October 2010

Marlyn Glen MSP has received information from the Scottish Government showing that over 30 elderly people in total in Charleston 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.

Ed Miliband and Iain Gray : United in Our Values

A report by the Scottish Local Government Forum against Poverty has revealed that cuts in benefits by the UK Coalition Government will take away between £17 and 21 million a year from claimants in Dundee.

Thousands across the city will be hit.

The figures come from a report from the Scottish Local Government Forum Against Poverty and from Rights Advice Scotland entitled "People, Councils, The Economy".

It details the effects of the UK Government’s changes in the benefit system from now until 2014/15 for every local authority area in Scotland.

The major benefits were selected for study were :

Housing Benefit, Disability Living Allowance, and Incapacity Benefit/ Severe Disablement Allowance

It forecasts the following annual losses in Dundee -

More than 75% of 2,820 claimants will be affected by total annual losses of approximately £1,281,000

Total number of claimants (11,290) will be cut by 20% leading to annual losses of £8,521,401

Total number of claimants (8,620) will be cut leading to annual losses in the range of £4,894,836 - £8,503,040

5,094 Jobseekers Allowance recipients will lose £242,756 annually

3,470 Carers Allowance recipients will lose £164,200 annually

4,790 Attendance Allowance recipients will lose £265,928 annually

16,725 families receiving Child Benefit for 27,185 children will lose £3,768,697 (£2,392,133

if CPI used) over the course of 3-year freeze (pro rata £1,256,232 each year)

1,740 Employment Support Allowance recipients will lose £101,338 annually

7,050 Income Support recipients will lose £410,592 annually

7,500 Incapacity Benefit recipients will lose £378,308 annually

Marlyn Glen MSP said :

" Benefits payments have been hit by this "tax and axe" Budget , making many vulnerable people much worse off.

"The sharp rise in VAT of £400 a year for a typical household , will hit the poorest members of society most since it accounts for the largest amount of their tax expenditure.

"Public expenditure contracts, the source of much of the work that the private sector depends upon, is being hit badly, and it fuels fears of a double-dip recession that will put many more out of work."

Jim McGovern MP commented,

"The findings of this report are disturbing but not surprising.

"Since the election we have been saying that the Tory ideological cuts will harm the poorest worst

"This report confirms that."

"Whilst this new government allows the bankers that got us into this position away unscathed they are targeting the weakest and most vulnerable in our society.

"It is cities like Dundee that will suffer most.

"That is completely unacceptable.

"I will be continuing to raise these problems in Parliament, and I will do what I can to oppose the Tories

and the damage their cuts agenda will have on my constituents."

250 unemployed in the Charleston area 

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

The latest numbers of those unemployed in the Charleston area is 250.

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."

read more >>>

Numbers claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance in the Charleston and Lochee areas 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."

You can share this web page with others on social networking sites , or post it to your online profile, or send it to a friend, by clicking on the "Share This" link immediately below.