Perth and Kinross Liberal Democrats

Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Children and Young People,Liam McArthur Liam McArthur MSP has today urged the Scottish Government to heed comments made by the new head of Scotland's Save the Children. In an interview with Holyrood Magazine, Neil Mathers said he supported Scottish Liberal Democrat calls to extend free childcare to forty percent of two year olds, beginning with those from poorer backgrounds.

Commenting, Mr McArthur said:

"Our costed and reasonable plans are gathering support from experts working in the third sector. As Neil Mathers recognises, the Scottish Government is only proposing to extend free childcare to 1 percent of two year olds, while Scottish Liberal Democrat plans would benefit forty percent of two year olds, beginning with those from the poorest backgrounds.

"I know from my own conversations with parents that free childcare for more two year olds would be a real boost to families. Nobel Laureate Professor James Heckman has said that the best rate of return is before the age of three. Our plans would give children the best start in life, allow more parents to return to work and provide jobs in the nursery sector. This is already happening in England and I do not want children in Scotland to be left behind.

"This is too important to be used as a sweetener in the independence referendum debate. The Scottish Government must listen to what the experts, including Mr Mathers, are saying and use their current Children and Young People Bill to show more ambition for two year olds living in poverty."

Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has used a debate on ferries in the ScottishLiam McArthur Parliament today to criticise the Scottish Government's approach to Road Equivalent Tariff. He also highlighted the need for lessons to be learned from the recent problems on the Stromness-Scrabster route.

Commenting on RET during the debate, Mr McArthur said,

"Nowhere is the cynicism and short termism of this SNP government more in evidence than in its handling of RET. By deciding to focus the pilot phase of the cheap ferry fares scheme solely on the Western Isles, Ministers made it clear their priority was shoring up support in a key SNP constituency.

"Even when it came to rolling out the scheme more widely, Ministers only felt inclined to include routes on the west coast.

"There seems no credible justification for this discrimination, and the ever-changing reasons put forward by Ministers for Orkney and Shetland's exclusion only serve to reinforce the impression that this is all about politics - not a desire to put in place long term, sustainable and equitable arrangements for what, after all, are lifeline services to our island communities".

Turning later to the issue of the Hamnavoe's breakdown, Mr McArthur repeated his calls for lessons to be learned but also urged Serco to take the opportunity re-build confidence by looking again at its decision to cut sailings on the Pentland Firth route.

Commenting, Mr McArthur said:

"I would call on Serco to look again at re-instating some of the middle of the day sailings so as to better align its summer timetable with that of the tourist season in Orkney. The scale of the cut in sailings, sanctioned by the government's contract, works against the efforts of the tourism sector to extend the 'shoulders' of the season.

"Similarly, I would urge Serco to reconsider the decision to reduce discounts available to elderly, disabled and students passengers and recognise that this goes against the spirit of providing a lifeline service between Orkney and the Mainland".

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie MSP has urged theWillie Rennie Scottish Government to press ahead with its plans to introduce equal marriage. This comes as the UK bill finished its third reading in the House of Commons yesterday (Tuesday 21st May).

Commenting, Mr Rennie said:

"Modern, progressive nations are increasingly endorsing equal marriage as the change respects people who wish to commit to each other. How we treat each other is tremendously important and a mark of a nation's maturity.

"The House of Commons has led the way on this change and have signalled their determination for equal marriage to be introduced into law. There are only a few remaining stages through the House of Lords to complete that process.

"It's important that Scotland isn't left behind. The Scottish Government should now set a clear timetable for the introduction of equal marriage into Scottish law so that gay people in Scotland can enjoy the same rights as those in the rest of the UK.

"I would urge the Scottish Government to make their intentions clear."

Commenting on reports that the President of the Association ofWillie Rennie Scottish Police Superintendents is to say that the number of local authorities and councils should be cut to save costs, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie MSP said:

"We need a cast iron guarantee from SNP ministers that they will not force their centralisation agenda upon our local councils and health boards. Since the SNP came to power they have stripped power from our local police service and now plan to do the same with our local courts.

"Local communities are already anxious about Ministers trying to claw back power to the Holyrood government. These plans would take us across the Rubicon. Scottish Liberal Democrats want to build a fairer society by giving more powers to our local communities, not by stripping them away.

"SNP ministers must send a clear message to people in Scotland that local democracy firmly embedded in local communities is here to stay."

Commenting after taking evidence on proposed court closures at theAlison McInnes justice committee today, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson and MSP for the North East, Alison McInnes, said:

"The Scottish Court Service showed a complete lack of understanding of how our rural communities function. They did little to persuade me that they had given anything more than superficial consideration to the impact these court closures could have on children in family cases or vulnerable witnesses.

"The startling revelation that the setting up of any "Justice Centres" - which are currently being used as a fig leaf to cover up SNP members' embarrassment - would result in further court closures made clear that the proposals on the table at the moment are merely Phase one of court closures.

"Rural communities across Scotland will be worried about what this could mean for local jobs, services and justice. Scottish Liberal Democrat will resist strongly this attack on rural communities who are being dealt a raw deal from the Justice Secretary."

Commenting on a speech by Scotland's External Affairs Minister HumzaWillie Rennie Yousaf at the 13th Doha Forum in Qatar, in which he compared the Arab Spring with the Scottish independence referendum, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie MSP said:

"It is crass naivety to compare the life and death struggles endured in the Arab spring with the democratic, open referendum process agreed between the Scottish and UK Governments. The United Kingdom is a democracy not a dictatorship and George Square is not Tahrir Square.

"Humza Yousaf probably got carried away in the heat of the moment but we need cool, calm heads to represent the United Kingdom on the world stage."

Commenting on the Scottish Government's new independence paper,Willie Rennie Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie MSP said:

"It's the same old stories, slogans and bad sums.

"They want to spend the same money three times over, on an oil fund, capital spending and tax cuts.

"The Scottish Government ignores the threat to banks and financial service jobs that was set out in yesterday's credible Treasury paper and echoed by the umbrella body Scottish Financial Enterprise."

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP hasAlison McInnes today signed a joint motion to annul Parliamentary Orders which would close a third of Scotland's local Sheriff Courts.

Only if the motion to annul is agreed to by the justice committee will the whole parliament be able to vote on this crucial issue. Ms McInnes is calling on all members of the justice committee to vote to annul these orders.

Commenting, Ms McInnes said:

"We're at the eleventh hour but there is still time to save locally delivered justice in communities across Scotland. If members on the Justice Committee back our cross-party motion, it would push the bill into the chamber where all MSPs would be able to speak up for their local community.

"That is why we need members who hold the swing vote - John Finnie and Rod Campbell - to back this motion when it comes before committee. Kenny MacAskill's answers to our parliamentary questions have made clear that purpose built justice centres are nothing but a mirage.

"There are no plans whatsoever to build a justice centre in any town in Scotland. The only way to protect locally delivered justice is to defend our local courts in places like Stonehaven, Peebles, Cupar, Rothesay and Arbroath."

Scottish Liberal Democrat by-election candidate Christine Jardine has called on SNP candidate Mark McDonald to explain to the people of Aberdeen Donside why he voted for a funding deal which short-changed the city by £21m.

As a list MSP Mr Mcdonald voted to approve the SNP Government's financial package for local authorities which saw Aberdeen receive just 79% of the national average offered to councils - that is below the 85% minimum his party had promised.

Ms Jardine's intervention came as reports emerged that the SNP are also set to snatch an additional £5.5 million of local business rates payments from Aberdeen Council.

Christine Jardine said:

"This money could have made a substantial difference to businesses and families in Aberdeen Donside.

"Anyone who has ever tried to drive into the city or negotiate the Haudigan roundabout in rush hour knows that something needs to be done to relieve the pressure. £21m could have paid for a new Don Crossing with almost £6m left to boost local services, build a stronger economy or invest in child care for families.

"I am disappointed that Mark McDonald was prepared to let his SNP colleagues short-change Aberdeen in this way when they are piling money into high-profile projects like rail improvements and the new Forth Crossing in the central belt.

"Mark McDonald talks about protecting local services but when it came to the crunch at Holyrood he let Aberdeen down. It is high time that he explained why he thinks it is fair that local people should miss out on this essential funding."

Commenting as the Scottish Government announces it has accepted the National Infertility Group's recommendations for access to NHS IVF services, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Jim Hume MSP said:

Jim Hume"I am hopeful that these changes will help to deliver a fairer and more coherent system of NHS IVF treatments across Scotland. The iniquity of the postcode lottery is an added burden which patients should not have wrestle with.

"The Scottish Government must work with Health Boards to ensure that the new waiting time target is achievable and will become a reality for all patients by 2015. If we are to build a fairer society, we must do more to enable every person to get on in life. Scottish Liberal Democrats support these steps and urge the Scottish Government to do more for our families by extending free childcare to more two year olds."