Two more pieces of good news from the SNP Government in the past two days.
Yesterday, Cabinet Secretary for Health Nicola Sturgeon announced that from April 2008, the cost of a single prescription will be reduced from £6.85 to £5.00, with further annual reductions until the charge is abolished in April 2011.
Prescription charges are a tax on ill health, and can be a barrier to good health for too many people in Scotland - around 50% of the population currently pay for their prescriptions, two thirds of whom are estimated to have a chronic condition..
The Scottish Government is committed to building a healthier nation; through tackling the health inequalities that still scar our nation and supporting people to live longer and lead healthier lives.
Today Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill today announced that he had approved the increase in full, backdated to September 1 this year. The decision follows a recommendation from the Police Arbitration Tribunal last week following the breakdown of police pay negotiations earlier in the year.
Our police officers have a vital role to play in protecting communities of across Scotland, tackling crime and the fear of crime. This pay rise will boost morale among our police officers and acknowledges the vital contribution they make in building safer and stronger communities.
The announcement builds on the SNP Government’s provision of an additional £54 million to deliver 500 new recruits, improve the retention of skilled and experienced officers and support the redeployment of officers to strengthen community policing.
Both of these welcome developments show that this SNP is delivering on the pledges it made in the May 2007 elections. No wonder that today's YouGov opinion poll gives the SNP its highest ever rating - and another recent poll showed the Scottish Government to be five times more popular than Gordon Brown's disintegrating Westminster administration.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Happy New Year Jamie
Can I just start by saying I am in no way an SNP voter/member/lover - I'd say, SNP-sceptic.
I just wanted to write in reply to your post about your party's policy on prescription charges. Cracking stuff! Have been monitoring a similar scheme introduced in Wales a few years back where they gradually reduced the cost of a prescription by £1 a year. As you probably know, it's been lauded with cross-party praise in the Assembly and voters.
This will help bundles of people in Scotland, is well thought out and the sort of simple, genuine, and truly effective policies which actually make a real difference to peoples' lives - something we've lacked for too long. Bravo!
More of the same in '08.
Post a Comment