Latest news with #FionaHyslop
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Plans to promote sustainable travel in Glasgow given funding
This cash injection will be used to improve active travel infrastructure and make public spaces safer and more accessible for pedestrians. It will also support initiatives that encourage walking, wheeling, and cycling, especially for school commutes, and provide upgrades to bus stops and employer schemes to create cycle-friendly workplaces. It will also support initiatives that encourage walking, wheeling, and cycling (Image: Supplied) The fund draws from four Scottish Government-backed schemes through Transport Scotland - the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF), the People and Place Programme (PPP), Local Authority Direct Award (LADA), and SPT's Capital Grant Fund. Councillor Angus Millar, city convener for transport, said: "These funding awards are really great news for active travel in Glasgow. Read more: Plans for one of UK's biggest green AI data centres in Ravenscraig revealed Man dies after police rush to Glasgow property amid incident "We want to create a roads network that encourages walking, wheeling and cycling across the city and it's great to see our vision being backed by the Scottish Government in this way. "Some of these funding streams focus on construction-ready projects and I am delighted that the efforts we have made to develop designs for potential new infrastructure are being recognised. "The funding will also enable us to invest further in organisations and activities that give people the knowledge, skills and confidence to use our growing infrastructure network, supporting them to walk, wheel and cycle more often. "Major infrastructure projects such as Connecting Woodside, the East City Way and Dumbreck Road Active Travel Link will all make vital connections to other routes that make it easier to move around the city by bike. "We know that as more and more safe, segregated routes begin to knit together across Glasgow, people will be more minded to choose active travel instead of having to depend on the car for local journeys." Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, said: 'I'm pleased that this £10.6 million award from the Scottish Government to Glasgow City Council will help realise their ambitions for better walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure, alongside projects which encourage more active travel. "Through this investment we will make it easier for more people to choose sustainable transport. 'To support the continued ambitions of our local authorities – and to keep making walking, wheeling and cycling easier for shorter everyday journeys – in 2025-26 the Scottish Government will invest over £188 million in active and sustainable transport.'
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Welcome end in sight to two-child cap that's affected almost a thousand West Lothian families
It was announced that it will be removed from March 2 next year Close to 1000 families in West Lothian are set to benefit from the scrapping of the two-child cap. Linlithgow MSP Fiona Hyslop welcomed the Scottish Government's announcement that the cap will be removed from March 2 next year. The two-child cap was introduced by the Tories as part of their programme of austerity and has subsequently become Labour policy, despite Keir Starmer's previous promises to scrap it. Around 950 families in West Lothian have been affected by the two-cap policy. By ending it the Scottish Government is ensuring 20,000 fewer children in Scotland will live in relative poverty next year. Fiona Hyslop said: 'I welcome the news that the Scottish Government is ending the two-child cap in Scotland. 'The UK Government's decision to continue the two-child cap has harmed 950 households in West Lothian but from next year this will end due to action taken by the Scottish Government. 'The Scottish Government has stepped in to mitigate the harm caused by the UK Government and this makes clear John Swinney's commitment to tackling child poverty in Scotland. 'This policy will provide much-needed support to families across West Lothian when the two-child cap ends next March.' The MSP also welcomed a visit by Scotland's Health Secretary to West Lothian on Tuesday on Tuesday, June 17 during the launch of two health related framewoks. She said: 'It was great to see Neil Gray MSP chose to visit Blackburn Partnership Centre to launch Scotland's Population Health Framework and the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework. 'These are major national policy frameworks are focused on prevention and joined-up community care to help people lead healthier lives and there is so much happening in Blackburn which already is delivering on this. 'The launch of both of these frameworks shows clear progress towards delivering the Scottish Government's vision for a healthier, fairer and more resilient Scotland. 'I was pleased to see the Cabinet Secretary visit Blackburn Partnership Centre, in my Constituency, as part of this launch.'
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Health
- Scotsman
Veterans deserve mental health support
Those in uniform deserve our support, says Sue Webber Last October NHS Lothian announced it was axing its funding for the Veterans First Point service, which by its own figures had provided mental health support for 2500 military veterans over the past 15 years. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... These are people who, lest anyone forgets, have sacrificed their mental health in the service of our country so we can sleep safely at night, and in any civilised society the need to care for them would be unquestioned, and what those in uniform deserve. But to save just over £200,000 a year, NHS Lothian was prepared to break this covenant, and along with the fellow Lothian MSP, the SNP's Fiona Hyslop, at a meeting last week we were able to challenge officials on their decision. The officials noticeably winced when Fiona Hyslop told them that veterans minister Graeme Dey was particularly angered because the decision had not been reversed despite increased funding for mental health. And their answers were strangely and unacceptably woolly. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With reason, senior medics argue about their overall funding, and there is an ongoing campaign by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland to hold the SNP to its promise to spend 10 per cent of health budgets on mental health, which at the last calculation was over £220 million short. But the £200,000 saved from Veterans First Point will make little difference to a shortfall of that scale, and when the illness has been suffered in the service of our defence, one way or another the commitment to come to their aid should be absolute. Sue Webber is a Scottish Conservative MSP for Lothian
The National
20-06-2025
- The National
Scottish Government announces £23.5 million for active travel
The cash is intended for programmes that will improve walking and cycling across the country, with projects required to satisfy one of four themes based around schools, businesses, accessibility and inclusion or capacity and capability. Returning for a second year, the funding will also expand to potentially help fund other sustainable travel projects, including demand-led buses. Announcing the funding on Friday at a project in Armadale, West Lothian, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: 'It is really important that we support people and communities to make different choices about how they get around in their local areas, and making it easier and safer to walk, wheel and cycle is a key part of that. (Image: Supplied) 'So I am pleased to announce that over £23 million has now been allocated to support projects which will help to achieve this. It forms part of over £188 million that we are allocating for active and sustainable travel in 2025-26.' She added: 'The Scottish Government is investing significantly to create appropriate infrastructure – but we also need to invest in projects, similar to the Walking Bus, that widen access, encourage participation and support uptake in schools and workplaces. 'In doing so, we will encourage a shift away from cars and towards more sustainable travel that improves health, saves people money and reduces emissions.' Ranald Robertson, the director of Hitrans – the regional transport partnership for the Highlands and Islands – said he was 'delighted' with the funding. 'We look forward to supporting a wide range of active and sustainable travel behaviour change initiatives, tailored to the specific needs of local schools, workplaces and communities across Scotland, to help increase the number of people walking, wheeling, cycling or taking public transport for their journeys,' he added.
Edinburgh Reporter
20-06-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Scottish Transport Awards – Edinburgh's newest active travel link declared a winner
The City of Edinburgh Council has been awarded Excellence in Transport Design at the Scottish Transport Awards 2025 for the Roseburn to Union Canal Active Travel Route which opened recently. This corridor has transformed local connectivity, public space and access to nature with an off road path for walking wheeling and cycling. Lothian Buses and Police Scotland were also recognised for Excellence in Social and Community Value for Operation Crackle, a joint initiative tackling antisocial behaviour and promoting safer public transport. The 22nd annual awards ceremony was held on Thursday evening at the Marriott Hotel in Glasgow. The ceremony celebrated the best of transport operators, infrastructure specialists, frontline workers and local authorities in Scotland. Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop MSP delivered the keynote address and presented the Transport Team / Partnership of the Year award. The Minister said: 'It was an honour to speak at the Scottish Transport Awards tonight (June 19th) and to meet so many of the sector's major players and unsung heroes. 'I particularly enjoyed handing out the 'Team of the Year' award, and speaking to people who are working so hard behind the scenes, day in, day out, to keep Scotland moving. 'This was my third Scottish Transport Awards, and I was able to reflect on the progress being made across the nation on so many impressive projects and initiatives. 'However, there is still so much to do. I want us to build on that momentum to deliver lasting change by working together on our key ambitions and priorities. 'Well done everyone on such a fitting occasion to celebrate your success.' Other category winners included: Best Bus Service: Lothian Buses – Lothian Country Service 43 Rail Supplier of the Year: Story Scotland Excellence in Travel Information and Marketing: Caledonian MacBrayne – 'Every Journey Starts a Story' Contribution to Sustainable Transport: Royal Highland Show Traffic Management Working Group Best Practice in Transport Planning: The Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Region Deal – Workforce Mobility Project Outstanding Contribution to Transport: Roy Brannen CBE Lifetime Contribution to Transport: Gillian Murray Graffiti Roseburn to Union Canal Like this: Like Related
