Mike Rumbles MSP has called on the Scottish Government to co-operate with the UK Government and sign up to its agreement with the European Union to introduce 'air corridors’, as part of the easing of lockdown. The North East MSP also called for Scottish ministers to publish the evidence which they claim supports stricter measures for Scotland, dividing it from the rest of the UK.  

The Convener of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee has today written to Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), on behalf of all members of the committee, requesting a public letter of apology from the company for 'intimidating and threating behaviour' toward a witness.

An ambitious and far-reaching amendment to the Scottish Government's Agriculture Bill, lodged by Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles and passed by the rural economy committee this morning, will ensure a new bespoke system of support for Scotland's rural economy before the end of the next Parliamentary session.

North East Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles and Angus Councillor for Monifieth and Sidlaw, Ben Lawrie, are supporting the #SummerSAAS campaign. The campaign is asking for the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) to provide a summer income for students. The body normally distributes student funding during the normal academic year.

Only 56% of youngsters referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services under NHS Grampian in 2019 received treatment within 18 weeks, according to information provided by the Scottish Government to North East Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles today.

Only 26.6% of patients referred to cash strapped NHS Grampian for chronic pain received treatment within 18 weeks in the final quarter of 2019, according to figures published today by NHS Scotland’s Information Services Division.

Cash strapped NHS Grampian failed to meet national standards for 224 (19%) patients waiting for urgent cancer treatment, during the first three quarters of 2019. Despite the Scottish Government’s own target for 95% of patients to receive treatment within 62 days.  

Commenting on the Scottish Government’s 2020/21 budget, to be passed at Stage 1 in the Scottish Parliament today, North East Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles said:

“This budget does nothing to address the concerns of people in the North East. After a decade of underfunding, our healthcare and local services will continue to be among the worst funded in Scotland and we are still at the back of the queue for investment in critical infrastructure such as superfast broadband.

Figures published by Transport Scotland today show that the amount of people cycling, walking and using buses as a share of all journeys made in Scotland, has continued to decline. Meanwhile the share of people choosing to travel by car or plane has increased year on year.

Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics published today, show that Aberdeen City was the second worst funded of Scotland’s 32 Local Authorities in 2018/19, per head of population.