 |
New MP Rennie makes Maiden Speech
March 1, 2006 7:04 PM
Bridge tolls, Queen Margaret Hospital, schools and the city centre were brought to the floor of the House of Commons when Dunfermline and West Fife's new MP made his maiden speech today. Lib Dem Willie Rennie also paid tribute to Rachel Squire, his predecessor, who died from a brain tumour at the beginning of the year. Making his first speech during a cancer services debate Mr Rennie highlighted the condition of Mesothelioma which is expected to be a major cause of death in the constituency.
Mr Rennie said:
"During my election I campaigned on four key issues.
"Firstly, I led the effort against the proposed increases in the tolls on the Forth Road Bridge. We need to provide public transport alternatives to the various parts of Lothian for our commuters who are currently forced to use their car. I look forward to working with others on developing a sustainable transport strategy for this major artery.
"Second, I said I would work with local health campaigners on the future of our local hospital - Queen Margaret. We need to explore how much major elective surgery can take place at the Queen Margaret and I would like to see a Waiting Times Unit developed at the hospital to conduct hip replacements and the like. I am pleased to say that I have already met with them and the local health board to advance that agenda.
"Third, many local people feel frustrated about the state of our city centre. I have pledged to press all those responsible for a revitalized city centre that we can all be proud of. Last week I was able to meet the City Centre business leaders who are enthusiastic about their vision for the centre.
"Finally, despite the best efforts of teachers, standards in our primary schools are below the national average. Our secondary schools are also too large. We need a new secondary school for the west Fife villages which will help reduce the size of our secondary schools overall. We also need to give more power to our headteachers to raise education standards for all our young people."
In a tribute to Rachel Squire, Willie Rennie said:
"When Rachel Squire, my predecessor was elected in 1992, she brought to this place a background in social work and union representation. She also brought a passionate belief in the importance of equality of opportunity for women. Most importantly, she brought a warmth of personality and strength of character, which was appreciated on both sides of the House. Her death this year from a brain tumour was a tragedy for all who knew her. What most struck me was her dedication to her constituents, who she fought for with tenacity. I intend to do just the same."
Willie Rennie made his speech during the Cancer Services Debate. He used the opportunity to highlight the issue of mesothelioma which is expected to be a major cause of death in west Fife in the coming years.
"Many of my constituents will be interested to hear our debate today on cancer services. It is particularly fitting that I make my maiden speech in this debate as Rachel Squire had a long and brave battle against a brain tumour. I am sure that everyone in this House will have been affected by cancer in some way or another - a friend, family or even themselves. Over 130,000 people die from cancer in the UK every year. It's an illness that takes life in such a brutal manner.
"This week I was pleased to be able to sign EDM 1696 on ACTION MESOTHELIOMA. Members will know that Mesthelioma is an incurable asbestos-related cancer. It can develop 30 or 40 years after coming into contact with asbestos, which was widely used in the shipbuilding industry until the late 1970s. Many people predict the epidemic will peak around 2015 to 2020. Its dockyard and shipbreaking heritage makes my constituency a national hotspot for mesothelioma. As reported in last week's Dunfermline Press Dr Colin Selby - a chest specialist at the Queen Margaret Hospital - has warned that between 200-300 men could die in West Fife from the condition each year. At the moment many men haven't even heard of it. So I am grateful to the Dunfermline Press and the British Lung Foundation for helping to raise awareness of this crippling disease."
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats