Argyll & Bute Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Improving our Children's Education
- £80 Million funding for 5 new schools - Dunoon, Rothesay, Oban, Lochgilphead & Helensburgh.
- Record number of teachers & classroom assistants.
Improving our Health Services
- New GP facilities at Dalmally & Tarbert
- New Mid Argyll Hospital
- Consultant led services retained at Oban
- Waiting time reductions
- Abolition of debt ridden Argyll & Clyde Health Board
- More control of local services under Highland
- Free Eye & Dental checks
Better Transport Links
- 2 New Bute ferries
- New ferry terminal - Oban
- Second linkspan - Oban
- New linkspan - Rothesay
- New linkspan and breakwater - Dunoon
- New ferry terminal - Port Askaig
- £1 Million to reinstate Campbeltown/Ballycastle route
- £6 Million investment for Oban Airport, new air services to Coll, Colonsay & Glasgow
- 40% Cut in air fares to Islay
- 30% Cut in air fares to Tiree & Campbeltown
- 30MPH speed limit at Loch Awe
- 40MPH St Catherine's and Lochgair
Helping the Elderly
- National Concessionary Fares Scheme Introduced
- Free Central Heating
- Free Personal Care
Record Investment in Housing
- £15 Million this year to build socially rented housing in Argyll & Bute
- £7 Million, 3 year programme for 82 houses in Mull
- £50 Million to improve and upgrade council housing as part of stock transfer to ACHA
Connecting Argyll & Bute
- Broadband delivered to all rural communities
Cleaning up Our Environment
- £1.3 Million per year for recycling to provide recycling centres throughout Argyll & Bute
Bringing Tourism to Argyll & Bute
- £20 Million extra per year to VisitScotland to help promote tourism
- Route Development Funding to bring direct flights to Scotland
Helping our Fishermen & Farmers
- 39% increase in West Coast Prawn Quota
- Lifting of the EU Beef Ban
A Cleaner Greener Environment
Liberal Democrat Minister, Ross Finnie MSP has provided nearly £15 Million of extra investment which has improved recycling rates in Argyll & Bute from 9% in 2003 to over 25% this year. Local MSP George Lyon and the Liberal Democrat Team in Government have already delivered the 2010 target of sourcing 10% of Scotland's energy from renewables. Scottish Liberal Democrats want to build on that by promising -
- 100% of Scotland's energy from renewables by 2050
- the development of wave & tidal energy, micro generation and community heat & power schemes
- further increases in recycling targets and reduction in landfill
George Lyon and the Scottish Liberal Democrats want to make Scotland the green energy powerhouse of Europe.
Labour Voters Switching to the Liberal Democrats
All over Scotland, traditional voting patterns are breaking down. People feeling let down by Tony Blair and New Labour are increasingly turning to the Liberal Democrats as the real alternative. In Argyll and Bute it will be a two-horse race between local Liberal Democrat George Lyon and David Cameron's Tories.
It's a LibDem/Tory race. Labour & the SNP can't win here!
Investing in our Children's Education
As part of the Liberal Democrat team in Government, local MSP George Lyon has provided £80 Million to build new schools in Dunoon, Rothesay, Oban, Lochgilphead and Helensburgh. Liberal Democrats have also funded an extra 60 teachers and classroom assistants in schools across Argyll & Bute. This has helped reduce class sizes to give our young people a better start. George Lyon and the Scottish Liberal Democrats plan to build on that by promising -
- further reductions in class sizes
- more training places for teachers and sports coaches
- more powers and support for teachers to improve discipline in schools
- free 15 hours per week playgroup time for all two year olds
More Local Health Care
The Liberal Democrat team in Government have delivered their 2003 manifesto commitment to provide free eye and dental checks. They have also reduced waiting times to the lowest level for many years and introduced the Ban on Smoking in public places. Local MSP George Lyon has successfully campaigned for the retention of the consultant led services at Oban and the retention of acute services at Inverclyde Royal Hospital. He also fought successfully for a new Mid Argyll hospital at Lochgilphead.
George Lyon and the Liberal Democrats want to -
- provide 100 new local community health centres
- reduce diagnostic waiting times
- ensure more diagnostic work is carried out in local health centres & hospitals
Record Investment in Housing
As part of the Liberal Democrat team in Government, local MSP George Lyon has invested £50 million through ACHA to upgrade and improve council houses in Argyll & Bute. Over the next 5 years this will provide tenants with new bathrooms, kitchens and windows. Liberal Democrats have quadrupled the investment in new affordable housing in Argyll & Bute to £17 million this year. George Lyon and the Liberal Democrats have promised more investment in the future to tackle the shortage of affordable homes in Argyll & Bute.
More Affordable Transport
As part of the Liberal Democrat team in Government, local MSP George Lyon has successfully delivered new ferries for Bute & Islay, new ferry terminals and link spans for Oban, Port Askaig, Rothesay & Dunoon. Liberal Democrat Transport Minister, Tavish Scott has cut air fares for local people to Islay by 40% and has reduced them by 30% to Tiree and Campbeltown. Scottish Liberal Democrats promise to -
- improve ferry links through further investment
- improve the affordability of ferry fares for local people
- seek permission from Europe to tender the Gourock/Dunoon ferry service on an unrestricted timetable basis
- continue to campaign for the re-establishment of the Campbeltown/ Ballycastle ferry service
- continue upgrading the A82
Cutting Business Rates
The Scottish Liberal Democrats in Government have cut business rates for the last two years in succession. As a result, local businesses in Argyll & Bute will receive a boost from a reduction in business rates. Scottish Businesses will pay £800 less this year. George Lyon and the Liberal Democrats promise to cut business rates even further, giving businesses in Argyll & Bute and in Scotland, a competitive advantage over the rest of the UK.