January 2005

28.1.2005 16:09
DAVID SUPPORTS BOWEL CANCER CAMPAIGN
David Cairns MP, Labour MP for Greenock and Inverclyde, today pledged support for Beating Bowel Cancer’s sixth Loud Tie Campaign, which runs from 31st January to 4th February. The annual campaign encourages people across Britain to raise money for the charity by wearing a Loud Tie or wacky neckwear during the week, and to talk out Loud about bowel cancer which is the second biggest killer cancer, affecting 35,600 people every year.  

28.1.2005 13:50
MP WANTS MORE EU HELP FOR AFRICAN AIDS VICTIMS
After the overwhelming response to his meeting on global poverty in St Mary’s church hall in December, Greenock and Inverclyde MP David Cairns is continuing his campaign to help people living in the Third World. This time he is throwing his weight behind the Parliamentary petition to divert £3billion in aid from the European Union’s millionaire farmers and give it to the tens of millions of people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa.  

19.1.2005 14:09
CAIRNS TO GIVE KEYNOTE ADDRESS TO MAJOR CONFERENCE ON SCOTLAND’S HEALTH SERVICE
Greenock and Inverclyde MP David Cairns is to give a keynote speech to a major conference for health policy specialists in Scotland. The event, which will take place in Edinburgh on Monday 31st January, is being organised by Holyrood Magazine in association with the Scottish NHS Confederation and the Sunday Herald Newspaper. Attending will be experts from within the NHS as well as academics and policy specialists from Scotland’s major think tanks.  

19.1.2005 13:55
MP GIVES CAUTIOUS WELCOME TO 8% DROP IN DRUG USE
Drug use in Inverclyde declined by 8% between 2000 and 2003 according to the latest joint report by Glasgow University and the Scottish Centre of Infection and Environmental Health. This compares well with an average Scottish reduction of 6% during the same period, while other areas such as Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire have seen their figures soar by a record 52% and 124% respectively.  

17.1.2005 10:39
HYPOCRACY, INCOMPETENCE AND ARROGANCE - DAVID CAIRNS VERDICT ON INVERCLYDE COUNCIL SCHOOLS' PLAN
Greenock and Inverclyde MP David Cairns has voiced his strongest criticism to date of Inverclyde Council’s plans for school mergers. Writing to parents who have contacted him on the issue in advance of the Council meetings next week, David accuses the Council of making “back-of-the-envelope financial calculations that seem to change from week to week” and of not listening to the views of parents and teachers. David has received hundreds of letters, e-mails, phone calls and surgery visits from anxious parents who believe that the changes the Council are proposing will be bad for their children’s education.  

14.1.2005 14:22
CAIRNS BLASTS COUNCIL OVER HOUSING BENEFIT AND COUNCIL TAX DELAYS
Local Greenock and Inverclyde MP David Cairns today demanded a formal investigation into Inverclyde Council, after an Audit Scotland report revealed that they take 71 days to process new claims for council tax and housing benefit. The target set by the Department for Work and Pensions is 36.  

13.1.2005 13:20
MP praises work of Greenock Coastguard at Westminster
David Cairns MP has praised the Greenock Coastguard and Maritime Agency in Parliament, after their rapid response to the many incidents caused by the recent storms. Although Inverclyde escaped the worst of the weather, the Coastguard Station based in Eldon Street was involved in co-ordinating dozens of extra rescues, including that of the stricken fishing vessel off the coast of Lewis.  

12.1.2005 12:17
PROFESSOR KERR ACCEPTS RETURN INVITATION TO INVERCLYDE FOLLOWING NEW TALKS WITH DAVID CAIRNS
Greenock and Inverclyde MP David Cairns has held fresh talks with Professor David Kerr at the House of Commons. Dr Kerr, who is the Rhodes Professor of Medicine at Oxford University, visited Westminster at David’s request to discuss the progress of his group looking into the future of the NHS in Scotland. This is the third time that the two men have met. Professor Kerr has visited Inverclyde once already, and has now accepted David’s invitation to come back with an update of the activities of his Committee.  

12.1.2005 10:36
Inverclyde MP backs Morton in fight for pools cash
David Cairns MP is taking Greenock Morton’s fight to retain their £20,000 annual payment from the pools companies right to the heart of Westminster. He has joined the parliamentary campaign to urge Littlewoods, Zetters and Vernons to settle their differences with the Scottish Football League and agree a new contract for next season’s fixtures, so that Scottish clubs can get their money.