Dave Thompson MSP

I was delighted to support the Scottish Government’s decision last week to provide healthy free school meals for P1 to P3 pupils, this will be part of a £114 million package for young people over two years. Every one of Scotland’s P1 to P3 children will have the option of a free meal in school from January next year, improving health and wellbeing, increasing attainment and saving families at least £330 a year for each child. This will benefit 6778 children in the Highland Council area.

I was also delighted that the First Minister made a further announcement that free childcare provision would be expanded to every two year-old from a workless household in Scotland – around 8,400 children or 15 per cent of all two year-olds – by August this year.

Further still by August next year, free childcare provision will be extended, reaching 15,400 children – 27 per cent of all two year-olds – by widening entitlement again to families that received certain welfare benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance. This is all on top of an increase in child care for 3 and 4 year olds to 600 hours from August and we will further increase this following Independence to 1140 hours.

However, last week’s debate completely exposed Labour’s narrow partisan agenda when, in their determination to attack everything proposed by the SNP, Labour ended up voting against both free school meals and more childcare which they claim to support.

I have become concerned by the discussions surrounding the cycling provision (and other modes like walking, riding and mobility scooters) in relation to the rapidly developing plans to dual the remaining sections of the A9 from Perth to Inverness. There clearly needs to be a state of the art “people” way that runs along the route but preferably not immediately adjacent to it. Not least because, if it is properly configured, it will mean more people choosing to leave their cars at home for short journeys at least, a very good thing in many ways. I am also concerned, like others, about the impact of dualling on the unique wildlife that enriches our lives and draws countless tourists to support our hospitality industry. So I applaud the suggestions made locally about Green Bridges for wildlife. I am therefore writing to Keith Brown, the Transport Minister to ensure that the “people” way and the suggested Green Bridges are included in the dualling plans.