Peter Grant MP has claimed Esther McVey, the UK Government minister responsible for Work & Pensions, has gone back on a promise she made in January to meet with him in person to discuss Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

During a debate four months ago on an Urgent Question, tabled by Mr Grant following the High Court’s decision to rule that some UK Government changes to PIP were unlawful, Esther McVey said: “If there is a specific case or constituent that the honourable Member would like to see me about my door is open and I will meet with him.”

However when he tried to take her up on this promise and wrote to her asking for a meeting, he waited over six weeks before finally getting a reply from a junior minister stating the Secretary of State was unavailable to meet with him to discuss the issue.

On Monday afternoon the Glenrothes and Central Fife MP raised the matter in Parliament, only for Esther McVey to delegate the answering of the questions to colleague, Sarah Newton MP.

Peter Grant said: “It is ridiculous that the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions has to hide behind her junior minister to dodge questions on such an important issue.

“Esther McVey said to me very clearly in Parliament last January that her door would be open to meet if I wished to discuss how her Government’s handling of Personal Independence Payments has adversely affected those in my constituency.

“Instead of opening her door she is now closing down communication on what was an unfair and callous attack by the UK Government on people with disabilities.

“I ask the Secretary of State again to keep to her promise and meet with me to discuss this issue.”

Notes;

Peter Grant said in Parliament on Monday afternoon: “Four months without even an update to the Members of Parliament doesn’t sound like it’s (PIP) been treated urgently by the present Government. But in January when the Government were dragged in by an urgent question to give a statement on the court case that they lost, the Secretary of State assured the House that If I wanted to contact her to arrange a meeting to discuss a particular case in my constituency her door was open and she would meet me. Six weeks after I wrote asking for such a meeting I got a letter back from a junior minister saying the Secretary of State was not available to meet me. Will she apologise for breaking the promise she made to me, and will she apologise on behalf of my constituents and the constituents of other Members that we still do not know what the Government are doing to sort this mess?”

Video: https://www.facebook.com/PeterGrantSNP/videos/891945544331144/

Peter Grant MP press release on PIP: https://www.petergrant.scot/single-post/2018/01/25/MP-calls-for-end-to-Callous-Attack-on-Disabled

Peter Grant MP has welcomed this week’s announcement that Emma Harper MSP, the Parliamentary Liaison Officer to the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy, Fergus Ewing, will bring forward a consultation on a Members’ Bill to tackle livestock worrying.

The consultation will look to consolidate the various forms of legislation which relate to livestock worrying, to make it more understandable to dog owners, and to allow for the establishment of consequences for breaches of the proposed legislation.

Mr Grant has been vocal on the issue of livestock worrying, after a rise in the number of sheep being attacked by dogs in his Glenrothes and Central Fife constituency and across the nation in recent months.

He said: “I welcome the news that Emma Harper MSP has brought forward a consultation to strengthen legislation in the area of livestock worrying.

“Last month I publicly supported The Scottish Farmer magazine’s ‘Take a Lead’ campaign to encourage responsible dog ownership when walking near livestock and for the Scottish Parliament to look at ways to improve legislation in this area.

“Farmers in my constituency and across Scotland will be pleased to learn that steps are now being taken to address livestock worrying, which bears a significant financial cost to the farmer and is also a very serious animal welfare issue.

“I congratulate Emma Harper on bringing forward this consultation and for her work in highlighting this important issue.”

ENDS

Notes;

Emma Harper MSP press release: https://twitter.com/EmmaSNPHarper/status/996828660391907329

Sheep worrying reports in Glenrothes and Central Fife this year: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-43344931

Peter Grant MP supports ‘Take a Lead’ campaign: https://www.petergrant.scot/single-post/2018/05/15/PETER-GRANT-BACKS-TAKEALEAD-CAMPAIGN

Peter Grant's office and The Scottish Farmer's collaborative video highlights the effects of sheep worrying to farmers: https://www.facebook.com/PeterGrantSNP/videos/872713802920985/

Contact Ross Cunningham on 07887 534126 or email ross.cunningham@parliament.uk if more information is required.

(Peter is pictured alongside Claire Taylor from The Scottish Farmer promoting the magazine's '#TakeALead' campaign.)

Peter Grant MP has blasted the UK Government for trying to “defend the indefensible” by not condemning the Israel Government for the deaths of a reported 60 Palestinians at the hands of Israeli soldiers in Gaza last Monday. Eight children were counted among the 60 killed, while a further 2,700 Palestinians reportedly suffered injuries.

Israeli forces fired live rounds and used tear gas against crowds at the border protesting against the controversial opening of the American embassy in Jerusalem. The United Nations voted against the moving of the US embassy from Tel Aviv by 128-9 when it was announced last December, with countries stating it was a violation of international law and would be destabilising to the region.

Alistair Burt, the UK Government Minister for the Middle East, has called for an independent inquiry into the incident, saying, “The United Kingdom has been clear in calling for, urgently, a need to establish the facts of what happened, including why such a volume of live fire was used. We are supportive of an independent, transparent investigation.”

However, Peter Grant believes the failure of British officials to condemn Israel for the massacre is damaging to the UK's international reputation. Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon, the MP for Glenrothes and Central Fife, said:

“The UK Government is trying to defend the indefensible by not condemning the slaughter of 60 Palestinians, including 8 children.

"How does it help the cause of moderate voices in Gaza and elsewhere in Palestine, when they look to one of the supposedly great diplomatic powers on Earth, the United Kingdom, and see a complete refusal to recognise the evil that was done to the people yesterday?

"How does that help them to persuade the Palestinian people that one day they'll be able to trust the United Kingdom as an impartial ally to build a peace process?"

ENDS

Notes;

Israel defends Gaza crackdown:

Peter Grant MP questions Alistair Burt on Gaza position: https://www.facebook.com/PeterGrantSNP/videos/888692994656399/

The United Nations votes against USA plan to relocate their US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem:

The SNP has long supported a two state solution for Israel and Palestine as ultimately the only way to find lasting peace and reconciliation in the region. The SNP seeks stronger diplomatic action to ensure international law applies to all and we don’t turn our back on the plight of the people of Palestine. Scottish Ministers and SNP MPs have pressed the UK Government to use its influence to promote self-determination for Palestine and help relieve suffering in the occupied territories.

Kinglassie MP, Peter Grant, made a recent visit to the village to congratulate the Kinglassie Action Group on securing funding to flood light the popular skate park and Lochty Park Ball Court.

The funding is part of a £75,000 package, recently approved by the Glenrothes Area Committee, which will also pay for the repaving of the Loch Lomond Centre car park in Glenrothes.

The building of the skate park and the ball court were originally backed by Peter Grant while Leader of Fife Council back in August 2013.

He said: “I was delighted to meet with the Kinglassie Action Group to congratulate them on securing this funding. Their tireless efforts will allow young people in the village to make greater use of these local recreational facilities.

“This investment will significantly improve the health and wellbeing of young people in Kinglassie and will benefit the community as a whole.”

Notes;

The skate park is 22 metres x 18 metres in size and includes quarter pipes, jump ramps, mini ramps, a fun box and a grid rail. Lochty Park Ball Court is 30 metres by 8 metres in size and can be used for both football and basketball.

Peter Grant MP made a visit to Collydean Community Centre to hear what the management is doing to attract more people through its doors in the north of Glenrothes.

The Collydean Community Café has been running every Thursday and Friday (between 11am-2pm) since July last year and has been one of the focal points in bringing in members of the public.

Lauren Jones is Marketing & Administrative Assistant at the Centre and has been tireless in her efforts to engage with the local community.

Peter Grant said: “I was pleased to meet with Lauren in the excellent Collydean Community Café to hear about the success of the Centre and the variety of activities and events they host for people of all ages.

“I would encourage my constituents in the North Glenrothes area to have a look at what Collydean Community Centre has to offer and get involved.”

Lauren said: “It was great that Peter Grant took the time to come up to Collydean. Having our local elected official here is an important way to promote what we do and to engage with the local community.

“Our community café has been steadily growing week by week, and it’s been really nice to see the same familiar faces returning again and again alongside a few newer ones.

“We are setting up new activity groups all the time and the groups we have are growing too. It’s really important that we have a number of things on for kids as well as for older people who are vulnerable and may not have a lot of things locally for them to do.”

To find out more about the Collydean Community Centre you can visit their Facebook page (facebook.com/collydeancommunitycentre) or email lauren@collydeancommunitycentre.co.uk

Levenmouth MP, Peter Grant, attended East Fife’s last match of the 2017/18 campaign as they welcomed Stranraer to Bayview Stadium on Saturday 28th April.

Before watching the match, which ended 3-2 to the visitors, Mr Grant was invited into the Board Room where he met Chairman Jim Stevenson and the rest of the Board and was shown some of the historical artefacts on the walls, including the original match ball used in East Fife’s 1938 Scottish Cup triumph.

Peter Grant said: “I would like to thank Chairman Jim Stevenson and Dennis Cook from East Fife Football Club for inviting me as a guest to their home match with Stranraer. This is an important year for the club as they celebrate 80 years since lifting the Scottish Cup and 70 years since lifting their first of three League Cups – making them Fife’s most successful football club.”

“I have been supporting East Fife with an advertising board since March 2016 and I’m happy to see that continue into the future. The club finished in a respectable 6th place in the table this term and I wish them every success next season in achieving promotion to the Championship.”

Peter Grant MP recently visited Michael Woods Sports & Leisure Centre in Glenrothes to be taken on a tour of the newly built state-of-the-art indoor 3G sports pitch, which started welcoming its first members of the public last month.

The indoor pitch, funded by Fife Council and sportscotland, has markings for both 7-a-side and 5-a-side matches and will be an important asset for Fife Football Performance Academy, Fife Elite Football Academy, grassroots football programmes and local clubs.

The arena also contains two upper level meeting rooms - ideal for video analysis or player/coach education courses.

While on the visit Peter met with Raith Rovers manager, Barry Smith, and was able to watch part of the Kirkcaldy side’s training session on the new surface.

Peter Grant MP said: “Glenrothes has long been one of Fife’s premier locations for sport and recreation and this new arena underlines that. I was able to hear first hand from Barry Smith on the benefits of having such a facility here in Central Fife and I have no doubts that it will help both Raith Rovers and youngsters here in Fife achieve success in the future.”

Sharon Johnstone, area leisure manager for Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, said: “The indoor training facility is a fantastic additional asset for Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre and we hope that it attracts users from across the region. The trust is committed to getting more people more active more of the time and facilities like this offer even greater choice and access to local communities to enjoy the benefits of physical activity.”

With lambing season well underway across Scotland, Peter Grant MP is supporting The Scottish Farmer magazine’s #TakeALead campaign to encourage the public to keep dogs on leads when walking near livestock.

Since the New Year there have been three separate reports of sheep worrying in Mr Grant’s Glenrothes and Central Fife constituency resulting in the death of nine sheep in fields in Cardenden, Leslie and Windygates.

Peter Grant said: “Firstly, the term ‘sheep worrying’ is not strong enough. It doesn’t portray the severity of the impact dogs can have when let loose around livestock and will not serve as a deterrent to dog owners to take care around farm animals.

“I’m happy to help local farmers by raising awareness of these incidents and to encourage everyone to work together to ensure dog owners are responsible around livestock. These incidents are criminal offences and should be treated seriously with criminal action.”

David McKerrow, a Fife farmer is left counting the cost after a dog attack on his flock in Windygates in late February, said: “I went down to check the beasts and found one of the ewes running with the rest of the flock but with her head badly injured. She was in great distress and we took her straight to the vet where she was immediately put down.

“There was no sign of the dog that did it and nobody came forward. The stress the dog had caused to the flock led to one ewe aborting her lambs, three ewes with twin lamb disease and the first two ewes had one dead lamb each.”

Add your signature to the #TakeALead campaign on The Scottish Farmer website: http://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/takealead/

Peter Grant MP recently visited local business Pro-Duct Group to meet managing director, Brian Dempster, and to be taken on a tour of their 20,000 square foot production facility on Station Road, Cardenden.

Pro-Duct are a family run business founded in 1996 and are now one of the leading companies in the manufacture and installation of Heating & Ventilation Duckwork systems.

Peter Grant MP said: “I always enjoy the opportunity to visit businesses in my constituency and I was delighted to meet Brian Dempster and be taken on a tour of Pro-Duct Group. It was fascinating to learn more about the work they do here in Cardenden.”

Brian Dempster added: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Peter Grant, our local MP, for taking the time to visit our premises here in Cardenden, Fife, and for taking the time to hear our views on business matters. He also went on a tour of the workshop to get an insight to the services that the Company provides to the construction industry.”

Peter Grant, MP for Glenrothes and Central Fife, has welcomed a recent survey revealing that 67% of Fifers back the SNP’s position that the UK should remain a member of the Single Market post Brexit.

A clear majority of Fifers (64%) also believed the UK would be better off staying within the European Union and that a fifth of Leave voters would reconsider their vote.

Earlier this year the Scottish Government released analysis revealing that Scotland could take a £12.7bn economic hit in the event of a ‘no deal’ on Brexit, with access to the Single Market and Customs Union cited as the least damaging post Brexit option.

Peter Grant, who is the SNP Spokesperson for Europe, said: “These findings by Fife Today strengthen SNP calls to keep Scotland in the Single Market to protect jobs and maximise growth. This poll is consistent with the view of people across Scotland that Single Market membership is absolutely vital to the Scottish economy.

“Fifers voted decisively to remain in the European Union and almost two years on from the vote the UK Government has failed to provide any certainty for businesses and our public services which rely on free trade and free movement with the rest of the EU.”

The poll of 500 people was carried out by the website of the Fife Free Press’s group of newspapers, in partnership with Google Surveys. 59% of Fifers voted to Remain in the EU Referendum in 2016.

Peter Grant, the SNP Spokesperson for Europe, has called for the UK Government to “listen to farmers both north and south of the border” who depend on frictionless trade with Europe.

His comments come a day after Scotland’s national farmers’ union (NFU Scotland), which represents 9,000 members, released a statement saying they were disappointed that the UK Government has again ruled out continued membership of the EU’s Customs Union and "without setting out an alternative or recognising what this will mean for food and farming in the UK."

The farmers’ unions in both Scotland and England & Wales, as well as the National Sheep Association, have all stated in the past that access to the Single Market and Customs Union is a priority, with England & Wales’ NFU President, Minette Batters, stating last year that to not have Single Market access would be “absolutely disastrous”.

Peter Grant, MP for Glenrothes and Central Fife, said: “It is clear that in both Scotland and the rest of the UK there are a number of real concerns in the agricultural industry on what will happen to the industry post Brexit. Already we’re seeing good quality food being left to rot in the fields because the Government’s ‘Hostile Environment’ is deterring workers from coming here from the rest of the EU. After Brexit our farmers could find themselves struggling to get their crops harvested and then struggling to export them through new layers of red tape.

“I encourage Theresa May to listen to farmers both north and south of the border in their calls to retain our membership of both the Single Market and the Customs Union.

“The SNP position is clear that access to the EU Single Market and Customs Union is the least damaging of the Brexit scenarios and is the best way to save jobs and to let our businesses continue to trade freely with the European market.”

Scotland’s farmers, crofters and growers produce output worth around £2.9bn a year, and are responsible for a large part of Scotland’s £5bn of food and drink exports.

Notes;

NFU Scotland statement:

Peter Grant, MP for Glenrothes and Central Fife, recently visited Fife Women’s Aid at the Saltire Centre in Glenrothes to hear from manager Joy Patrick and the Women’s Support and Refuge team leader, Lynda Carey, on the work the charity provides women and children who are experiencing domestic abuse.

Fife Women’s Aid was formed in 2010 when Fife’s three Women’s Aid charities in Cupar, Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy were merged into one single organisation. The charity’s vision is of an equitable society in which women, children and young people are valued participants, able to determine their own future and are free from all forms of abuse.

Peter Grant said: “I met with Joy and Lynda to hear stories of how the charity has helped women and their children to free themselves from abusive relationships. Fife Women’s Aid provide a critical service to women experiencing domestic abuse, which can be traumatic both physically and psychologically.

“I was impressed with the level of support on offer at Fife Women’s Aid and with the empathy and professionalism of the team there. There has been an ongoing relationship between Fife Women’s Aid and my constituency office, and my staff and I have always been more than happy to provide support to the charity and their users when needed.”

Joy Patrick added: “We are always pleased to have Peter Grant visit us and to have the opportunity to speak with our local MP in person. Women’s Aid is committed to supporting women and children in Fife by providing refuge accommodation, support, group work, information, advocacy, counselling, befriending, family work and court support, as well as a dedicated 24/7 out-of-hours service.”

Fife Women’s Aid is welcoming food donations as some of the families requiring refuge arrive with nothing. The charity will accept other donations but do not have storage space so if the public has items they would like to donate please call 0808 802 5555 or email info@fifewomensaid.org.uk

Notes;

Find out more about Fife Women’s Aid at www.fifewomensaid.org.uk

Peter Grant, MP for Glenrothes and Central Fife, highlighted his constituents’ complaints regarding the system for triggering Cold Weather Payments to UK Government Minister, Andrea Leadsom, in the House of Commons last month.

Mr Grant also asked if Andrea Leadsom’s colleague, Esther McVey, the Work & Pensions Secretary, could make a statement to the House on the issue.

A number of constituents contacted Mr Grant following the recent extreme weather which saw all schools across Fife closed for four full days and left many snowed in and unable to use cars and public transport services to leave their houses and flats.

Mr Grant told the House: “Constituents of mine in most of my constituency were astonished to discover that it wasn’t cold enough to trigger the payments during a week in which they were under two to three feet of snow, travel of any kind was impossible and they were subject to Scotland’s first-ever red alert due to the danger from snow and ice.”

Constituents lost out because of a postcode lottery under which entitlement to Cold Weather Payments for residents in KY6, KY7 and KY8 postcodes depends not on the temperature in any of those areas but on the temperature at a weather station in Leuchars – some 20 miles away from Glenrothes. Leuchars, as well is being on the coast, is roughly 50 feet above sea level while parts of Glenrothes are about 600 feet above.

In a letter to the Work & Pensions Secretary, Mr Grant has asked that when the next review of weather stations takes place that considerations can be made for the KY6, KY7 and KY8 postcodes so they are never again denied the financial support that has rightly been given to others.

View the video below: