Monthly Archives: November 2011
LOCAL MP SHOWS HIS SUPPORT TO END THE FILIPINO DOG MEAT TRADE
Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown met with Network for Animals (NFA) and the Kennel Club last week to collect a petition which calls for the reinforcement of the ban on the Filipino dog meat trade. Shiva the dog also came along to deliver the petition and show solidarity with her fellow canine friends in the Philippines.
The Kennel Club has teamed up with Network for Animals to help campaign for ending the dog meat trade in the Philippines which has long been linked with a number of animal welfare concerns and violations. Although the trade is banned in the Philippines, there are up to 500,000 dogs that are slaughtered and consumed commercially every year.
Lending his support to the campaign, Russell Brown MP commented:
“The UK is the international leader on animal welfare and is at the forefront of efforts to protect animals internationally. Dogs are being captured and stolen for their meat whilst being kept in unbearable conditions. They often die en route to their destinations and face even worse circumstances at slaughterhouses, where no guidelines exist for the humane killing of dogs. This is unacceptable and needs to stop.”
Christina Dixon, Campaigner at Network for Animals said:
“We wanted to give MPs the chance to have their support for our campaign recognised. Their help in ending the brutal dog meat trade in the Philippines is vital as it shows that the British public have elected representatives who put animal welfare on the political agenda.”
Caroline Kisko, the Kennel Club’s Communication Director commented:
“Dogs are companion animals and are not meant to serve as a meal. Whilst recognising cultural differences in eating habits, this does not excuse the animal welfare issues associated with this trade.”
“The Philippines has outlawed the sale and consumption of dog meat, yet the trade is still prevalent. We are calling on the Filipino government to better enforce their dog meat ban.”
“We are grateful to Russell Brown MP for coming today and helping highlight this important and emotive issue.”
ENDS
CONTACT – ANDREW MACKENZIE 07769206856
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Photo attached of Russell Brown MP with petition. Christina Dixon (Network for Animals) is on the left side of the photo and Denisa Delic (The Kennel Club) is on the right side of the photo, with dog Shiva.
2. The petition has collected over 10,000 signatures. To find out more information or to get involved, visit:http://www.thekennelclub.org.
3.
- In 2010 250 MPs signed an EDM calling for action on the dog meat trade in the Philippines
- Up to 500,000 dogs are slaughtered and consumed commercially every year in the Philippines
- In 1998 via Republic Act No. 8485, known as the Animal Welfare Act, the dog meat trade was outlawed, with exemptions for dogs killed and eaten as part of indigenous rituals.
- The ban was bolstered by the Rabies Act (RA 9482), which upgraded penalties for convicted dog meat traders to include jail time and substantially increased fines as a means of limiting the spread of rabies
- About 10,000 dogs and 350 humans die of rabies in the Philippines each year
- Network for Animals has been working in the Philippines to end the dog meat trade since 1998
“U-TURN” AS TRANSPORT MINISTER DECIDES TO VISIT STRANRAER FOR RAIL TALKS ONLY DAYS AFTER REFUSING
Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown has welcomed a u-turn by the Transport Minister Keith Brown as he has now agreed to come to Stranraer for talks about the railway line – only days after refusing.
Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown, local councillor Willie Scobie and South of Scotland MSP Claudia Beamish wrote to Transport Minister Keith Brown last month calling on him to come to Stranraer to meet them for urgent talks on rail services from the town. Unfortunately he refused to even consider meeting them. The politicians then got in touch with First Minister Alex Salmond and days later the Transport Minister has changed his mind and will visit after all. While a date has yet to be decided for the meeting, it is hoped to be as soon as possible.
The local politicians say “there is a real sense of urgency” about the issue, as Stena Line have now started using Ayr train station rather than Stranraer as their rail interchange for foot passengers. However, Stena Line has indicated that they would give serious consideration to using Stranraer instead of Ayr as their rail interchange if services from the station are improved.
Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown said:
“I welcome that the Transport Minister has changed his mind and will now come to Stranraer for talks on the railway line, but it is a bit of an embarrassing u-turn since only days ago he was refusing to visit. I am rather disappointed we have had to drag the Transport Minister to Stranraer because his reluctance to visit, along with the Scottish Government’s plans for a two tier railway at our expense, makes people question the SNP’s commitment to our area. However, the important thing now is at least he is now coming and we will be able to tell him about local people’s concerns about the railway.
“There is a real sense of urgency about the future of Stranraer railway station now that Stena have moved out of the town and are bussing passengers to Ayr to catch the train. Local people will nervously be watching how far passenger numbers using Stranraer train station will fall as a result of Stena’s decision. We will be looking for a commitment from the Government that they will work with local agencies to improve the line as well as putting their money where their mouth is and investing in it. Stena have said they would consider using Stranraer as their interchange again, providing the service is improved.”
ENDS
CONTACT – ANDREW MACKENZIE 07769206856
“GROSSLY UNFAIR SNUB” AS REGION SET TO MISS OUT ON FUEL DUTY CUT
“GROSSLY UNFAIR SNUB” AS REGION SET TO MISS OUT ON FUEL DUTY CUT
Local politicians have described the decision by the UK Government to cut fuel duty for the Scottish islands but not rural areas on the mainland such as Dumfries and Galloway as “a grossly unfair snub”.
The Tory-led UK Government has announced that fuel duty will be cut by 5p per litre for fuel consumed on the Scottish islands from March next year. The scheme will operate by giving petrol retailers on the islands a 5p per litre rebate on the petrol and diesel they purchase, which they will then be required to pass on fully to the customer. Confirmation of the scheme follows EU approval of a fuel duty cut earlier this year.
However, this move will do nothing to help motorists in Dumfries and Galloway, who face some of the highest fuel prices and lowest wages in the country. Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown and Dumfriesshire MSP Elaine Murray say more and more local people are struggling to meet the increasing costs of petrol at the pump. They are calling on the UK Government to bring in a temporary VAT cut to cut the cost of fuel for motorists in Dumfries and Galloway.
Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown said:
“Motorists in Dumfries and Galloway face a double whammy of a low wage economy and some of the highest fuel prices in the country. This announcement by the Government is a grossly unfair snub to local people who are struggling to meet the rising cost of fuel. Out of touch Ministers need to realise that this scheme will do nothing for people in our area. Everyone across the country is finding it hard to pay the bills and while I am pleased Scots on the islands are going to get some help, why should local people here miss out? What we need now is a temporary VAT cut which would provide immediate relief and fairly cut the costs of fuel to all motorists.”
Dumfriesshire MSP Elaine Murray added:
“Once again people in Dumfries and Galloway are missing out. People are rightly angry at the soaring price of petrol and diesel at the pump because in an area like ours a car is a necessity for many. A VAT cut would benefit the many, not just the few. Inflation has risen and the costs of living are spiralling and local people can’t take much more. The Government needs to get a grip and cut the VAT rate to ease the ever-increasing pressure on household budgets.”
ENDS
CONTACT – ANDREW MACKENZIE 07769206856
NOTES TO EDITOR
FIRST MINISTER’S “RHETORIC DOESN’T MATCH THE REALITY”
FIRST MINISTER’S “RHETORIC DOESN’T MATCH THE REALITY”
WORRY THAT SALMOND’S ANNOUNCEMENTS “ARE NOTHING MORE THAN HOT AIR”
Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown has said that First Minister Alex Salmond’s “rhetoric simply doesn’t match the reality”, following his visit to the area today (Friday) to open the new Stena Line terminal on Loch Ryan.
The First Minister said that, following Stena’s move out of the town of Stranraer, improvements to roads and rail were in the pipeline and that a regeneration task force is to be set up.
Reacting to the First Minister’s announcements Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown said:
“I am delighted with the investment by Stena Line into the region, but clearly this is a very anxious time for the town of Stranraer. Local people will be worried that the First Minister’s words are nothing more than hot air. The First Minister talked about improvements to roads and rail – but his Government have put major work like the Dunragit bypass on hold and have plans for a ‘two tier’ railway where we will lose out to the central belt. And he spoke about the need to regenerate Stranraer – but his Government cut £8 million from the waterfront regeneration fund. So far, Alex Salmond’s rhetoric simply doesn’t match the reality.
“While a taskforce is welcome, it should have been set up months, if not years, ago. We’ve known for years that Stena Line would be leaving Stranraer and instead of waiting for that final ferry to depart, the Scottish Government should have rolled up its sleeves and got involved far sooner.
“The SNP are good at talking big, but time after time Dumfries and Galloway has missed out. Local people are fed up of broken promises from the SNP and they will be measured by what they do, not what they say.”
ENDS
CONTACT – ANDREW MACKENZIE 07769206856
“BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT” AS GOVERNMENT REJECTS CALLS TO DELAY SOLAR FEED-IN TARIFF CUT
GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT TO CONSIDER LOCAL PEOPLE’S ‘OFF-GRID’ CONNECTION CONCERNS
Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown used a debate in the House of Commons yesterday (Wednesday) to raise the deep concerns of local people about the Government’s proposed cut in solar power feed-in tariffs.
The Government’s plans will see the amount of money people are paid for the energy they produce themselves using solar panels on their own property, called a ‘feed-in tariff’, cut in half and leave some local people over £17,000 out of pocket over the lifetime of the solar panels. The lower rate will be paid to everyone who has their installation completed after 12th December. However, the installation can take several weeks and many people now facing the loss of thousands of pounds had paid the installation fees prior to the Government’s announcement last month and therefore assumed they would receive the higher feed-in tariff.
The 12th December deadline has caused a panic among consumers, which has led to a shortage in components. Across the UK there are tens of thousands of people with ongoing solar power installations that will not have them completed by the deadline. Unfortunately the Government yesterday refused to consider delaying the 12th December deadline.
Russell Brown raised the particular issue of constituents who have contacted him requiring an ‘off-grid’ connection to complete their solar panel installation. These people will have the solar panels on their property in time but will miss the deadline for the higher feed-in tariff because they are waiting for their grid connection. The Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Chris Huhne, committed the Government to considering this as part of the consultation.
The Government’s proposals mean:
- the feed-in tariff for domestic installations is being cut by over half, from 43 p/kWh of energy produced to just 21p/kWh for all installations after 12th December. The cut means that some local people will see a total loss of income of £17,000 over the lifetime of the solar panels.
- will exclude 9 out of 10 properties by bringing in a new energy efficiency requirement.
- put jobs at risk in small businesses across Dumfries and Galloway who have invested in training for solar installations.
Following the debate, Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown said:
“It was bitterly disappointing that the Government refused to listen to the overwhelming calls to delay their 12th December cut in the feed-in tariff. The announcement last month came as a bombshell and has caused utter chaos as there is now a mad frenzy for solar panel components. It means local people, many of whom made the decision to install solar power because of the higher feed-in tariff, are set to lose as much as £17,000. Across the UK tens of thousands of people have paid for solar installations on the basis of the higher feed-in tariff and are now desperately trying to get the installation completed in time.
“The cut in feed-in tariff has also put jobs on the line in Dumfries and Galloway. Local businesses in our region have invested heavily in training up staff and now they are worried there will be a drop in demand once the feed-in tariff is slashed.
“However, I am pleased that the Government has committed to taking on board the concerns I raised with them about my constituents who are waiting for ‘off-grid’ connections. The Government’s current plans are extremely frustrating for them because they will have solar panels on their property but will miss the 12th December deadline simply because they are waiting for the final connection to the grid. This is a particular issue in rural areas like Dumfries and Galloway and I hope everything will be done to help local people.”
ENDS
CONTACT – ANDREW MACKENZIE 07769206856
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. From Hansard, Wednesday 23 November 2011:
Mr Russell Brown: Will the Secretary of State say something about remote rural areas, because I have a constituent who has had solar panels installed but, because of her remote location, she has to pay a further £21,000 for an off-grid connection? There is absolutely no way in which her supplier can connect her before 12 December.
Chris Huhne: By all means, the hon. Gentleman should give us the details of exactly that sort of issue, which we will consider as part of the consultation. However, his constituent might have been better served if there was a proper energy efficiency audit of her home so that she could make substantial energy savings beforehand.
2. A Feed-in Tariff (FIT) is a contract with a renewable energy producer which agrees to pay them a certain amount for the energy they produce.
3. The scheme was introduced under the last Labour Government and came into force in April 2010. It was intended to act as an incentive to people to install renewable technology, drive jobs and growth in the green economy and increased community awareness of renewable energy.
4. In 2010, the tariff was set at 43p/kWh for solar PV. The Government is planning to cut the tariff for solar PV installations with a capacity of 4kW or less to 21p/kWh from 12 December 2011. For multiple installations the rate falls to 16.8p/kWh.
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