Monday 14 January 2013

Monday meetings

Today, I had the pleasure of holding two West End surgeries jointly with Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland.    These took place at the Mitchell Street Centre and at Harris Academy.

Alison and I also attended the latest meeting of the cross-party Remploy Action Group that took place at the City Chambers.   Alison and I are pictured (right) prior to the meeting today.

This evening, I attended City Council committee meetings at which:

* I proposed that changes proposed to the Hospital Fund and Johnston Bequest do not go ahead.   Having read the last will and testament of Robert Johnston (1639) and the detail of the Dundee Churches and Hospital Act 1864, it is quite clear that these funds were left to give maintenance to "the poor" (Hospital Act) and "the aged and impotent people" (Johnston Bequest).   The proposal before councillors tonight was to henceforth use the funds for a welfare rights service.   However well-intentioned, this proposal does not meet the terms of the bequests and that much is obvious to anyone who has actually read these terms.

* I was elected to serve on the Tay Road Bridge Joint Board.

* I welcomed progress to provide modern apprenticeships and asked for the detail as to when these can be delivered.