ADAM PRAISES NHS GRAMPIAN SUCCESS IN MEETING CANCER TARGETS

Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North has today welcomed new data published today which show NHS Grampian has surpassed its target of beginning treatment for 95% of cancer patients within 62 days.

The statistics showed that from April to June 2009 96.4% of cancer patients had begun treatment within 62 days of referral. Across Scotland an average of 95.7% of referred patients diagnosed with cancer during April -June 2009 began treatment within 2 months (62 days).

Mr Adam said:
“I am delighted people in the North East are being treated within the designated time frame of 2 months.
“This is much improved from the same period in 2007 where only 87.2% of people were treated within the 62 days targets.

“Services are now being properly funded by the Scottish Government which is helping to deliver these improvements.
Mr Adam continued:
“I would also like to congratulate the dedicated staff who have worked hard to improve treatment times, and I look forward to their continued success in the future.”

Ends
Notes:
1. The IDS statistics can be found here http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/6055.html

ADAM WELCOMES TOWN REGENERATION FUNDS FOR ABERDEEN

Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North has today welcomed the announcement from Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil that Aberdeen is set to receive £1,258,531 from the Scottish Government’s £60 million Town Centre Regeneration Fund.

£686,031 will be spent on improvements in Mastrick, Peterculter, Cults, Rosemount and a further award of £572,500 will go to helping business in Torry.

The Mastrick area, which is in Mr Adam’s constituency, will receive money towards increasing access for cars, parking provision, repairing and improving the built environment, including play equipment, as well as extending the CCTV provision.

Mr Adam said:

“I am delighted that the Scottish Government has awarded over £1.25 million to make improvements in Aberdeen.

“The support for retail centres in the city communities such as Mastrick in my constituency is very welcome. 

“The recession has hit all areas of the economy and the enhancements are well timed to make these centres accessible and more attractive areas to visit as well as shop.

“I look forward particularly to the transformation at Mastrick shops where constituents have raised with me the issue of uneven pavements which have been causing problems, particularly to the elderly.

“The extra money to extend the CCTV will create safer communities, which I hope will encourage both businesses and shoppers back to these sites.

Mr Adam continued:

“This shows once more that the Scottish Government is delivering for Aberdeen, helping our businesses through this recession and making improvements to our communities."

 
Ends

Notes:

1.Aberdeen won two awards:

1. Safer Places Improved Spaces, £686,031 The project aims to make the town centres safer, more attractive and more accessible, and aims to encourage job creation.  Specifically: increased parking in Rosemount; demolition and replacement of public toilet with recycling centre, and increased parking.

2. Retail Rocks: £572,500 Retail Rocks! will take vacant retail units in Torry and transform them into vibrant retail business providing much needed and evidenced amenity shopping as well as specialist retailing to develop a new customer base for Torry.  Retail Rocks is a competition.

ADAM CALLS FOR COMPENSATION OF RAIL SEASON TICKETS AFFECTED BY FLOODS

Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North has today written to First ScotRail asking them to compensate season ticket holders for lost days due to last weeks flooding.

Both the Aberdeen to Dundee and Aberdeen to Inverness lines were disrupted from Sunday the 1^st of November and for the next week due to flooding.  Though replacement bus services were made available, many rail users had to find alternative transport.

Mr Adam said:

“I have already put down parliamentary questions to look at whether network rail could have been better prepared for flooding on these tracks but we also need to address the effects it has had on individuals trying to get to and from Aberdeen.

“That is why I have today written to First ScotRail asking whether in a measure of goodwill to their passengers they will compensate season ticket holders.

“We need to keep rail travel as a popular choice for commuters coming to Aberdeen.  This will help reduce congestion and waiting times in the city for those who have to travel by car and also help lower our carbon emissions. 

Mr Adam continued:

“The long delays and disruptions that users faced last week are likely to discourage people who are thinking of making the switch from road to rail and make many current users question whether it is worth their money.  I hope that First ScotRail will recognise this and compensate season ticket holders.”

 

Ends

Notes:

1.      Mr Adam’s letter to First Scot Rail

Dear Mr Montgomery

As you will have been aware there was considerable disruption to both the Aberdeen to Dundee and Aberdeen to Inverness rail lines from Sunday the 1^st of November and for the next week.

Both these routes are used by commuters coming to work in businesses in Aberdeen who had to deal with significant delays to the replacement bus services and many of whom were forced to find alternative transport over this period.

Will you therefore compensate season ticket holders for the days lost when they next go to purchase a renewal for their season ticket as an act of good faith on behalf of First Scot Rail, and to encourage others to continue choosing the train over the car.

Further are you satisfied with the alternative service that you provided during this period and what lessons have you learned from the experience of the last week to ensure that First ScotRail is better prepared to deal an unexpected closure of these lines in the future?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Brian Adam MSP
Aberdeen North

ADAM CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION OF FLOODING ON RAIL LINES NORTH AND SOUTH OF ABERDEEN

Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North has lodged parliamentary questions seeking to find out how often and for how long, disruptions have been caused on the Aberdeen to Inverness and Aberdeen to Dundee lines due to flooding.

After the heavy rains of November 1st, a landslide at Montrose caused the line to Dundee to close and to the north of the Aberdeen the Inverness line was also closed between Elgin and Huntly.  Both have yet to return to return to a full timetable.

The latest disruptions came after the Aberdeen to Dundee lines was closed on the 25th of October, the previous weekend, also due to flooding.

Mr Adam said:

“This is the second week in the row that trains have been cancelled and delayed due to flooding.

“We have had a full business week of distribution which no doubt will have resulted in a cost to our economy as meetings would have been cancelled, people have arrived at work late and have had to leave early as well as putting off tourists making the trip by rail to the towns and cities on these routes. 

“We are trying to encourage more people to move from road to rail to help meet our climate change targets but repetitive and extensive closure of these important lines will only hinder those efforts.

“Not only are rail users being affected but those who live close to the line, including some of my constituents are feeling the consequences of these floods, as the lines fail to clear the water

Mr Adam continued:

“While accepting that no-one can predict with full accuracy when we will get heavy rain and floods, I have asked these question to find out whether this has been a regular problem and one therefore that Network Rail should have been working to resolve long ago."

Ends

Notes:

        1.      Mr Adam’s questions
S3W-28700 Brian Adam: To ask the Scottish Executive how many times and for how long rail services between Aberdeen and Dundee and Aberdeen and Inverness were disrupted by flooding in each of the last five years.

S3W-28701 Brian Adam: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed with Network Rail and landowners remedies for the repeated disruption to rail services between Aberdeen and Inverness and Aberdeen and Dundee due to flooding.

S3W-28702 Brian Adam: To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received on the effects of flooding on land and homes adjacent to railway lines in the north east.

ADAM CHALLENGES RICHARD BAKER TO PROVE CLAIM THAT POOL FUNDING UNDER THREAT

Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North has today challenged Labour MSP Richard Baker to prove his claims that the £5 million of funding for the Aberdeen 50 metre pool is in question.

In today’s Press and Journal it says:

 “North East Labour MSP Richard Baker said that [the £5 million funding from the Scottish Government for the 50 metre pool] was still in question.  He added: … “But surely we will have to see a similar level of investment in the north and north-east in the future, otherwise there will be that accusation again that they are forgetting the north and north-east.”

However there has been no indication whatsoever that the £5 million of funding for the 50 metre pool in Aberdeen is under threat.  And this nearly matches the £5.5 million that was announced yesterday for Fife and Tayside, showing that the SNP are investing in sport in the North East as well as right across Scotland.

This is the third time in 3 days that Richard Baker has been caught out having accused the Scottish Government of ‘ripping off’ Aberdeen on Monday, despite the SNP increasing funding for local authorities year on year and today scoring another own goal on the SNP delivering funding for 1000 extra police officers for Scotland.

Mr Adam said:

“Richard Baker should know full well that the Aberdeen 50 metre pool is to receive £5 million of funding from the Scottish Government, through SportScotland to build a facility to serve the whole of the North East.

 “When he asks to see similar investment to that announced yesterday for Tayside and Fife in the North East has he completely forgotten how the new pool in Aberdeen is being paid for. 

 “Where is his proof in today’s allegation that the money for the pool is under threat, how can he substantiate this claim.

 “All he has done is show once more that we cannot trust Labour politicians on getting their facts rights

 Mr Adam continued:

 “It is the third time in three days he has been caught out.  He has been wrong on local government finance, wrong on police funding and now wrong on funding for the pool.

“He is a Labour MSP who would threaten funding to Aberdeen because Labour wants to reinstate the Glasgow Airport Rail Link. He already voted to waste over half a billion on trams in Edinburgh. The questions that need answered are from Richard Baker. What does he want cut to pay for GARL?"

Ends

 Notes:

 1.   The Press and Journal article can be found here: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1468104?UserKey=

 2.   In Monday’s Aberdeen edition of the Press and Journal Mr Baker  accused the SNP of ‘ripping off’ Aberdeen City Council despite official figures showing that at 34.1% of the overall Scottish budgets this year the SNP has improved the situation from the 33.4% in 2007-08, the last budget of the previous administration.