BBC NEWS: "Plans to sell seven Highland Council care homes to the private sector have been attacked by the Scottish Socialist Party and senior citizen groups.

They have accused the local authority of putting its financial needs above those of the elderly.

The council is reviewing its provision of care homes in light of new tougher Care Commission standards.

It said the independent sector would be able to cut the cost of care by £10,000 for each person per year.

Steve Arnott, Scottish Socialist spokesman for the Highlands and Islands, said the council's role was to provide public sector, quality care for senior citizens.

He said: 'If they have a problem they should make an appeal to the Scottish Executive for funding.

'If the private sector makes a profit you can only assume the quality of care will be less than that provided by the council.'

He added that his view was shared by members of various senior citizens organisations in the Highlands, some of whom had staged a small protest outside the Highland Council building in Inverness on Wednesday.

The council's housing and social work committee, who approved the sales, also agreed to close Corsee Home in Nairn, due to 'high running costs and low demand for places'."

SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit
Press Release: 07/10/05

Scottish Socialist Party MSP for Central Scotland Carolyn Leckie today called on the Scottish Executive to make immediate plans for the amnesty and release of all women imprisoned in Scotland for non-violent crime following statistics that show a third of Scotland's female prisoners are jailed for shoplifting, while fewer than one in 10 committed crimes of violence.
Carolyn, who was imprisoned in Corntonvale in January of this year because of a protest at Faslane, has laid a motion in the Scottish Parliament calling for an amnesty for women convicted of non violent crime.

Carolyn said today;
“The vast majority of women in Cornton Vale are there for non violent crime and are essentially victims of society.
“These women are imprisoned for minor offences that are rooted in poverty, exclusion, drug and alcohol dependency and abuse and violence against them as women.
“The criminal justice system is failing these women and wider society.
“The Scottish Executive should make immediate plans for an amnesty and release of all women imprisoned in Scotland for non-violent crime, review the cases of all women in jail and put the appropriate resources and supports in their communities to help them achieve fulfilling lives outside prison.”
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SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit
Press Release: 07/11/05

Scottish Socialist Party MSP Rosie Kane today called for a change in working practises to tackle the 'stress epidemic' and end the stigma of mental ill health, as research by the 'See Me' campaign revealed that mental illness was the most common reason for taking time off work.

Rosie said:
"People living with mental illness are more likely to be unemployed and, when they do have jobs, have to hide their illness from their employer. Despite the work of the 'See Me' campaign, Scottish employers are still in the dark ages when it comes to mental health at work.
"Scotland is seeing a stress epidemic brought on by working among the longest hours in Europe, with no time left to develop hobbies or spend time with friends and family.
"Employers are determined to squeeze every last drop out of their workforce, with the resulting toll on their workers' mental health.
"We welcome campaigns like 'See Me' to end the isolation and lack of understanding surrounding mental illness, but we also need practical measures like a shorter working week and £8 an hour minimum wage to tackle the problem head on."
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