Dr. Richard McCready has been selected by local Labour Party members to be the prospective Scottish Labour and Co-operative Party candidate for Dundee City West at next year’s Scottish Parliament elections.  more >>>

Marlyn Glen MSP has received information from the Scottish Government showing that over 80 elderly people in total in Lochee have been emergency admissions to hospitals from falls in the past three years.

Ms. Glen said,

"NHS Tayside’s Falls Prevention and Bone Strategy helps to reintegrate back into the community those elderly people who have fallen and to minimise the occurence of further falls through exercise and improvements in bone health.

"Falls at home, resulting from conditions such as poorer vision, lesser mobility as well as osteoporosis, can contribute to injuries that might have been prevented.

"Elderly people can suffer consequences that are both physical such as fractures and hypothermia, and psychological , such as loss of dignity and independence."

Ms. Glen added that the British Geriatric Society had indicated that falls affect almost one in three of those aged over 65 and half of those aged over 80, and that they are a major reason for hospital attendance and admission amongst the elderly.

Falls and fragility fractures are both linked with illness and mortality, she said, and the estimated cost of the care of fragility care to health and social services is over £2billion in the UK.

396 unemployed in Lochee

Cost of unemployment in Dundee estimated at £40 million a year

The latest numbers of those unemployed in Lochee is 396 ( made up of 179 in Lochee East and 217 in Lochee West). The figures refer to July of this year.

Present levels of unemployment in Dundee could be costing around £40 million a year, according to Marlyn Glen MSP.

An answer to her recent Parliamentary Question indicates that in July last month there were 5,094 people in the city claiming unemployment-related benefits.

Academic research suggests that the cost of unemployment per person is roughly between £8,000 and £9,000 a year.

Ms. Glen said

"People contribute to benefits through their taxation and national insurance payments.

" In these tough times, the money would be far better spent in providing productive work that matches the skills and talents of those who have lost their jobs and so get them back into the labour market.

"This would support the city’s economy.

" However, coming cuts in government expenditure will damage both the public and the private sectors and put the recovery at risk which in turn will cost us more in the long term."

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27 August 2010

Councillor Tom Ferguson, during his surgery in the Whorterbank area of Lochee was approached by several tenants regarding the present condition of the multis, with particular concerns relating to security, cleanliness and various forms of anti-social behaviour currently existing and emerging.

Councillor Tom Ferguson said "I have been dealing with this today and have contacted various Council Departments regarding these issues, presenting them with a list of possible ways to improve the blocks, such as camera protection and progression to a safer and more comfortable way of living for these tenants.

"These concerns are now being attended to by the formulation of Multi Storey Improvement Groups that have carried out assessments with tenants and related Groups, which I believe, have uncovered certain, problematic areas.

"I have been promised that these issues will be dealt with through this programme.

"I truly believe that these Groups will deliver positive results, but that any improvements have to be sustainable in the long-term and not just a "quick fix"

"If need be, involving enforceable action so that the tenants can have peace and normality in their lives.

"I have requested sight of the Minutes of any Officer meetings on improving these buildings and have also ascertained that the Housing Department is on-course for an Improvement Programme almost immediately with a series of discussions with tenants and the public which will, hopefully, lead to a successful outcome for our long suffering multi tenants.

"I will be monitoring this situation and am prepared to give any assistance I can where possible.

"These programmes are being taken very seriously by the Housing Department and I sincerely hope that nothing corporate is put in the way of their full implementation."

Numbers claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance in the Lochee area in May 2010.

22 July 2010

Jim McGovern MP for Dundee West met today, alongside Dr Richard Wilson CEO of TIGA, with the Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore to discuss the decision made by the coalition to scrap the planned tax relief for the computer games industry.

This follows a question put to the Secretary of State by Mr McGovern in the House of Commons on Wednesday (21^st July).

Speaking about the meeting Mr McGovern said;

"I am pleased that the Secretary of State for Scotland has agreed to meet with me and Dr Richard Wilson, CEO of TIGA.

"This has taken some time to come about after numerous questions were asked in Parliament and after pressure coming from the industry; nonetheless it is encouraging that the government finally seems to be taking this issue seriously.

"This comes off the back of news that Abertay University in my constituency will be given £5m from the Treasury to invest in its computer games courses.

"However, this is only the start of what must be a wider change in government policy towards the industry.

"After the meeting it is clear that government are as yet unwilling to back the computer games industry with this much needed tax incentive.

" I believe that the government have already agreed in principle with providing tax incentives to specific industries, from film to the oil industry, why not the computer games industry?

"The fact remains that if jobs are forced to move out of the country then extremely talented and dedicated professionals from the UK will go with them; that is unacceptable for my constituency and for the industry as a whole.

"The decision to scrap the Games Tax Relief was taken by the Chancellor, George Osborne.

"That is why I am asking for a meeting with him to discuss that decision and to discuss how we can go forward to provide the support that the computer games industry needs.

"I am asking the Chancellor to explain in detail the decision to scrap the tax relief, whether or not the Treasury has made an assessment of the impact of that decision on the industry, and what he meant when he said the tax relief was ‘poorly targeted’."

Mr McGovern concluded;

"I will continue to put pressure on the government until we have those answers, and I think it is appropriate for the industry and my constituents that this is done in a face to face meeting with the Chancellor."

"In the budget the Chancellor decided to scrap plans, proposed by the Labour Chancellor Alistair Darling, to introduce a tax relief for the computer games industry.

"The Treasury estimated this would cost £50m a year to the tax payer.

"The film industry, which contributes very similar amounts to the UK economy, will continue to receive tax incentives costing the tax payer £110m a year.

"The Government has not explained why two very similar industries should be treated so differently.

"Dundee boasts 500 jobs in and around the computer games industry, making it an important employer and crucial to the local economy; competition from countries like Canada, who have introduced tax incentives to entice games developers to set up there, has driven calls for the government to allow the UK computer games industry to become more competitive in the global market."

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