Education

As speaker on Education I am following on with an integrated campaign that I started nearly 5 years ago.

This revolves around education for sustainability and growing an education system that encourages the full development of every child’s potential, producing young people who are confident, creative and articulate.

I want to see more music in schools, more art, drama, dance, outdoor education and education in the outdoors and a system that genuinely values young people.

Other campaigns

The other campaigns that I continue to be involved in are through my membership and Convenorship of the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Renewable Energy, the Cross Party Group on Learning Disability and the Cross Party Group on Children and Young People.

I am still happy to be involved in marine issues and aquaculture, recycling issues and reforming the prison system.

Fishing & aquaculture

In fishing and aquaculture we have been broadly in support of the Executive but the roll-out of the Aquaculture Strategy has been so slow that throughout the next session we shall be pursuing the Executive with a series of parliamentary questions to press them, particularly on locational guidelines, the regulations which, if applied properly should result in some fish farms at least being moved from where they are at present.

I am happy to say that in fishing I was the first and for many years the only MSP to raise the issue of illegal landings and that this issue has at last become a matter for occasional public debate in the Chamber.

The days of pork barrel fishing politics are not yet over but we will continue in Parliament to fight for conservation of stocks and to say again and again that without any fish there will not be any fishing.

Green space

In Lothians defending green spaces and allotments seem to have taken up much of our time in the first four years and continues to exercise us.

I had a meeting with EDI over their proposals for the South East Wedge, which, disarmingly, appear to incorporate a huge amount of landscaped greenspace.

I have lent my support to the campaign to keep the Polo Fields at Dreghorn and the campaign against the superstore at Portobello.

I have attended many meetings on Third Party Right of Appeal (TPRA) and maintain my connections with Liberton, Broomhouse and Morningside Community Councils.

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