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Scotland First
A party that is listening.
David McLetchie
we will
put Scotland First in a strong UK
A Decentralised Scottish Parliament
For example, the department of Tourism and Culture could be located in Inverness, Industry and Transport in
Glasgow,Agriculture in Perth, Environment in Stirling, Health in Dundee and Fisheries in Aberdeen. A hitech
communications system should be put in place to make this dispersed network function efficiently.
To complement this, the Committees of the Scottish Parliament should be encouraged to sit in different parts of
the country and hold public meetings at which local people can contribute ideas and question politicians.
labour has
"Why wasn't I told about the new taxes?''
we will
create wealth and jobs
Labour has made five basic blunders.
They have raised taxes; introduced new
regulations; spent too much because of
their failure on welfare reform; attacked
savings; and taken interest rates out of
democratic control and given them to
the Bank of England.
On top of this, Labour, supported by the
SNP and Liberal Democrats, plans to
abolish the pound, passing control of
economic policy to unelected European
bankers and bureaucrats who want to
push our taxes up to their high levels.
A Low Tax Economy
Labour has burdened individuals and businesses with
an array of new "stealth taxes'' such as the windfall
tax, increased national insurance, the pensions tax,
increased petrol tax and the abolition of MIRAS and
the married couples allowance.
Labour has a whole raft of new tax proposals that it
would like to impose on Scots such as higher
business rates, road tolls, a parking tax and a
tourist tax.
Both the Scottish Nationalists and the Liberal
Democrats would go even further. They both plan to
use the Tartan Tax and make Scots pay a higher rate
of income tax than people living in the rest of the
UK. This will make the average Scottish family £250 a
year worse off and, because of recent budget
changes, it will hit the lowest paid particularly hard.
In addition to the extra taxes, there will be an
additional burden on business through the cost of
administering the Tartan Tax. This has been
estimated at £170 million by the Association of
Scottish Life Offices.
Scottish
Conservatives stand
for an enterprise
economy to ensure
prosperity and
high quality
public services.
If the Scottish Nationalists ever achieved their aim of
an isolated Scotland, our country would face a deficit
of between £3 billion and £7 billion depending on
Scotland's share of oil revenues. A recent
independent study by Professor Kemp of Aberdeen
University showed that SNP claims about the amount
of oil revenue Scotland would receive are hopelessly
optimistic and that our deficit would be far nearer £7
billion. This could only lead to reduced public
spending, higher taxes and increased borrowing.
In addition, isolation would cost 230,000 jobs and the
SNP's determination to join the single currency
would mean slashing public spending by at least £1
billion to meet the entry criteria.
Scottish Conservatives will oppose any attempts to
increase the tax burden on Scots.
Transport
Scotland is a major exporter and high transport costs
undermine the competitiveness of our businesses.
Labour has already hit hauliers and motorists hard
with increases in fuel taxes and vehicle excise duty
and in the Scottish Parliament would go even further.
Labour has plans for road tolls on trunk roads, city
entry charges and parking taxes. Scottish
Conservatives will oppose them all.
We will campaign for fair petrol prices throughout
Scotland. Additional taxes imposed by Labour on
petrol and diesel have had a devastating effect on our
rural communities where the car is a necessity, not a
luxury. The price of petrol in rural areas is already far
higher than in urban areas, something Labour has
done nothing about.
In Labour's first year in power, it raised £2 billion in
tax from car users in Scotland, yet only spent £295
million on transport. Labour has slashed the roads
budget that it inherited from us. We want a rolling
programme of road improvements in the interests of
safety and the development of our economy to
include our planned upgrades of the A77/M77,A96,
A1, M80, A828, the A75 Stranraer route and the M74
Glasgow extension.
We would also seek an end to the annuality of
funding for roads to make it easier to plan for
the future.
Creating Jobs
The LECs should be given sole responsibility for
economic development and training in their areas to
end the present confusion caused by the split
between them and local authorities. This would
provide a more coherent structure to pursue long
term wealth creation and jobs.
Labour's record on jobs in Scotland is a disgrace:
15,000 job losses last year and 5,000 so far this year.
Unemployment is up and there have been major
recent job losses at, amongst others,Viasystems,
Wrangler, LiteOn,Volvo and Dawson International.
Labour has added to the burdens of business by
implementing the European Working Time Directive,
which by the Government's own admission will add
£2 billion to the costs of business and lead to further
job losses.
In the past, we enjoyed success in getting young
people into work. Once young people have their foot
on the first rung of the ladder, it is possible to
improve personal skills and build on them with
vocational qualifications. Such jobs are better
provided under the direction of business and
industry rather than whatever approach is in vogue
with the Government.
In addition, we would extend the principle of choice
in training for young school leavers. All 16 18 year
old school leavers who want it, should be given
access to training or apprenticeships through a
training voucher that could be presented to an
employer or training provider of their choice.
Traditional apprenticeships in the building trades
should be part of this programme.
The education system must provide young people
coming onto the jobs market with proficiency in the
basic subjects, including communication skills. Close
links between business and education must be
fostered to ensure young people are fit for the world
of work.
Small Businesses
Labour will destroy the Uniform Business Rate. We
will oppose this move, as we believe that the UBR
has protected small businesses in Scotland from the
excessive increases imposed by local authorities in
the past and has created a level playing field for
Scottish companies and their counterparts in the rest
of the UK. This must not be lost.
We believe that there is a need to revitalise our town
centres and local communities by attracting shops
and businesses back. Partly, this means reversing
some of Labour's damaging transport policies, but we
would also offer business rate relief to traders
and small businesses in town centres and
local communities.
Tourism
Scottish Conservatives believe that there should be a
Minister in the Trade and Industry team with
responsibility for tourism.
Tourist boards currently suffer from the annual
wrangling with local authorities for funding which
makes strategic planning difficult for the industry. We
would provide adequate core funding for the Area
Tourist Boards directly from the Scottish Tourist
Board. Where possible, funding would be set for a
three year period to assist longterm planning.
We would review the marketing of Scotland abroad
and look at the current relationship that exists
between the British Tourist Authority and the Scottish
Tourist Board to ensure that it works in the best
interests of the industry in Scotland.
We would oppose any attempts by Labour or the
other parties to impose a tourist tax or any other
additional burdens on the industry which would have
an adverse impact on visitor numbers and
employment.
Scottish Conservatives would also initiate a review of
Scottish Licensing Laws to simplify our existing
arrangements and to encourage future investment.
Fighting to Save the Pound
Scottish Conservatives will ensure that Scotland's
voice is heard on this matter.
labour has
"How can I ever hope to pay my fees....?''
we will
provide a free education
Scottish Conservatives believe that
education and training must enable
everyone in our society to realise his or
her full potential. This means
guaranteeing a high quality of education
for every child and encouraging life
long learning for everyone.
Our policies are based on the principle
that at every level nursery, primary,
secondary, further and higher education
and training, the best way to ensure
high standards is to provide real choice.
At the last election, Labour promised to
make education its number one priority.
Labour has failed to deliver on its
promise. It has betrayed students over
tuition fees, undermined teacher morale
and deprived parents of choice in
nursery education.
Abolish Tuition Fees
We will end tuition fees for Scottish students. We
would replace them with a Saltire Award that will
give students real choice as to the university they
attend and ensure that the money goes directly to the
higher education institution. At present, the money
from tuition fees goes to the Government. The
tuition fee is a tax on learning rather than a method
of funding universities.
The Saltire Award will give every Scottishdomiciled
student who has attained the minimum standard for
University entrance a credit worth £1,000 per year.
This would be redeemable at any university in the
UK and would not be means tested.
We would also remove the anomaly of students from
other parts of the UK having to pay the cost of a
fourth year at a Scottish University.
Quality and Choice in Nursery Education
In contrast, the Scottish Conservatives will restore to
parents the right to send their children to the nursery
school of their choice, whether it is in the state,
voluntary or private sector.
This will be done by giving every eligible family in
Scotland a voucher equivalent to the value of a full
time place for a four year old at a nursery school. At
present, Labour's scheme only guarantees a part time
place for four year olds. We would extend this by
guaranteeing a full time place using the money set
aside by Labour to provide a part time nursery place
for all three year olds. This system would be flexible
and could, for example, be used by parents for a part
time place for a three year old and a part time place
for a four year old.
The Right Start in Primary School
The £50 million that Labour is using to cut class sizes
in Scottish primary schools could be better used to
bring in specialists to teach foreign languages. This
would work on the same lines as the teaching of
music at present.
This would have the added advantage of reducing the
current burden on teachers, allowing them to
concentrate on the core subjects, as well as leaving
more time for marking and for them to supervise
afterschool activities.
Labour's commitment to cut class sizes at the last
election was a response to an English difficulty as
average class sizes are not a problem in Scotland.
We believe that the money would be better spent
on tackling the problem of the overcrowded
curriculum in primary schools, which means that
some subjects do not have the time devoted to them
that they require.
Real Devolution to Schools
Schools should no longer be managed by local
authorities, but instead by Local School Boards named
after the communities they serve. For example
Hamilton School Board or Leith School Board,
would manage a group of schools within their areas.
Their members would include local Councillors,
Head Teachers and representatives of individual
school boards.
Local School Boards would be funded directly by the
Scottish Parliament and they would be given their
share of present council spending on the provision of
central services. This could include the voluntary
integration of schools in the private sector, such as
the Rudolph Steiner and Waldorf Schools.
Local School Boards could appoint a school manager
to take pressure off Head Teachers and would be able
to share administrative costs and facilities and
organise joint activities.
Local School Boards would be responsive to the
needs of parents and local communities and would
be the most effective way of raising standards in our
schools.
Greater devolution also requires greater monitoring
of standards centrally and we will legislate for the
extension of the powers of the General Teaching
Council and the establishment of an independent pay
review body for teachers.
We will give every eligible family in Scotland a voucher equivalent to
the value of a full time place for a four year old at a nursery school
Better Discipline in Schools
Head Teachers will have responsibility for the hiring
of staff and will have an incentive to appoint teachers
who can maintain discipline in their classes. As it is
such a crucial part of teaching, we would ensure that
teacher appraisal by the GTC backed this up by
placing greater emphasis on maintenance of
discipline in class.
However, there is a growing problem in our schools
of disruptive pupils who cannot be controlled by
traditional punishments and are more than happy to
be excluded or expelled from school.
We propose to introduce a system of constructive
discipline in schools based around a new post of
School Mentor. This member of staff would be
trained for this new role which would combine two
functions. The first would be the traditional guidance
role of looking for ways of stimulating a disruptive
pupil's interest in school as a way of enhancing the
pupil's future career prospects.
The second role would be as the supervisor of a
range of disciplinary measures, which could include
the use of special units within schools, the greater
use of detention and the suspension of privileges
such as participation in afterschool activities that the
pupil enjoyed. The School Mentor would involve
parents in this process, as without parental support
the enforcement of discipline becomes impossible.
This twintrack approach would be aimed at keeping
disruptive pupils in mainstream schooling and give
them a real incentive to behave well.
Crucial to the maintenance of good discipline is a
pupil's sense of pride in his or her school. Although
it would be a matter for the individual school board
to decide, we believe that schools should reflect the
wish of most parents to see a return to school
uniform for pupils as part of creating the right
atmosphere within the school.
Sport and AfterSchool Activities
We want to put regular PE lessons back on the school
curriculum for all pupils as part of a wider strategy to
improve the health of our young people.
"I feel let down by Labour...''
labour has
we will
put patients first
Scottish Conservatives are committed to
the National Health Service. We helped
to create the NHS and we developed it
during our periods in Government which
account for two thirds of the life of the
NHS. We are committed to an NHS
which is free at the point of need and
provides high standards of health care
for our people.
We will put the needs of patients back at
the heart of the NHS.This means giving
greater power to local GPs so that they
can tailor their services to meet the needs
of their patients.
We will respond to patients' wishes for
local medical care by providing extra
money, released by stripping away layers
of bureaucracy, to develop the range of
services that they can receive locally
through GPs and local Community Health
Trusts.
To complement this, we will develop our major
hospitals into centres of medical excellence at the
cutting edge of research, innovation and technology.
In opposition, Labour promised the earth to NHS staff
and patients, but it has spectacularly failed to deliver.
In Government, Labour has shown that it cares more
about political control, than it does about patient
care. This has led to morale within the service
reaching an alltime low.
Waiting times have increased under Labour. Labour
has thrown money at waiting lists in an attempt to
meet its discredited manifesto pledge. This ignores
the fact that the length of time patients have to wait
for treatment is far more important.
Labour's obsession with waiting lists has distorted
clinical priorities in our health service and led to a
serious misallocation of resources. This has
prevented staff within the service from deciding
where to spend money in the best interests of
patients.
Labour's mismanagement of the NHS has led to a
crisis in the service, with patients in Accident and
Emergency Departments waiting for hours for
treatment. Dr Brian Potter, the Scottish Secretary of
the BMA, has condemned the management of the
NHS in Scotland as being in "an unbelievably
awful state''.
We helped create the NHS and we developed it during our periods in
government which account for two thirds of the life of the NHS.
A Fair Deal for NHS Staff
We will address this issue by setting up a clinicianled
working party to examine morale and working issues
within the NHS.
We need to improve working conditions to ensure
that the retention of existing staff is easier and that
experienced staff are encouraged to return. This
means providing more NHS cr'eches and prefive
education for the children of NHS staff.
We will end the uncertainty within the NHS about
pay by retaining a UK health service with pay rates
for doctors and nurses determined by an
independent pay review body.
We want to see the nursing profession grow both
clinically and professionally, with specialist nurses in
hospitals and nurse practitioners in local surgeries.
We will introduce modern matrons into hospital
wards to ensure that there is a visible leader on the
ward to whom patients can go with problems and
concerns. This will improve patient care and provide
an enhanced career structure for nurses.
Less Bureaucracy
We will reverse this damaging trend as we are
committed to reducing unnecessary bureaucracy to
ensure that as much money as possible is put into
treating patients.
Although Health Boards have, in the past, performed
an important role in planning services for their areas,
we believe that the new Parliament should take over
the overall strategic planning and allocation of health
service resources for Scotland. This would be done
through the Minister for Health and a Parliamentary
Standing Committee, with the administrative
functions carried out by the Common Services
Agency. The regulatory and professional bodies
would be fully consulted on all decisions.
We will therefore remove Health Boards and Labour's
new GP Cooperatives and Primary Care Trusts. The
money saved will be invested in improving local
health care and modernising our hospitals.
Better Local Health Care
By removing Labour's large, new GP Cooperatives
and Primary Care Trusts, we are putting the local GP
surgery back at the centre of the NHS. We will use
telemedicine to ensure that people living in remote
areas of Scotland have easy access to our centres of
medical excellence.
GPs would be allocated budgets on the basis of the
number of patients on their list with a formula built
in to take account of the health needs of differing
parts of Scotland. This would give local surgeries the
freedom to deliver local health care for their patients.
Local surgeries should be free to merge their budgets
and expand the range of services offered.
We would use the money saved from reducing
bureaucracy to invest in an expansion of local health
services. This would mean more money for local,
community hospitals which would help to reduce
the problem of bed blocking in our large hospitals by
allowing patients to move back to local hospitals for
postoperative care.
The bulk of medical care would then be provided at
a local level, but if specialist hospital care was
required, GPs would arrange this for their patients.
Excellence in Our Hospitals
Professionals within hospitals should have a greater
role in the management of our NHSTrusts and
there should be greater clinical representation on
Trust Boards. This would have the added advantage
of taking politics out of the running of our
health service.
Public Health
We remain committed to national target setting for
the treatment of chronic heart disease, cancer, strokes
and the management of mental health.
Local GP surgeries have done a lot to improve
preventative care.With the greater budgets and
freedom that we intend to give them they will be
able to develop these local initiatives further.
However, there is also a role for patients in taking
greater responsibility for their own health.
Community Care
"I'm too afraid to go out at night...''
labour has
we will
For Scottish Conservatives, fighting crime has always been a top priority. The rule of law and
good order are the essential foundations upon which all else is built. A decent, civilised
society is one in which people can go about their everyday lives without fear and feel secure
in their own homes. To this end, we will introduce a new, indictable crime of Home
Violation. This would replace the current law on house breaking and would properly
recognise both the severity of this crime and the trauma that it causes to its victims.
Scottish Conservatives are committed to reestablishing the public's faith in all parts of our
Criminal Justice System. This can only mean zero tolerance of crime.
Whilst respecting the independence of the law officers as the head of the system of public
prosecution, we will introduce greater accountability in relation to their stewardship of the
administrative resources of the system. This will take the form of a monthly legal question
time at which the Lord Advocate can be questioned by Members of the Scottish Parliament.
Our record on law and order in Government proves our commitment to creating a safer
society. Increased resources for the Police, falling levels of crime, new crime prevention
measures such as Neighbourhood Watch Schemes and CCTV cameras, a tough sentencing
policy, waging war against the evil of drugs these were the features of the last Conservative
Government in action.
Labour promised it would be "tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime''.
Its performance since the election has shown this to be all talk and no substance.
Labour has cut the number of Police Officers in Scotland, let criminals off with soft
sentences and betrayed the innocent victims of crime.
We aim to reverse the damaging trends established by this Labour Government and seek to
achieve a society in which only criminals live in fear.
Compassion for the Victims of Crime
We will ensure that the Criminal Justice System
serves the interests of the victims of crime. In cases
of serious sexual offences, everything will be done to
make the legal process as painless as possible for the
victim. This would include such measures as giving
the victim the right to give evidence over a video link
and assigning a special Victim Liaison Officer in the
Procurator Fiscal's office who would act as a link
between the victim and the prosecuting authorities.
Victims will be advised of the progress and outcome
of their cases and, if the accused is found guilty, the
victim will have the right to submit a Victim Impact
Statement before sentencing. If proceedings are not
taken or are dropped, they will be told why that has
happened.
We will ensure that victims are given the option to be
advised, in advance, of their offender's release date
from prison and it will become an offence for those
convicted of serious sexual offences to contact their
victims, in any way for any reason, without the prior
written consent of their victims.
Support for Local Police Forces
We are committed to providing the Scottish Police
Force with the necessary money and manpower to
tackle crime effectively and to the concept of locally
based Police Forces. These forces must be locally
accountable and capable of responding to local needs
though we will continue to encourage the different
Police Forces to share common services such as
training, DNA testing and computerised
fingerprinting.
Public confidence in the Police is crucial in the fight
against crime. The best way to achieve this is high
profile policing, which means more officers on the
street and, if necessary, an increase in the number of
special constables.
Honesty in Sentencing
Scottish Conservatives will restore public confidence
in the justice system by ensuring that it is swift, sure
and fair, punishing the guilty whilst protecting the
innocent.
We will set up a Parliamentary Committee to
consider and review all aspects of the system
including funding, administrative disposals such as
fiscal fines and sentencing policy, including the
extension of mandatory sentencing. The aim would
be to achieve greater consistency in disposals and
sentencing, a better public understanding of
sentencing policy and ensure that the punishment
fits the crime.
Honesty in sentencing must be restored by ending
automatic remission for serious offences. Victims and
their families must know that the sentence they hear
in court is what the offender will serve. Prisoners
should have to earn remission through good
behaviour.
We believe that for serious offences prison works. To
protect the public, those guilty of repeated serious
offences should be imprisoned for life: for these
criminals it would be "two strikes and you're out''.
For other offenders, we favour greater use of
meaningful noncustodial sentences, such as
electronic tagging and community service. However,
offenders working on community service projects
should wear uniforms as a visible deterrent to others.
Any violation of tagging or community service would
mean an automatic jail sentence.
Preventing Crime
In Government, Scottish Conservatives pioneered
community involvement in the prevention of crime
through Neighbourhood Watch Schemes and the use
of Closed Circuit Television Cameras.
We would look at ways of increasing the coverage
of Neighbourhood Watch and CCTV to address the
problem of crime moving to areas which are not
presently covered.
Where new housing developments are planned, we
will ensure that there is consultation between
builders and the Police concerning crime prevention
measures.
We aim to reverse the damaging trends established by this labour
government and seek to achieve a society where only criminals live in fear.
"It's scary at school with all the drugs...''
labour has
we will
Drug abuse threatens the very fabric of our society. It destroys lives and tears
families apart; it leads to widespread and recurring crime and to the disintegration
of communities.
Scottish Conservatives recognise that drug abuse is a multifacetted problem which
crosses the boundaries of law and order, health and education. Each aspect must be
addressed as part of a clear, coordinated national strategy with, as its longterm
objective, the creation of a drugfree Scotland. This would be led by a Minister in
the Scottish Parliament with specific responsibility for drugs policy. The Minister
would work with a Scottish Parliamentary Committee and would implement and
coordinate policy through the relevant agencies.
Labour has failed to give this issue the priority and resources which it merits.
Donald Dewar promised to provide extra drugs squad officers attached to local
Police Forces, but like so many of Labour's promises it was a hollow one. No new
money was provided to fund these extra officers and Police Boards are expected to
find the money out of their already tightlysqueezed budgets. The promise of extra
Police Officers to tackle drugs will, therefore, not be met.
Law and Order
Judges should be given special training in relation to
drug problems. They will be given the power to refer
convicted drug abusers to a rehabilitation centre, but
breach of a Rehabilitation Order would lead
automatically to a return court appearance for
alternative sentencing.
We will develop Rehabilitation Units within prisons
and promote zero tolerance of drug abuse in prisons.
Drug abuse threatens the very
fabric of our society. It destroys
lives and tears families apart.
We will introduce more regular drugs tests on
prisoners, and abusers will be relocated to the
Rehabilitation Unit. Those convicted of smuggling
controlled drugs into a prison will face a minimum
prison sentence of 3 years.
Health and Education
We would set up a working party to investigate and
report on the effectiveness of Methadone as part of a
harmreduction programme.
Every school should provide drugs education to its
pupils. Every secondary school in Scotland should
appoint a Drugs Education Officer from amongst its
staff who would be given suitable training and be
responsible for liaison between the school and local
agencies.
We will support our strategy to address the drugs
problem among young people and promote a healthy
lifestyle by encouraging participation in sport
through youth clubs and other communitybased
organisations.
Drug abuse must be addressed as part of a clear, coordinated
national strategy with, as its longterm objective, the creation of
a drugfree Scotland.
"I want to be able to continue farming...''
labour has
we will
Scottish Conservatives understand that
diversity is one of Scotland's defining
characteristics as a country. We cherish
this and will continue to defend our
rural communities and way of life.
Labour is completely out of touch with
the countryside and neither
understands nor cares about the rural
way of life or the rural economy.
This is not surprising as Labour's
support is concentrated in urban areas
and Labour has attempted to impose its
own urban values on the countryside.
Labour is responsible for a crisis in
Scottish agriculture and has totally failed
to defend the interests of Scottish
fishermen in Europe, preferring to avoid
offending its friends in other left wing
EU Governments.
A Fair Deal for Farmers
Labour has made the situation even worse by piling
new burdens onto our farmers in the form of red
tape and increased costs. Equivalent costs are not
being borne by farmers in other EU countries.
To top it all, Labour introduced its ridiculous beefon
thebone ban, at a time when beef farmers are still
reeling from the effects of the BSE crisis. We would
lift this ban immediately. We would also ensure that
EU Inspectors were invited to look at abattoirs in
Scotland and provide marketing support to help
restore our beef exports. Labour has neglected this.
Scottish Conservatives believe that a strong farming
and crofting industry underpins our rural
communities and must continue to do so in
the future.
We will push for a powerful Agricultural Committee
to be set up in the Scottish Parliament to scrutinise
any decisions that are taken which affect the
industry.
With many farmers' incomes now dependent on
subsidy payments, we will introduce a sensible
appeals procedure, with a builtin time limit, to deal
with any disputes.
Scottish farmers must enjoy equal treatment to those
in other EU countries and should not be subject to
burdens that are not imposed on their European
counterparts.
Pig and poultry farming in Scotland has been
damaged by the import of meat into this country that
is produced in conditions, and using methods, that
are not allowed here. We will campaign to stop this.
Supermarkets have an important role in this respect
and we will encourage them to introduce animal
welfare codes to inform consumers of superior
standards of meat production. Labelling should also
be accurate and we will end the practice of meat
being labelled as Scottish when it is produced abroad
and only processed here.
Scottish Conservatives would like to see a closer link
between farmgate prices and prices on the
supermarket shelf, particularly at a time of falling
commodity prices. We will encourage support for
our farmers by greater use of local farm produce in
schools, prisons and hospitals.
The extension of cooperation will be crucial to the
recovery of the Scottish farming industry. Scottish
Conservatives will explore different methods of
funding for cooperative ventures to improve
economic stability in farming communities.
Cooperation in marketing initiatives for Scottish
products at home and abroad will be particularly
important.
As farm subsidy is progressively reduced, Scottish
Conservatives will argue for targeted support for
marginal and upland farmers and recognition of the
role farmers play in improving our environment.
Supporting Scotland's Fishing Industries
This is because Labour is too afraid of upsetting its
friends in other left wing EU Governments to defend
a vital Scottish interest.
The Nationalists have nothing to offer Scotland's
fishermen, other than decline, misery and hardship.
Their headlong rush to be ruled from Brussels will
result in more foreign boats plundering our waters.
The consequences will be ever smaller quotas for our
fishermen, together with more regulation and
bureaucracy imposed against their will. As an
independent country within the EU, we would have
minimal influence. As part of the UK, we are one of
the major EU countries and Scottish Conservatives
will use that to further the interests of our fishermen.
The Scottish Conservatives believe that a completely
new approach to fisheries policy is needed and our
top priority is to secure a fair deal for Scottish
fishermen.
We have consulted widely and recognise that our
fishermen face everincreasing pressure from falling
quotas and quota hopping, while the conservation of
fish stocks is being undermined by the large amount
of dead fish that are returned to the sea. We will
work to end the current CFP arrangements which are
failing our fishermen.
In 2002, matters will be made worse when the
derogation allowing our fishermen the exclusive
right to fish in our own historic waters will come
to an end. This is not acceptable and we will work
for a permanent settlement in the interests of
Scottish fishermen.
Fishermen must have more say in fishing policy. This
means the CFP must be changed to devolve power to
national and regional levels. This would give our
local fishing industries control over the stock of
fisheries, while recognising the traditional rights of
other countries.
Our intention is, therefore, to establish national
control over our own waters, for example by zonal or
coastal management.
We recognise the current problems of the salmon
farming industry because of the problem of ISA.
Labour has failed to do anything to address the
problems of the disease spreading further and we
would put a proper emergency plan in place. We
would also review the present compensation
arrangements, which do not command the support of
the industry.
Scottish Conservatives will address the threat to the
fish processing industry in Scotland caused by
predicted increases in water charges to comply with
EU pollution regulations. We do not believe that
high costs for low environmental benefit can be
justified and would apply the principle of BATNEEC
in this case.
Higher Food Standards
We do not agree with the flat rate levy that Labour
has proposed to fund the new agency, as it cannot be
right for small local shops to pay the same as
supermarkets. Nor do we believe, as some do, that
the new agency should be paid for by levying VAT on
food.
We will demand that the agency applies the same
standards to foreign produce as it does to our own to
eliminate unfair competition.
Genetically Modified Food
While the Scottish Conservatives are not opposed, in
principle, to the release of GM crops, we believe that
there should be a 3 year moratorium on the
commercial release of these crops. This will allow
time for studies on their impact, particularly on the
environment, to be examined. For those GM foods
already released, the public should be given accurate
information about the contents of what they are
eating through clear labelling.
Land Reform
The land reform agenda of both Labour and the SNP
is driven by a few specific problems with poor land
management, almost exclusively in the northwest
Highlands. There is very little evidence of any real
problems in the rest of Scotland. The whole
programme is politicallydriven rather than a serious
attempt to address the problems facing rural
Scotland.
We see no need for Locality Land Councils, as
proposed by the Nationalists, as they would add an
unnecessary tier of bureaucracy and stifle much
needed development in rural areas. Without an
interest in the economic viability of land, they would
have power without responsibility.
Any reform must emphasise the voluntary approach,
with encouragement given to consultation between
landowners and local communities. Above all, there
should be no extension to the power of the state to
interfere with private rights of ownership and
enjoyment of land. Increasing state interference will
simply make ownership of land less attractive to
private individuals, leading to loss of investment and
local employment opportunities. Similarly, there
should be no increase in compulsory purchase
powers and no ban on foreign ownership of land.
Where possible, the State should divest itself of
existing land holdings. Our priority is to see current
levels of employment in rural areas maintained and
preferably enhanced. This can best be done through
simplifying our restrictive planning laws to permit
sustainable development in rural areas.
We will oppose any attempts to introduce land
taxation or reintroduce sporting or agricultural rates
as the economics of rural Scotland do not provide
sufficient income to meet these additional costs.
However, we will support specific land reform to
update the feudal system of land ownership; reform
agricultural tenancies and modernise crofting law. We
will also support a balanced approach to the reform
of access legislation.
Forestry
labour has
"I can't stand the bureaucracy of the council...''
we will
Scottish Conservatives understand that
revitalising our communities means a
smaller central state and less central
control.
We need to devolve real power to
individuals, families and communities to
give them far more responsibility for
their own lives.
The record of the Labour Government
shows its obsession with greater
centralisation and control of every area
of our lives. When Labour talks about
partnership, it is not a partnership
between people or between real
communities; for Labour one of the
partners will always be the State.
Accountable Local Government
Too many Councils in Scotland are failing their
communities. In many parts of Scotland, Labour in
Local Government means sleaze, mismanagement and
cronyism. In many cases, Councils run by the
Nationalists, the Liberal Democrats and Independents
are not much better and their local policies have led
to huge DLO debts.
A priority for Scottish Conservatives is to restore
public confidence in our Councils which must be
truly accountable to their communities and able to
deliver good local services giving value for money.
To ensure this, Councils will be required to prepare
an Annual Report for their electorate and the Scottish
Parliament on their activities, successes, failures,
problems and plans for the following year. This
report will require to present a true and fair account
of their affairs as assessed by the Local Government
Ombudsman whose role will be enhanced
accordingly.
We believe that greater local accountability could be
achieved by the introduction of directlyelected
Provosts and a Cabinet System to replace the present
cumbersome committee structure. The Cabinet
would be chosen by the Provost and could include
people drawn from within the Council or from
outside. The Provost and Cabinet would present
budgets and service delivery plans to Councils of
directlyelected ward Councillors.
Councillors would act as advocates for their wards
and be accountable to them. Collectively, they would
scrutinise the activity of the Cabinet through a
system of select committees. This would bring a
more professional approach to the running of our
local authorities.
We would propose that the Scottish Parliament set up
a cross party Standing Committee to consider this
and other options for the future structure and
funding of Local Government. This would include
the future role of Community Councils.
We will promote employee buy outs of Council DLOs
and DSOs to allow them to compete outside the
public sector. This would create new opportunities
for these employees to run their companies
profitably in the private sector and so improve their
own pay and conditions, as well as their longterm
job security. It would also stop the council taxpayer
from having to pick up the tab for DLO debts arising
from mismanagement.
An End to Council Housing
Under the Scottish Conservatives, home ownership in
Scotland increased from 35% in 1979 to over 60%
today and we will continue to encourage the
extension of home ownership, as there are still many
people in Scotland who would like the opportunity
to own their own home.
To improve the standard of housing for everyone in
We need to devolve real power to individuals, families and
communities to give them far more responsibility for their
own lives.
Scotland, we must devolve control of housing from
Councils to local housing associations, housing
cooperatives or a range of other providers. This
would give tenants a real choice of landlord and a
real say in the management of their homes. It would
also bring in private sector investment to assist in
necessary repair and renovation projects.
We would support a system of stock transfers
running in tandem with debt reduction.
The prospect of an end to council housing is one
that should be welcomed, as it has been characterised
by unsympathetic and unresponsive bureaucracy, by
disastrous architectural experiments and by financial
waste on a massive scale.
Council tenants deserve better than this. They need
managements that will face up to their
responsibilities to control, and if need be, evict anti
social and disruptive tenants. This is a responsibility
that too many Councils have abdicated in the past. In
extreme cases, we would propose that antisocial
tenants should be placed in halfway houses to
protect their neighbours from noise and nuisance.
Special Needs Housing
Homelessness
A Clean, Healthy Environment
We will ensure that there is close liaison between
Holyrood,Westminster and Brussels as pollution
knows no boundaries and it is only by working
together that we can protect our environment.
A clean environment can only be achieved through
economic growth to pay for "green'' measures. We
will resist excessive regulations and high taxes that
would harm our prosperity, while seeking to promote
sustainable development.
We will support measures that harness the diverse
sources of energy that we have in Scotland, including
renewable and nuclear energy.
Energy efficiency should be promoted and we would
like to see local pilot schemes to explore the use of
Combined Heat and Power as an environmentally
friendly way of tackling fuel poverty. This would be
linked to our strategy of transferring housing to local
housing associations and would help to protect
vulnerable households from the effects of cold and
dampness.
The Scottish countryside is a national asset that is
vital to our tourist industry. We will continue to
support the work done by Scottish Natural Heritage
and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency to
protect our environment and ensure that they have
the necessary funding. We believe that they should
retain their independence but be fully accountable to
the Scottish Parliament.
We will strengthen policies to protect the Green Belt
around our cities and prevent "ribbon development''.
However, we will ease planning restrictions in rural
areas to allow smallscale new housing developments
which are badly needed in these areas.
In urban areas, we will seek to preserve green, open
spaces which Labour Councils have been too ready
to sell to developers. We are also committed to the
renewal of degraded land and brownfield sites.
Arts & Culture
Development of the arts and culture in Scotland
should be decentralised with lottery money going to
community projects. Labour is taking money away
from such projects and putting it into its own pet
schemes.
We will ensure that the Gaelic language and culture
continues to receive a fair level of funding, building
on our record in Government.
We would also like to see greater emphasis on music,
drama and the arts in our schools by providing a
bank of musical instruments which could be loaned
to pupils anywhere in Scotland and the extension of
the use of specialist teachers in these subjects.
We would support the setting up of a Venture Capital
Fund to fund the arts in Scotland and we believe that
successful projects that have benefited from
taxpayers' money should put a percentage of their
profits back into the Arts Council to fund future
projects.
As the Party that set up Scottish Screen, we would
continue to give strong support to its work to help
the highly successful Scottish film industry.
An Open, Compassionate Society
People must be treated on the basis of merit and not
background. Access must be universal, with no
special status or special rules for any group. There
must be no jobs or houses denied to people because
of their sex, race or religious beliefs.
We must enable disabled people to participate fully
in society. We will push for the Scottish Parliament to
appoint a Minister for Disabled People and set up a
Disability Task Force. The aim of the task force would
be to focus minds and attention on developing a
strategy to get rid of the unnecessary obstacles that
the ablebodied unwittingly place in the way of
people with disabilities.
We would support measures to encourage sport for
disabled people in Scotland and foster their talent,
enjoyment, access and participation.
Our society must also be compassionate. This is not
the compassion of the Labour and Scottish National
Parties, which leads people to believe that their
obligations to others end when they vote for a Party
promising higher taxes and spending. Ours is a
compassion based on the belief that it is the
excessive intervention by the faceless state that
erodes the bonds of duty and compassion that bind
society together.
We want to liberate our communities from this
excessive intervention and release the potential of
the Scottish people. A sense of community is deeply
ingrained in the Scottish psyche and we believe that
this can be tapped to revitalise civic society in
Scotland.
In a society with unprecedented levels of education
and prosperity, this means families and communities
taking greater responsibility for their own welfare.
We have a duty to enable those within our
community who through age, disability or
unavoidable circumstances are unable to look after
themselves to share in and enjoy the growing
prosperity and opportunities of our society.
Achieving this aim will require far greater support
and better core funding for voluntary organisations
and carers in Scotland. Scottish Conservatives will
provide this support.
from listening and learning:
Vote Scottish Conservative 3 times on 6th May
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party |