01475805020

Best Wishes

Ross Finnie MSP

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