Local MP questions Immigration Minister over Dungavel Detention

18 May 2009

UK Immigration Minister Phil Woolas has faced demands to explain why a four-year-old boy with health problems has been imprisoned in Dungavel –despite assurances given by the Scottish Secretary in October 2008 that detention of children at the institution would stop.

The Glasgow East SNP MP, John Mason, today (Monday) demanded answers at Home Office Questions after Fatou Felicite Gaye and her four-year-old son Arouna were held after a dawn raid in Sighthill, Glasgow and are now in Dungavel.

Speaking earlier today, Mr Mason said:

“The treatment of this young child and his mother is utterly shameful, and rips up the promise made by Jim Murphy that detention of children would end.

“There is no excuse for the UK Government’s actions concerning Fatou Felicite Gaye and her son Arouna. This four-year-old has already been treated for post-traumatic stress disorder caused by previous interaction with the Border Agency.

“This is also clear and disgraceful breach of Jim Murphy’s promise last October to end the detention of children and breaks the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“Only days after the Scottish Government announced a joint pilot with the UK Borders Agency to provide alternatives to locking innocent children up in Dungavel the UK Immigration Agency has done just that.

“The UK Government are detaining a child born in Scotland in an immigration centre that is not fit for children.

“Jim Murphy must end his silence has repeatedly failed to answer questions on the number of children held in Dungavel or to guarantee that no child would be held there in future. Now we know at least one child is in Dungavel and that is one too many.”

Notes:

1. The detention of a woman and her four year old son at Dungavel is reported here;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8050550.stm

2. The Scotland Office commitment to end detention of children at Dungavel is here;

http://www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk/scotlandoffice/9722.html

3. A transcript of Mr Mason’s exchange with Phil Woolas is detailed below:

John Mason MP: Can the Minister tell us why a four-year-old boy with medical problems has been imprisoned at Dungavel in Lanarkshire.

Minister of State for Immigration: Mr Speaker, it would not be right of me to comment on individual cases . If the honourable gentleman wants to take that up with me, then I will of course respond to him duly. Of course, on the general policy of detaining children that is of course a last resort. We have in place the programmes to look at alternatives, but I have to say, Mr Speaker, that it is regrettable that on some occasions, people who have not co-operated with the decisions have been made by independent tribunals and courts, and who otherwise would abscond to face detention.

East End MP welcomes increased support for Services Veterans

14 May 2009

The SNP Member of Parliament for Glasgow East, John Mason, has welcomed moves by the Scottish Government to improve the support available to ex-services personnel as they adapt to civilian life.

Mr Mason made his comments as the Scottish Government announced this week that it will, over the next two years, provide nearly 3 million to improve access to specialist mental health services.

These monies will be used to open a dedicated veterans treatment centre in Scotland and strengthen community outreach services actions which will make it easier for veterans living in Scotland who experience mental illness and psychological trauma connected to their time in the forces to combat stress.

The main centre is at Hollybush House in Ayr, and is run by veterans mental health charity Combat Stress.

The veterans treatment centre is the latest in a series of initiatives by the Scottish Government to increase support for ex-service personnel. Last month, it was announced that for the first time, a dedicated veteran’s hub would be piloted, to help those leaving the armed forces and their families to access specialist help and support to get into work, find a home and increase their wellbeing.

Key help available from the hub will include:

· Health – assessments and treatment with an on-site therapist for those experiencing illnesses such as post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression

· Education – advice on how to boost qualifications, secure funding and find the right academic or practical training course

· Employment – access to volunteering opportunities and information on looking for a paid job

· Housing – welfare advice and practical support to find the right place to live

· Social – linking veterans to other veterans and providing advice on getting involved in community projects and social events.

The hub will be staffed by peer support workers with military backgrounds, ensuring that the service will be run by veterans’, for veterans’. The pilot project will be based in Edinburgh and, if successful, similar hubs will be rolled out across Scotland.

Mr Mason, who is also the SNP’s Work & Pensions spokesman, said:

“We ask a lot of our service personnel when they are in uniform. Sadly, though, making the transition back into civilian life can be a big challenge, particularly for those with combat stress related illnesses.

“These new services will ensure that veterans – who are readjusting to civilian life – get the right help. Most important of all, it will mean that they are able to get support from other veterans who understand what they are going through.

“In the East End, and in Glasgow as a whole, there is a strong connection to the armed forces, with many of the communities in Glasgow East providing a higher than average number of recruits, particularly for the Army. There will be few people in the East End who do not know of someone serving in the armed forces.

” The SNP Government is committed to doing all that it can, in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and the wider veterans and armed forces community, to meet the needs of all of our servicemen and women, both past and present.

“We have already introduced a series of measures to improve the lives of veterans’ including priority NHS treatment and guidance for social landlords on allocating housing for veterans. Im sure we will continue to find new ways to provide support.

“Our service men and women are ordinary people who we ask to do an extraordinary job. I’m pleased that the duty of care we have towards them while in uniform is being extended in this way to help them prosper in civilian life as well. “

Labour accused of ‘crocodile tears’ over Thatcher apology

05 May 2009

John Mason, SNP MP for Glasgow East, has accused the local Labour Party of crying ‘crocodile tears’ over Mrs Thatcher’s legacy in Glasgow, following a weekend visit to the city by the former Tory prime minister.

Speaking from London earlier today (Tuesday), Mr Mason, who is the SNP Work & Pension spokesman, said:

“Everyone knows that Mrs Thatcher was a disaster for Scotland, but it is a nonsense for Labour to pretend that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have been any different.

“Despite our being in a severe recession, Gordon Brown’s Government is now set to preside over a cut of five hundred million pounds in Scotland’s funding. Despite Mrs Thatcher’s anti-Scottish bias, these Brown cuts are more severe than anything that the Iron Lady imposed on us.

“Labour has had 12 years in power and has done nothing to boost police numbers in the East End, while the SNP Government has increased police on the beat since 2007. Despite their pitiful record, local Labour politicians have the cheek to attack the Scottish Government on anti-social behaviour issues.”

Mr Mason concluded:

“Labour are bringing in a Welfare Reform Bill that will crush poorer people and lone parents in our constituency. They support spending billions of pounds on Trident nuclear submarines on the Clyde. In short, they are just the same as the Tories.

“Labour are looking for Mrs Thatcher to apologise to the City of Glasgow. But when are they going to apologise?”

Mason calls for transparency on MP expenses

01 May 2009

The SNP for Glasgow East, John Mason, has spoken out following last night’s (Thursday) controversial Commons vote of MPs’ expenses, repeating calls for Westminster to use the Scottish Parliament allowances scheme as a model for reform.

Mr Mason, the MP for Glasgow East, said:

“MPs’ allowances should have been overhauled years ago, and frankly any reforms should not be decided by the MPs or Ministers who have abused the system. MPs’ expenses should not be decided by MPs full stop.

“Westminster should follow the open, transparent and reformed system operated in the Scottish Parliament.

“When the Scottish Parliament moved to total transparency, two things happened – the scandals and the embarrassments stopped because information was volunteered and everybody behaved themselves because they knew it was going to be published every three months.

“This is easy – there’s a working model of how to solve this issue in Scotland at the present moment. Westminster should adopt it.”