That the Parliament acknowledges the frustration of bus passengers when services do not run to time; understands that the Scottish Government neither gathers information relating to bus punctuality nor data that differentiate between different operators; notes that Passenger Focus has both a statutory remit for bus users in England outside London and provides what it considers quality research data on buses by city, region and operator; understands that, although Passenger Focus has no statutory remit in Wales, it has carried out a bus survey for the Welsh Assembly Government using the same methodology as in England, and calls on the Scottish Government to commission and fully fund a Scotland-wide bus survey using the Passenger Focus methodology to enable passengers to compare the performance of their bus operators with those in other places and to act as a benchmark from which improvements can be measured.
Current Status:
That the Parliament acknowledges the frustration of bus passengers when services do not run to time; understands that the Scottish Government neither gathers information relating to bus punctuality nor data that differentiate between different operators; notes that Passenger Focus has both a statutory remit for bus users in England outside London and provides what it considers quality research data on buses by city, region and operator; understands that, although Passenger Focus has no statutory remit in Wales, it has carried out a bus survey for the Welsh Assembly Government using the same methodology as in England, and calls on the Scottish Government to commission and fully fund a Scotland-wide bus survey using the Passenger Focus methodology to enable passengers to compare the performance of their bus operators with those in other places and to act as a benchmark from which improvements can be measured.
Supported by: Drew Smith, Hanzala Malik, Hugh Henry, Iain Gray, Jackie Baillie, Alison Johnstone
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As an amendment to motion S4M-02639 in the name of Elaine Murray (Transport), leave out from second "notes" to end and insert "believes that successive Scottish administrations have failed both to provide the level of financial support necessary to maintain high quality and affordable bus transport in all communities and to adequately regulate the industry to ensure value for taxpayers’ money; recognises that bus fares in many parts of Scotland are now less affordable than train fares and even taxis in some circumstances; considers that fuel prices are likely to continue to rise and that this will create a greater need for high quality and affordable public transport as an alternative to private car use; notes the lack of any statutory body protecting the interests of bus passengers; believes that bus users' voices are not being adequately heard in the debate on bus transport; encourages bus passengers to publish their views through the http://betterbuses.org website; calls on the Scottish Government to reverse the cut in the Bus Service Operators Grant, ensure that overall public spending on bus services is adequate to protect services, jobs and fares and extend the remit of Passenger Focus in Scotland to bus users, and believes that new legislation is required to enable the regulation of bus services in Scotland to ensure sustainable and reliable bus services throughout the country."
Current Status:
As an amendment to motion S4M-02639 in the name of Elaine Murray (Transport), leave out from second "notes" to end and insert "believes that successive Scottish administrations have failed both to provide the level of financial support necessary to maintain high quality and affordable bus transport in all communities and to adequately regulate the industry to ensure value for taxpayers’ money; recognises that bus fares in many parts of Scotland are now less affordable than train fares and even taxis in some circumstances; considers that fuel prices are likely to continue to rise and that this will create a greater need for high quality and affordable public transport as an alternative to private car use; notes the lack of any statutory body protecting the interests of bus passengers; believes that bus users' voices are not being adequately heard in the debate on bus transport; encourages bus passengers to publish their views through the http://betterbuses.org website; calls on the Scottish Government to reverse the cut in the Bus Service Operators Grant, ensure that overall public spending on bus services is adequate to protect services, jobs and fares and extend the remit of Passenger Focus in Scotland to bus users, and believes that new legislation is required to enable the regulation of bus services in Scotland to ensure sustainable and reliable bus services throughout the country."
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That the Parliament welcomes Community Pubs Month, an initiative organised by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) that aims to champion the importance of local pubs; understands that this initiative, which runs throughout April 2012, aims to increase the footfall in local pubs and an awareness of them as invaluable community assets; further understands that it aims to encourage events in pubs and give them a PR boost; considers that independent pubs and breweries are important to Scotland’s communities and local economies; believes that, by focusing on quality instead of volume sales, such pubs tend to demonstrate a more responsible approach to alcohol; calls on the Scottish Government to consider what action it can take to support and protect independent pubs and breweries and to celebrate their success, and encourages pubs across Scotland to participate in Community Pubs Month.
Current Status:
That the Parliament welcomes Community Pubs Month, an initiative organised by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) that aims to champion the importance of local pubs; understands that this initiative, which runs throughout April 2012, aims to increase the footfall in local pubs and an awareness of them as invaluable community assets; further understands that it aims to encourage events in pubs and give them a PR boost; considers that independent pubs and breweries are important to Scotland’s communities and local economies; believes that, by focusing on quality instead of volume sales, such pubs tend to demonstrate a more responsible approach to alcohol; calls on the Scottish Government to consider what action it can take to support and protect independent pubs and breweries and to celebrate their success, and encourages pubs across Scotland to participate in Community Pubs Month.
Supported by: Mike MacKenzie, Jim Eadie, Paul Wheelhouse, Mark McDonald, Alison Johnstone, Liam McArthur, John Park, Jamie Hepburn, Helen Eadie, Hugh Henry, Stuart McMillan, Bill Kidd, John Mason, David Torrance, Gordon MacDonald, Drew Smith
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That the Parliament reaffirms Scotland's ambitious targets on climate change and renewable energy; considers that the private, public and third sectors, including co-operatives and community bodies, all have a role to play in developing a clean energy future for Scotland; is concerned by the growing perception that the renewables agenda is benefiting only big business, instead of serving the common good; believes that great public benefit could be achieved through the creation of public energy companies at local authority level with a remit to invest in publicly owned renewables, lease public assets to appropriate renewable energy developers and buy energy on the wholesale market to become a domestic supplier in the local community; believes that such public companies would generate clean energy as well as revenue for valuable new public services such as energy efficiency investment and support for community owned renewables projects and that the shared benefits would help to foster public support for renewable energy, and calls on the Scottish Government to investigate the concept of local energy companies and to provide assistance to local authorities and other organisations in developing proposals.
Current Status:
That the Parliament reaffirms Scotland's ambitious targets on climate change and renewable energy; considers that the private, public and third sectors, including co-operatives and community bodies, all have a role to play in developing a clean energy future for Scotland; is concerned by the growing perception that the renewables agenda is benefiting only big business, instead of serving the common good; believes that great public benefit could be achieved through the creation of public energy companies at local authority level with a remit to invest in publicly owned renewables, lease public assets to appropriate renewable energy developers and buy energy on the wholesale market to become a domestic supplier in the local community; believes that such public companies would generate clean energy as well as revenue for valuable new public services such as energy efficiency investment and support for community owned renewables projects and that the shared benefits would help to foster public support for renewable energy, and calls on the Scottish Government to investigate the concept of local energy companies and to provide assistance to local authorities and other organisations in developing proposals.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29/03/2012
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As an amendment to motion S4M-02494 in the name of John Swinney (UK Government Budget), leave out from first “growth” to end and insert "sustainability and deliver greater fairness; notes that the Treasury’s analysis shows that those on the lowest incomes have been hit disproportionately hard by the deficit reduction plans and that over 300,000 pensioners in Scotland will be adversely affected by the decision to abolish age-related income tax allowances in order to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy; deeply regrets the UK Government’s decision to implement a package of measures to support the oil and gas sector instead of committing to support an urgent transition away from the fossil fuel economy; considers that this decision demonstrates that the Prime Minister’s claim that his would be the “greenest government ever” is nothing more than empty words, and condemns a budget that it considers will make the UK a less equal, less sustainable and less decent society."
Current Status:
As an amendment to motion S4M-02494 in the name of John Swinney (UK Government Budget), leave out from first “growth” to end and insert "sustainability and deliver greater fairness; notes that the Treasury’s analysis shows that those on the lowest incomes have been hit disproportionately hard by the deficit reduction plans and that over 300,000 pensioners in Scotland will be adversely affected by the decision to abolish age-related income tax allowances in order to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy; deeply regrets the UK Government’s decision to implement a package of measures to support the oil and gas sector instead of committing to support an urgent transition away from the fossil fuel economy; considers that this decision demonstrates that the Prime Minister’s claim that his would be the “greenest government ever” is nothing more than empty words, and condemns a budget that it considers will make the UK a less equal, less sustainable and less decent society."
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That this Parliament is shocked that five of Glasgow’s eight Citizens Advice Bureaux have initiated closure procedures; understands that this follows a decision by Glasgow City Council to award the contract for advice services to a consortium that did not include the bureaux; expresses concern that the five bureaux have not been offered what it considers to be a viable subcontract to allow them to carry out their current level of service provision; believes that, despite the bureaux having all received a cut in funding for 2011-12, they have been working at capacity to provide a service to the people of Glasgow; considers that a year of a standstill budget is a real-terms cut; believes that the decision of Glasgow City Council to make voluntary groups compete to provide what are considered to be vital services is ludicrous, and commends the citizens advice service across Scotland for providing what it sees as a vital and independent free advice service for all of the citizens of Scotland.
Current Status:
That this Parliament is shocked that five of Glasgow’s eight Citizens Advice Bureaux have initiated closure procedures; understands that this follows a decision by Glasgow City Council to award the contract for advice services to a consortium that did not include the bureaux; expresses concern that the five bureaux have not been offered what it considers to be a viable subcontract to allow them to carry out their current level of service provision; believes that, despite the bureaux having all received a cut in funding for 2011-12, they have been working at capacity to provide a service to the people of Glasgow; considers that a year of a standstill budget is a real-terms cut; believes that the decision of Glasgow City Council to make voluntary groups compete to provide what are considered to be vital services is ludicrous, and commends the citizens advice service across Scotland for providing what it sees as a vital and independent free advice service for all of the citizens of Scotland.
Supported by: Margaret Burgess, Bill Walker, David Torrance, Jamie Hepburn, Colin Beattie, James Dornan, Dave Thompson, Kenneth Gibson, Gil Paterson, Fiona McLeod, Stuart McMillan, Mike MacKenzie, Alison Johnstone, Humza Yousaf, Richard Lyle
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As an amendment to motion S4M-02269 in the name of Marco Biagi (Green Investment Bank to be Headquartered in Edinburgh), insert at end "and calls on the UK Government to give further support to green investment by taking a more proactive approach to UK Financial Investments Ltd’s stake in banks such as RBS, ensuring that those banks’ investment decisions are informed by green and ethical principles instead of continuing to finance socially and environmentally destructive industries."
Current Status:
As an amendment to motion S4M-02269 in the name of Marco Biagi (Green Investment Bank to be Headquartered in Edinburgh), insert at end "and calls on the UK Government to give further support to green investment by taking a more proactive approach to UK Financial Investments Ltd’s stake in banks such as RBS, ensuring that those banks’ investment decisions are informed by green and ethical principles instead of continuing to finance socially and environmentally destructive industries."
Supported by: John Finnie, Jamie Hepburn
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That the Parliament believes that the voting age should be reduced to 16.
Current Status:
That the Parliament believes that the voting age should be reduced to 16.
Supported by: Fiona McLeod, Claudia Beamish, Annabelle Ewing, Maureen Watt, Linda Fabiani, Jean Urquhart, Gil Paterson, Sandra White, Kenneth Gibson, Dave Thompson, Roderick Campbell, Aileen McLeod, Stewart Maxwell, James Dornan, Dennis Robertson, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Christina McKelvie, Jamie Hepburn, Kezia Dugdale, Bob Doris, Alison Johnstone, Alison McInnes, Willie Coffey, Joe FitzPatrick, John Park, Mark McDonald, Jim Eadie, John Finnie, Paul Wheelhouse, Joan McAlpine, Humza Yousaf, Richard Lyle, Gordon MacDonald, Graeme Pearson, Neil Findlay, Willie Rennie, David Torrance, Margaret Burgess, Graeme Dey, Kevin Stewart, Marco Biagi, Drew Smith, John Mason
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That the Parliament welcomes the launch of the Raspberry Pi, a very low-cost single-board computer running the free Linux operating system; believes that this device and other similar devices can have a significant educational role in giving children and young people the chance to learn practical computing skills; believes that IT education in Scotland and the UK has been too focussed on the use of particular, and usually proprietary, software products and not sufficiently on how hardware and software actually work; believes that Scotland needs a generation of young people who can do far more than merely consume IT products, and calls on the Scottish Government to consider how the Raspberry Pi or similar devices can be put to use in primary and secondary schools as part of a renewed approach to teaching computing.
Current Status:
That the Parliament welcomes the launch of the Raspberry Pi, a very low-cost single-board computer running the free Linux operating system; believes that this device and other similar devices can have a significant educational role in giving children and young people the chance to learn practical computing skills; believes that IT education in Scotland and the UK has been too focussed on the use of particular, and usually proprietary, software products and not sufficiently on how hardware and software actually work; believes that Scotland needs a generation of young people who can do far more than merely consume IT products, and calls on the Scottish Government to consider how the Raspberry Pi or similar devices can be put to use in primary and secondary schools as part of a renewed approach to teaching computing.
Supported by: John Mason, Marco Biagi, Drew Smith, David Torrance, Mike MacKenzie, John Finnie, Alison Johnstone, Joe FitzPatrick, John Park, Kezia Dugdale, Jamie Hepburn, Dave Thompson, Richard Simpson, Hugh Henry, Gil Paterson, Rhoda Grant, Jean Urquhart
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As an amendment to motion S4M-02156 in the name of Stewart Stevenson (Climate Justice), insert at end ", and calls on the Scottish Government to announce a timescale for the creation of a Scotland-wide climate adaptation fund as outlined in the SNP manifesto and for the development of a system of consumption-based reporting targets as specified in section 37 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009".
Current Status:
As an amendment to motion S4M-02156 in the name of Stewart Stevenson (Climate Justice), insert at end ", and calls on the Scottish Government to announce a timescale for the creation of a Scotland-wide climate adaptation fund as outlined in the SNP manifesto and for the development of a system of consumption-based reporting targets as specified in section 37 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009".
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