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                           <title><![CDATA[LABOUR CHALLENGES MINISTER ON SCRAPPING SHORT SENTENCES DURING VISIT TO REGION]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[8 JULY 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE LABOUR CHALLENGES MINISTER ON SCRAPPING SHORT SENTENCES DURING VISIT TO REGION MINISTER ADMITS COST SAVING SOLE MOTIVATION FOR SCRAPPING SENTENCES Local Labour politicians have said that it is galling that the Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing, is visiting Dumfries and Galloway today (Thursday 8 July) only a week after he scrapped short prison sentences and rejected calls to get tough on knife crime. Labour politicians are demanding that the Minister use his visit to explain to local people why the SNP have risked their safety by sending out a message to criminals that the...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:38:10</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[D&G MUST BRACE ITSELF AS SPENDING CUTS MORE SEVERE THAN FEARED]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[8 JULY 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE D&amp;G MUST BRACE ITSELF AS SPENDING CUTS MORE SEVERE THAN FEARED As the country&rsquo;s chief economic advisor announces that Scotland faces even greater cuts than originally feared as a result of the Coalition government&rsquo;s budget, local Labour politicians have said that Dumfries and Galloway must brace itself for massive spending reductions. Dr Gouide carried out a revised study of Scotland&rsquo;s finances following the Tory/Lib Dem Coalition&rsquo;s emergency budget last month. He estimated a public spending cut of &pound;42 billion over the next 16 years &ndash; significantly more than previous analysis&rsquo;s. The updated estimates shows that...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:42:13</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[£1.9M BOOST DOES NOT DISGUISE MASSIVE CUT TO REGION’S HOUSING BUDGET]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[7 JULY 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE &pound;1.9M BOOST DOES NOT DISGUISE MASSIVE CUT TO REGION&rsquo;S HOUSING BUDGET Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray and Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown have welcomed the news that Dumfries and Galloway will receive an additional &pound;1.9 million for affordable housing projects in the region. However they say that it is only &ldquo;drop in the ocean in tackling our region&rsquo;s housing crisis&rdquo; and doesn&rsquo;t disguise the fact the SNP cut our region&rsquo;s housing budget by almost half earlier this year. Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray said, "While any investment in local housing is welcome, this is only a...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:43:44</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[SNP SELL SCOTLAND SHORT ON HEATING PROGRAMME ]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[6 APRIL 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE SNP SELL SCOTLAND SHORT ON HEATING PROGRAMME Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray has accused the SNP of &lsquo;selling Scotland short&rsquo; after it emerged that less than half of the budget for providing help for pensioners and disabled people with heating systems has been spent. A Parliamentary question from a Labour colleague showed that only &pound;24.8m has been spent from the Fuel Poverty budget of &pound;50.6m with only one month to go. Elaine Murray MSP said: "Scottish Labour's central heating programme provided over 100,000 homes with new central heating systems. The SNP replaced it with their own...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:48:41</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[SNP FAIL CANCER PATIENTS ON PRESCRIPTIONS]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[6 APRIL 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE SNP FAIL CANCER PATIENTS ON PRESCRIPTIONS Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray has said it is unfair and unjust that Scotland is now the only part of the UK where people with cancer have to pay for prescriptions. People with cancer in England have been eligible for free prescriptions since April 1, 2009. According to the Department of Health, up to 150,000 patients in England are benefiting, saving as much &pound;100 a year on prescription charges. All prescriptions are free in Wales and since last week prescriptions have been free in Northern Ireland. However, cancer patients in...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:48:02</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[MURRAY WELCOMES STEP FORWARD IN GREEN ENERGY DRIVE]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[6 APRIL 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE MURRAY WELCOMES STEP FORWARD IN GREEN ENERGY DRIVE Households and communities across Dumfries and Galloway who install electricity generating technologies such as small wind turbines and solar panels are now entitled to claim payment for the environmentally friendly electricity they produce. The UK Government&rsquo;s Clean Energy Cashback scheme, or feed-in tariff, began paying out on 1 April and households can receive up to &pound;1000 a year. Elaine Murray MSP said: &ldquo;This scheme marks a change in our relationship with the electricity we use in our homes. Householders will now be paid for producing electricity by...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:47:25</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[LABOUR CELEBRATES FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF SMOKING BAN]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[24 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE LABOUR CELEBRATES FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF SMOKING BAN Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray has praised the smoking ban and its effects in reducing smoking and passive smoking in Scotland, on the week the country celebrates the fourth anniversary of the bill&rsquo;s introduction. The introduction and passage of the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill, which was passed in August 2005, signalled a long awaited end of smoking in public places, and set the precedent for the rest of the UK to follow a year later. In September last year, a Department of Health study showed that...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:46:31</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[MURRAY WELCOMES NEW HATE CRIME LEGISLATION]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[24 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE MURRAY WELCOMES NEW HATE CRIME LEGISLATION Elaine Murray MSP has today welcomed new hate crime legislation that puts hate crimes against disabled or lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people on same footing as racist incidents. The Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Act 2009 which was unanimously backed by Scottish Labour in the Scottish Parliament comes in to force today (Wednesday). The commencement of the new legislation comes as figures were revealed by Stonewall Scotland highlighted that most LGBT people had been verbally abused and one in three had been physically attacked. (1) Elaine Murray...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:45:59</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[MURRAY WELCOMES EARTH HOUR 2010]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[23 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE MURRAY WELCOMES EARTH HOUR 2010 Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray is encouraging constituents and businesses to sign up to the WWF&rsquo;s Earth Hour and show world leaders they are committed to fighting climate change. On Saturday 27 March at 8:30pm WWF want a billion people to switch off their lights for one hour to send a message that they care for the future of the planet. Iconic landmarks around the world will also be plunged into darkness, including Big Ben, the Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building and the pyramids of Giza....]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:45:28</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[LABOUR CALLS FOR SNP ACTION TO PROTECT REGION’S AUCTION MARTS]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[23 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE LABOUR CALLS FOR SNP ACTION TO PROTECT REGION&rsquo;S AUCTION MARTS Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray has called on the Scottish Government to help protect auction marts in Dumfries and Galloway from the pending increase in business rates by following Westminster&rsquo;s lead and introducing transitional rates relief. Her concerns are shared by the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS). The rates paid by non-domestic properties have been revalued and the new rates are due to come into effect on 1 April. The Westminster Government has re-introduced transitional relief for auction marts in England for the...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:44:48</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[SNP FURTHER DELAY BOILER SCRAPPAGE SCHEME]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[22 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE SNP FURTHER DELAY BOILER SCRAPPAGE SCHEME The SNP Government has indicated that it will further delay the introduction of the boiler scrappage scheme by stating in a written answer to Elaine Murray MSP that it will not be available until &ldquo;late spring&rdquo;. The scheme was announced last year by the UK Government and began in England in January and provides &pound;400 towards the cost of a new A-rated boiler when scrapping an old G-rated one. The scheme has been extremely popular with hundreds of thousands of people in England already made enquires, over 100,000 payments...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:44:06</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[MURRAY WELCOMES FOOD LABELLING MOVE]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[19 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE MURRAY WELCOMES FOOD LABELLING MOVE Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray welcomed moves by the European Parliament this week to introduce clearer food labelling. Elaine Murray MSP said: "This is a very welcome development from the European Parliament&rsquo;s Environment and Consumer Protection Committee and one that Labour MSPs have continually raised at Holyrood. &ldquo;People rightly want to be fully informed of where their food has come from. Making it easier for consumers to see where products on the shelf were produced will allow for more informed decisions. &ldquo;Consumers often want to be sure they&rsquo;re buying Scottish and...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:43:27</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[HOUSING REGENERATION SCHEME WELCOMED]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[19 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE HOUSING REGENERATION SCHEME WELCOMED Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray has welcomed the start of a &pound;77m regeneration scheme to demolish and replace 170 former council houses, but highlights the importance that the living conditions of nearby residents are not compromised. The first phase will see flats knocked down at Babbington Crescent in the Lochside area of Dumfries. Elaine Murray MSP said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m pleased this project has got underway and tenants will soon be able to move into new, high quality housing. &ldquo;The housing problem in Dumfries has been made even more acute during these projects as...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:42:59</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[SNP CLIMB-DOWN ON LOCAL NEWSPAPERS ]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[17 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE SNP CLIMB-DOWN ON LOCAL NEWSPAPERS LOCAL LABOUR POLITICIANS WELCOMES SCRAPPING OF "DAMAGING AND UNDEMOCRATIC" PLANS FOR LOCAL NEWSPAPERS Labour in the Scottish Parliament has forced the SNP into a humiliating climbdown over its proposals to take public notices out of local newspapers. MP for Dumfries and Galloway Russell Brown and MSP for Dumfries Elaine Murray have welcomed the SNP's decision to scrap the "damaging and undemocratic plans".  Russell Brown MP said: "This is a humiliating climb-down for the SNP and I'm pleased that Labour's pressure on the issue has paid off."  "Labour has...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:42:10</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[LABOUR WELCOMES DROP IN NUMBER OF KNIFE OFFENCES]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[17 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE LABOUR WELCOMES DROP IN NUMBER OF KNIFE OFFENCES Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray and Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown have welcomed the recent decrease in knife offences in Dumfries and Galloway, but remain concerned that they are higher than a decade ago. Between 2007/08 and 2008/09 the number of people charged with handling an offensive weapon in Dumfries and Galloway dropped by 33.3% from 81 to 54. However, the 2008/09 figure is still 50% higher than the 36 people charged in the region in 1999/00. Following the support of 30,000 Scots for Labour&rsquo;s &lsquo;Carry a...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:41:48</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[MURRAY ACCUSE SNP OF BEING SOFT ON WILDLIFE CRIME]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[16 MARCH 210 IMMEDIATE RELEASE MURRAY ACCUSE SNP OF BEING SOFT ON WILDLIFE CRIME Local MSP and Scottish Labour's Enviroment Spokesman Elaine Murray has accused the SNP Government of being soft on wildlife crime as figures today showed a rise in the number birds of prey found poisoned. Elaine Murray MSP said: "Since they came to power, the SNP have been soft on wildlife crime in Scotland and it is time they moved animal welfare issues higher up their agenda. &ldquo;In order to tackle poisonings, I have called for estates to be named and shamed where foul play is involved....]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:41:02</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[MURRAY: SNP LET NHS FALL BEHIND ENGLAND]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[12 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE MURRAY: SNP LET NHS FALL BEHIND ENGLAND Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray has condemned the SNP for giving Dumfries &amp; Galloway Health Board a below inflation spending increase. At just 2.55%, next year's historically low allocation will put pressure on both staff and services. Elaine Murray warned that the SNP Government is allowing the NHS in Scotland to fall behind the rest of the UK. In England, the NHS has received a significantly higher overall increase of 4 per cent. Elaine Murray MSP said: "The SNP have announced a below inflation increase for Dumfries and Galloway...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:40:33</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[MURRAY “SICKENED” BY INCREASE IN ANIMAL CRUELTY]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[10 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE MURRAY &ldquo;SICKENED&rdquo; BY INCREASE IN ANIMAL CRUELTY Dumfries MSP and Scottish Labour&rsquo;s Environment Spokesman Elaine Murray has said she is &ldquo;outraged and sickened&rdquo; by figures released by the Scottish SPCA showing that 2009 was the worst year for animal cruelty in recent memory. Cases of appalling cruelty across Scotland included a dog being shot in the head, a dog burned to death and a newborn foal slashed. The SPCA attended 42,500 incidents in 2009, up by 4,000 from the previous year. In 2009 there was an increase of 16% in calls to their helpline from...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:40:11</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[LABOUR BID TO REGULATE PROPERTY FACTORS]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[4 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE LABOUR BID TO REGULATE PROPERTY FACTORS Dumfries Labour MSP Elaine Murray has urged members from all parties to back Labour's proposals to give homeowners more protection by enforcing new standards on factors and property managers. She was commenting after Thursday's Holyrood debate. Labour's Patricia Ferguson has tabled a members&rsquo; bill that would give homeowners more rights and require all factors in Scotland to be registered and accredited by an official body. Elaine Murray MSP is supporting the legislation because of the number of complaints she has received from constituents. The proposals are supported by a...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:39:31</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[LABOUR CONCERNED ABOUT DROP IN D&G POLICE NUMBERS]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[3 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE LABOUR CONCERNED ABOUT DROP IN D&amp;G POLICE NUMBERS Official figures released this week show that the number of police officers in Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary are falling. The SNP made a manifesto commitment at the 2007 Scottish Parliament election to increase police numbers across Scotland by 1,000. That equates to an increase in police numbers in Dumfries and Galloway of at last 30 officers. Between September and December last year the number of police officers in Dumfries and Galloway dropped by 6, despite numbers across Scotland rising by 56. These latest figures show that not...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:38:12</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[LABOUR HIT OUT AT BROKEN PROMISE ON RESPITE CARE]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[3 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE LABOUR HIT OUT AT BROKEN PROMISE ON RESPITE CARE Local Labour politicians Elaine Murray MSP and Russell Brown MP have said it is &ldquo;disgraceful&rdquo; that the amount of respite care available in Dumfries and Galloway has reduced over the last year. Respite care in the region has reduced from a total of 2,320 weeks in 2007/08 to 1,980 in 2008/09 &ndash; a reduction of 14.65%. This decrease in the amount of respite care in the region is despite the fact the SNP had a manifesto promise to carers across Scotland to provide an additional 10,000...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:37:30</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[LOCAL MSP DEPLORES SCOTTISH DEFENCE LEAGUE MARCH IN LOCKERBIE]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[LOCAL MSP DEPLORES SCOTTISH DEFENCE LEAGUE MARCH IN LOCKERBIE Lockerbie MSP Elaine Murray has led the condemnation of the Scottish Defence League's announcement that they will march in Lockerbie on 27 March. She described the proposed march as a "deplorable publicity stunt&rdquo; by the group that was &ldquo;intended to use the tragedy of the Lockerbie disaster as a platform to spread their narrow-minded and extremist views&rdquo;. Purporting to oppose what they call the Islamification of the UK, the Scottish and English Defence Leagues claim to be protecting the British way of life. On the SDL&rsquo;s website they announced last week...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:36:36</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[SNP VANITY PROJECT A “DANGEROUS DISTRACTION”]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[1 MARCH 2010 IMMEDIATE RELEASE SNP VANITY PROJECT A &ldquo;DANGEROUS DISTRACTION&rdquo; Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray has described the SNP&rsquo;s publication of another draft Referendum Bill last week as nothing more than an SNP &ldquo;vanity project&rdquo;. She says that the SNP should be focused on jobs, the economy and housing in Dumfries and Galloway rather than planning to split up the UK. Elaine Murray MSP said: &ldquo;This is nothing more than another consultation exercise for the SNP&rsquo;s vanity project. &ldquo;It does nothing to help the people of Dumfries and Galloway. At a time when SNP budget cuts mean teachers in the...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:35:44</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[LABOUR SUCCESS AS 3G PITCHES IN REGION MOVE FORWARD]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[25 February 2010 Immediate release LABOUR SUCCESS AS 3G PITCHES IN REGION MOVE FORWARD Local Labour MP and MSP Russell Brown and Elaine Murray met SportScotland representatives Mark Cowan, Head of Facilities, and Dougie Millen, Partnership Manager for Dumfries and Galloway, in Dumfries recently. They discussed the provision of third generation (3G) football pitches in Dumfries and Galloway. Russell Brown and Elaine Murray have been pressing SportScotland to agree to fund the development of 3G pitches in Dumfries and Galloway. The Council recently made an application for funding for a 3G pitch at the Crichton campus in Dumfries. SportScotland confirmed...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:35:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[TWO-THIRDS OF S2 PUPILS FAIL TO REACH WRITING STANDARDS]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[24 February 2010 Immediate release TWO-THIRDS OF S2 PUPILS FAIL TO REACH WRITING STANDARDS TORY ADMINISTRATION&rsquo;S EDUCATION CUTS SET TO MAKE THINGS WORSE Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray is calling on the Scottish Government to make literacy a national priority and take the steps necessary to ensure every child across Dumfries and Galloway leaves school able to read, write and count. She was speaking in response to a major survey of educational achievement released by the Scottish government, which concluded that two-thirds of 13-year-olds fail to reach expected standards of writing. Elaine Murray MSP said: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re talking about the basic skills...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:34:15</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[STRONG ARGUMENTS HEARD AT HOSPITAL MEETING]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[17 February 2010 Immediate release STRONG ARGUMENTS HEARD AT HOSPITAL MEETING Elaine Murray MSP and Shadow Health Secretary Jackie Baillie held a public meeting last Friday (12 February) in Moffat Town Hall to hear peoples concerns about the proposed closures of community hospitals. The closure of community hospitals in Moffat, Lochmaben, Thornhill, Langholm and Kirkcudbright were part of the Health Board&rsquo;s preferred option outlined in their Clinical Services Strategy. Earlier this month the Health Board announced the consultation had been suspended and options would be revisited next year after the 2011 Scottish Parliamentary elections. Elaine Murray MSP said: &ldquo;We heard...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:33:35</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[UNFAIR FOR D&G TO PAY PRICE FOR CENTRAL BELT RAIL DISPUTE]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[10 February 2010 Immediate release UNFAIR FOR D&amp;G TO PAY PRICE FOR CENTRAL BELT RAIL DISPUTE It has been announced that more than 550 members of the RMT union will take part in 24-hour strikes on Saturday 20 February, Monday 1 March and Saturday 13 March. The strike will hit Scotrail services and is over plans to introduce &ldquo;driver door operated&rdquo; trains on the new &pound;300m Edinburgh/Glasgow via Airdrie route. &ldquo;Driver door operated&rdquo; trains operate without conductors and the RMT union have raised safety fears about their absence. Scotrail&rsquo;s Managing Director Steve Montgomery has told Elaine Murray MSP that the...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:30:31</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[SNP CONFUSION OVER ENERGY ASSISTANCE PACKAGE AS FIGURES SHOW “LAMENTABLE FAILURE”]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[9 February 2010 Immediate release SNP CONFUSION OVER ENERGY ASSISTANCE PACKAGE AS FIGURES SHOW &ldquo;LAMENTABLE FAILURE&rdquo; CENTRAL HEATING INSTALLATIONS IN D&amp;G PLUMMET BY 90% MINISTER CONFUSED ABOUT NUMBERS ELIGABLE The SNP Government have admitted that central heating installations with the Energy Assistance Package in Dumfries and Galloway are only 10% of what they were under the previous scheme. The most recent figures, released in response to a parliamentary question by Elaine Murray MSP, show that only 47 boilers and central heating systems were installed across Dumfries and Galloway during the first 8 months of the scheme. This compares to 433...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[HUGE TEACHER TRAINING CUTS CONDEMNED]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[9 February 2010 Immediate release HUGE TEACHER TRAINING CUTS CONDEMNED Dumfries MSP Elaine Murray has condemned the SNP Government&rsquo;s decision to slash the number of teacher training places in Scotland. The Scottish Funding Council has announced a cut of more than 1,500 teacher training places across Scotland, with numbers falling from 3,857 in 2009/10 to 2,307 next year. The number of trainee primary places will fall by more than half. Elaine Murray MSP said: &ldquo;The SNP&rsquo;s handling of Scotland&rsquo;s education system has been a fiasco. We&rsquo;ve been especially hard hit in Dumfries and Galloway: Labour&rsquo;s school building programme has ground...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:27:32</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[SNP REJECTS UK INITIATIVE TO GIVE FREE LAPTOPS TO POOREST CHILDREN]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[9 February 2010 Immediate release SNP REJECTS UK INITIATIVE TO GIVE FREE LAPTOPS TO POOREST CHILDREN The SNP Government have rejected an initiative by the UK Labour Government to offer the poorest pupils IT equipment to help improve educational attainment. In response to a Parliamentary Question by Elaine Murray MSP, Education Secretary Mike Russell refuses to consider introducing the Home Access Scheme in Scotland. This &pound;300m scheme was introduced by the Labour UK Government last month and will provide free laptops and internet connections to 270,000 families in England. It will allow children most in need, those in care and...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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