Teacher shortages are costing the four North East councils approximately £10 million per year, according to a freedom of information request obtained by North East Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles.

NHS Grampian and NHS Tayside are each losing over 1 million hours of staff time to illness each year, according to a freedom of information request obtained by North East Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles.

Cash strapped NHS Grampian failed to meet national standards for 24% of patients waiting for urgent cancer treatment in the first quarter of 2019, according to figures publishes by MHS Scotland’s Information Services Division (ISD) today.  

There are presently five times as many patients in NHS Grampian who have waited over 12 weeks for hospital dental treatment than there were four years ago, according to figures obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats through the Scottish Parliament’s independent research library SPICe.

Scottish Liberal Democrat rural economy spokesperson Mike Rumbles has welcomed the announcement that the Scottish Government has convened a group of independent representatives from consumer, producer and environmental organisations to help design a new bespoke system for rural support after 2020.

Commenting on figures published by Transport Scotland today that show an increase of 10% in fatal accidents in 2018, Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson and North East MSP Mike Rumbles said:

“The Scottish Government has had mixed success in reducing serious accidents on our roads but not enough is being done to target safety on rural roads and major trunk roads. Cars are getting faster and safer but our rural roads haven’t kept up and the speeds on many of those roads are not fit for purpose. Countless roads in the North East, Highlands and Borders are just not suitable for cars travelling at 60 miles per hour.

Speaking during a Scottish Government statement on cycling in Scotland, in the Scottish Parliament today, Scottish Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson Mike Rumbles told MSPs that not enough had been done to deliver on promises to give every school pupil access to cycle training in Scotland.   

Speaking ahead of a ministerial statement on Scotland’s cycling action plan, Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Mike Rumbles MSP has called for a series of measures to boost biking.

Local Liberal Democrat candidate for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine John Waddell and North East Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles have written a joint letter to the Scottish Government’s transport secretary calling for a full review of safety on the AWPR, especially for busy junctions such as the one at Westhill.

Speaking in the final debate on the Scottish Government’s Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Bill today, North East Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles thanked the public health minister for working constructively with him to make changes to the Bill that will help protect people who do not wish to donate their organs after they have died.