Latest news with #ClareAdamson
Daily Record
29-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Lanarkshire MSP welcomes payouts over forced prepayment meter fitting
A total of £74million is being paid out by eight energy firms. This includes Scottish Power, EDF, Octopus, Utility Warehouse, Good Energy, Tru Energy and Ecotricity. A Lanarkshire MSP has welcomed the news that thousands of energy customers are due to receive payouts of up to £1,000 each over the forced fitting of prepayment meters. A total of £74million is being paid out by eight energy firms. This includes Scottish Power, EDF, Octopus, Utility Warehouse, Good Energy, Tru Energy and Ecotricity. It comes after energy regulator Ofgem launched an investigation into often vulnerable customers being switched to prepayment meters after they fell behind on bills. Ofgem's Market Compliance Review (MCR) required suppliers to examine their practices of involuntary PPM installation, including both meters that were installed under warrant and smart meters that were remotely switched to prepayment mode. At least 40,000 customers are expected to benefit from the new measures following a review carried out by the energy regulator. Motherwell and Wishaw MSP Clare Adamson said: 'I am glad to see some compensation for forced installations. I repeatedly raised cases from constituents with Ofgem and energy companies. 'Some companies dismissed the practice, and others said it was only used as a last resort. But my team and I have helped many people facing a range of unfair billing practices including forced installations. 'Ofgem's review has shown that multiple companies fell short of their obligations, and it was people in Motherwell and Wishaw, and struggling households across the country, that were at the sharp end of those failures. 'We still need to see further and faster regulatory action. My constituents face a raft of unfair energy practices: historical energy debt; so-called 'self-disconnection'; errors in debt calculation; and the unjust standing charge. 'Even the availability of the cheapest tariffs is often down to payment method and postcode. This disproportionately impacts the people on low incomes and drives fuel poverty. 'We need stronger regulatory enforcement across the energy sector so that my constituents, and people across Scotland, are not penalised by unfair practices. 'While there is good exploratory work in Scotland on a long-overdue social tariff, energy policy is reserved to Westminster. 'I welcome Ofgem's review, and today's announcement, but it is a small part of the system. The UK energy market is rife with inequity and Labour inaction on these longstanding problems is costing people in every community.' Energy suppliers can no longer forcibly install a prepay meter on the highest risk customers, including households where someone is over the age of 75, those with children under the age of two, and households where someone has a severe health condition. Dhara Vyas, chief executive of Energy UK, which represents energy firms, said: 'Involuntary installations have been a last - but necessary - resort for cases where repeated attempts to address debt with the customer through other means have been unsuccessful. 'It's bad for customers to fall further and further into arrears, and bad debt ultimately drives up the prices that is paid by all customers.' UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 'Justice is finally being delivered to many of the families, lots of them vulnerable, who were affected by the scandal of energy suppliers wrongly forcibly installing pre-payment meters. 'The government has campaigned tirelessly on this issue and are pleased to see the level of compensation increase to £18.6 million, up from £420,000 under the previous government. 'Consumers must come first, which is why we are reforming the energy market to stamp out bad practice and make it easier to access proper redress when things go wrong, through our comprehensive review of Ofgem. 'This increased compensation package is a good start, and we will be announcing further reforms in the weeks ahead as we deliver our Plan for Change.' It comes after it was revealed that energy bills will go down again this summer. The Ofgem energy price cap is being reduced by seven per cent - taking the typical annual bill from £1,849 to £1,720. The price cap for someone paying by pre-payment meter is falling from £1,803 a year to £1,672, and the yearly charge for someone who pays on receipt of bill is going down from £1,969 to £1,855.
Daily Record
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Almost 25,000 children in North Lanarkshire supported by Scottish Child Payment
The relative child poverty rate in Scotland is four percentage points lower than it would be without the policy in place. Almost 25,000 children and young people in North Lanarkshire were supported by the Scottish Child Payment at the end of March. A total of 24,935 kids in the local authority area received the Scottish Child Payment at the end of March. However, the relative child poverty rate in Scotland is four percentage points lower than it would be without the policy in place. And a Lanarkshire SNP MSP has urged the Labour UK Government to roll out the Scottish Child Payment model UK wide. Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, said: 'Under John Swinney's leadership, the SNP has made eradicating child poverty its number one priority – with Scotland the only part of the UK where child poverty is expected to fall as a direct result of SNP policies. 'The Scottish Child Payment has been hailed by anti-poverty charities for the impact it has had. 'In contrast, Labour is cutting social security support for sick and disabled people and they continue to dither on the two child cap which is a huge driver of child poverty. 'We need action from Labour. Are they going to ditch the two-child cap, or leave it to the SNP to step in again? Are they going to reinstate the winter fuel payment, as the SNP has done? 'People deserve those answers but it seems Labour leaders will just waffle on while people are struggling. 'Keir Starmer's focus is on pandering to Nigel Farage and his empty populism. But the SNP is always focused on standing up for Scotland and its people.' *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
Scotsman
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Why even nationalist MSP can see problem with SNP's 'proto-colonial' approach to islanders
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, 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... Just occasionally, I watch a Holyrood debate – to use the term loosely – in search of enlightenment. This week, I was seduced by the title of a motion in the name of the Scottish Government: 'Empowering Island Communities'. I am greatly in favour of empowering communities, a philosophy to which the Scottish Government is deeply hostile, and I have a particular interest in islands which have been conspicuously disempowered in every respect available. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad So what new dawn would this motion unveil? Alas, its purpose was for the Scottish Government to congratulate itself on consulting about an 'Islands Plan' to replace one which nobody has heard of since it was published in 2018. Empowerment was definitely not an outcome. READ MORE: Why massive symbol of SNP failure will loom large over Scottish Parliament election Scotland's islands need ferry services that people can rely on (Picture: Andy Buchanan) | AFP via Getty Images Best plan for islands? Like most Holyrood debates, this one was padded out by SNP backbenchers pressed into service to read speeches on matters of which they know nothing and care less. One hapless contributor, Clare Adamson, apologised in advance for having difficulty pronouncing the place names before her. Since the most challenging proved to be 'Orkney', which she managed fine, Ms Adamson could have spared herself the apology if not the embarrassment before landing in the safe haven of her peroration. 'If I have anything to say this afternoon,' declared the member for Motherwell and Wishaw, 'it is that the best plan for our island communities is an independent Scotland.' So that's 'the plan'! Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad One wonders how the Presiding Officer can sit through these flagrant breaches of a protocol that applies in any self-respecting school debating society, far less parliament – refer to notes by all means but don't read out speeches. At one level, it is merely pathetic. At another, it is insulting to the subject matter – in this case island communities. 'A bit embarrassing' Fortunately, there are still a few MSPs capable of debate. Douglas Ross, who has acquired a new lease of life since shedding the burden of leadership, had counted the words in the motion and got to 109 'without the word ferries being mentioned'. How, he wondered, could this 'even have been signed off by highly paid ministers'? 'When an official handed them the motion, did they not say, 'This is going to look a bit embarrassing if we don't even mention ferries'?' Mr Ross then awoke the Presiding Officer from her reverie by suggesting that islanders didn't want another useless plan – they would prefer 'a bloody ferry'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It was scarcely surprising that the motion did not mention 'ferries' and 'empowerment' in the same 109 words since the SNP's determination that islanders should not get within a hundred nautical miles of running their own lifelines has been the defining feature of the past decade's scandal and the squandering of hundreds of millions of pounds. That money could have been transformational for islands and made a useful contribution to, let's say, reversing the impoverishment of local authorities throughout Scotland. However, the far more important priority for SNP ministers has been to retain long-range control through their quangos – regardless of cost or consequences. And they dare to speak of 'empowerment'. Well-organised stitch-up Fergus Ewing, another of the Holyrood 'few' who understands the word oratory, described it as 'a proto-colonial approach' and called for islanders to have statutory representation on boards of the transport quangos which directly affect their lives – CMAL, CalMac and Highlands and Islands Airports. He also called for islanders to be on panels which effectively appoint the chairs of these organisations. This is more significant than it sounds since the whole quango racket, on which I could write a book, revolves round the pretence of open competition when it is actually a well-organised stitch-up with the same names recurring time and again – often as members of the panels which appoint one another. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This is the system which ensures the current chair of Caledonian MacBrayne is the Danish businessman Erik Østergaard. He was chair of CMAL – the procurement quango – throughout the years when the Ferguson Marine scandal evolved. It was incredible that he was then appointed chair of CalMac in 2021 and then – and I address this directly to Fiona Hyslop on her way out the door – shameful that he was re-appointed by her last year in full knowledge that he and others she rubber-stamped had never been near affected island communities. That is the SNP's idea of 'island empowerment'. No wonder it didn't appear in the 109 words. Ferries are critical to every aspect of island life but there are other actions which speak a lot louder than words. That takes me to the report published this week by the Accounts Commission which shows a £547 million budget gap across Scotland's local authorities. Edinburgh has the biggest deficit in cash terms and Falkirk as a percentage of the budget. No more meaningless plans In other words, it is a generic problem which flows from a decade of Scottish Government underfunding for local councils while demands rose and services deteriorated. Most councils have been squeezed so hard there is very little left to cut. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad That is certainly true in the Western Isles where, over a decade, the revenue allocation to the council was cut by 17 per cent through a formula which actually punishes depopulation and falling school rolls, rather than recognising the needs which these conditions demand – at fractional cost to the overall scheme of Scottish Government expenditure.
Daily Record
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Motherwell and Wishaw MSP to lead Holyrood debate on problem gambling and public health
Problem gambling can cause massive impacts on finances, health, and wellbeing. People experiencing problem gambling face stigmatisation and this can put-off people from seeking support when it's needed. Motherwell and Wishaw MSP Clare Adamson will lead a Holyrood debate on problem gambling and public health. Problem gambling can cause massive impacts on finances, health, and wellbeing. People experiencing problem gambling face stigmatisation and this can put-off people from seeking support when it's needed. In 2021, more than half of adults reported taking part in any gambling activity in the previous year (58 per cent) and around 55,000 people are estimated to be experiencing severe gambling problems, with a further 3.8 per cent at risk of developing gambling-related issues, according to the Scottish Health Survey 2020. Ms Adamson will also host a session in the Scottish Parliament encouraging MSPs to speak with support organisations and people with lived experience of problem gambling on May 22. The SNP MSP said: 'Gambling takes many forms and includes scratch cards, lottery, bingo, games on mobile devices as well as the more traditional sports betting and casino games. 'Problem gambling causes serious individual harm but it also has wider impacts on families and communities. Loss of employment, debt, deterioration of physical and mental health and this can lead to increased risk of suicide among individuals affected by problem gambling. 'It's estimated that six people are directly affected by the person experiencing gambling harms. Women are more likely to be an affected other. 'And we know that financial desperation is linked with crime. GamCare's Annual Statistics report shows more than 50 per cent of individuals seeking help for problem gambling also reported committing criminal acts to fund gambling activities. 'I am keen to lead this debate to frame problem gambling as a public health issue which requires a public health, person-centred response. 'We need to look again at regulation and our public health approach given the unprecedented variety of websites, social media platforms, marketing campaigns, and apps with algorithms designed to keep you hooked despite the public health problems. 'It is easy to access addictive gambling apps. It needs to be easy to access support services for people who require it – free from judgement.' Thursday's event, which follows the debate, will bring together organisations which support people experiencing problem gambling. Led by GamCare, who run the National Gambling Helpline, attending are: The Simon Community; RCA Trust; Fast Forward; Cyrenians; John Hartson Foundation; and people with lived experience of problem gambling. You can reach out day or night for free information, support and advice on problem gambling by calling the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or by visiting *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here. And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
Daily Record
20-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Wishaw MSP backing new Scottish Government campaign to find more foster carers
Foster carers play a vital role in supporting and providing safe and loving foster homes to children and young people. They are key to the Scottish Government's ambition of delivering The Promise by 2030. Motherwell and Wishaw's MSP is backing a new Scottish Government campaign to find more foster carers. Foster carers play a vital role in supporting and providing safe and loving foster homes to children and young people. They are key to the Scottish Government's ambition of delivering The Promise by 2030. The Fostering Network estimates that Scotland needs at least 400 more foster carers. The new campaign aims to raise awareness of fostering and encourage people in Motherwell and Wishaw and across Scotland to consider the life-changing impact they could make on the lives of a child or young person. The Scottish Government's campaign will run across TV, radio, press and digital channels through May and June. A new website and advice line will support people interested in fostering. Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, said: 'Becoming a foster carer is a wonderful opportunity to give children love, care, and support. 'You do not special qualifications, but you do need compassion, commitment, and a drive to help children fulfil their potential. 'Kids flourish with love and support. To foster a child is an incredible act and one that could have an extraordinary impact on a person's life. 'The Scottish Government is running this new campaign because we need more foster carers. That is why I am encouraging people in Motherwell and Wishaw who can offer a loving home to find out more.' *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here. And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head on over and give us a like and share!
