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February Newsletter

Promoted by Siobhian Brown, 9 Beresford Terrace, Ayr

Welcome to Holyrood

The Scottish Government has welcomed new Ministers this month due to a reshuffle. Elena Whitham MSP and Michael Matheson MSP have stood down from their Government positions to focus on their constituency MSP roles. Both are huge losses for the Government but I am delighted to see Jim Fairlie MSP appointed as Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity and Kaukab Stewart MSP the new Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development. I wish them all the best in their new roles, and I look forward to working with them in Government.

Prostitution - challenging and deterring men's demand

In my role as Minister for Victims and Community Safety I launched Scotland’s strategic approach to challenging and deterring men’s demand for prostitution. It’s part of the Equally Safe Strategy which aims to ensure we live in a society where all individuals are safe and respected, and where women and girls live free from all forms of violence and abuse, as well as the attitudes that perpetuate it.

The Scottish Government consider prostitution a form of commercial sexual exploitation and a form of violence against women. Last year I attended a performance organised by the Cross-Party Group on Commercial Sexual Exploitation which shared the words of women involved in prostitution and those who have exploited them. Hearing the words of men who had purchased sex was disturbing, with the misogyny of their words ubiquitous. The normalisation of this behaviour towards women must be tackled by all.

The pilot scheme, which launches in three areas including Ayrshire, will be to support women out of prostitution and to deter and challenge men’s demand through education.

Meeting with Stagecoach

Public transport plays a crucial part in our everyday lives. Therefore, the Scottish Government is dedicated to ensuring everyone has access to it. This month I had a meeting with the Business Development Director for Stagecoach West of Scotland Fraser Smith.

One issue to arise was that of anti-social behaviour on buses. Although this is few and far between Stagecoach urge anyone who has been targeted to report it to the driver on the first instance and also to Police Scotland.

Fraser and I also discussed the relocation of Ayr Bus Station. One suggestion is that it is placed near the site of the Station Hotel. This would create a transport hub at the top of the town and revitalise transport links.

Barclays closure date set for May

Ayr town centre has hit by the closure of Barclays Bank. The branch is set to close on Friday 10 May. I’m disappointed to hear of this and concerned constituents have been in touch regarding the closure.  

Head Office tell me 95% of their customers have moved to online banking with only 10 people relying exclusively on the bank. The company will be providing a hub for those customers with the location still to be determined.

A better Scotland

Devolution limits the work the Scottish Government can do. This has never been more apparent when the Westminster Government allocated £10.8m to Scotland’s NHS. That effectively pays for the NHS to operate for 5 hours.

Despite these challenges, Scotland performs much better in a range of areas including A&E wait times. The four-hour performance in Scotland was 65.6% however this percentage was only to 56.7% in Conservative-run England.

Moving forward

This month I met with the new Ayr Central manager, Kevin Lang. We discussed the challenges facing the centre and Kevin’s future plans. We also discussed ways in which Ayr town centre as a whole can be revitalised.

I look forward to working with Kevin in the future and seeing these plans come to fruition.

Beat the Street

I had the privilege of taking part in the launch of the Active Travel/Health and Wellbeing Initiative “Beat the Street” which is being rolled out across Primary Schools in South Ayrshire.

The aim of the project is to get more active whilst being outdoor. By walking or cycling you can earn points by scanning a card on the beat boxes that are spread out across South Ayrshire. The point system gives competitors a chance for their team to climb up the leader board.

“Beat the Street” is set to last for 6 weeks, with a range of great challenges and prizes up for grabs. There’s more info here: Beat the Street

Spiking has no room in Scotland

In my Ministerial role, I recently chaired a roundtable meeting to discuss the issue of spiking. Spiking has become a prominent issue in Scotland for those going to pubs and clubs. I met with a host of stakeholders including Police Scotland, COSLA and Victim Support Scotland and representatives from hospitality, universities and charities. We discussed how we can help make a night out safer for those at risk.

The symptoms of spiking normally are visible within 15 minutes and include nausea, vomiting, disorientation, poor coordination and memory loss.

Youth Engagement

Youth engagement within Scottish Politics has increased with the past decade with 16–17-year-olds given the opportunity to vote in elections. On that note, I’m delighted to have met South Ayrshire’s newly elected Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs). Evie, Joshua, Matthew and I joined Allan Dorans MP to discuss the issues Scotland is facing and how we can move forward. It is fantastic to hear the passion of these young individuals whom I trust will become future politicians.

It’s also important that we encourage youngsters to engage in politics. It’s their future and they should have their say.

Police Scotland Survey

Police Scotland have recently launched a survey to understand the views and priorities of diverse communities across Scotland. The survey is confidential and only takes 10 minutes to complete. These views and priorities are fundamental for Police response and helps improve the delivery of policing services in local communities and ensure they are accessible to all. The survey closes Sunday 31st March 2024

To fill out the form you can use this link: https://ow.ly/UUmv50Qzx7Y

Post Office has no Master

The New Prestwick Post Office in Ayr Road will close on Saturday 23rd March 2024 due to the resignation of the postmaster. The company has assured the community it is currently investigating options available to reinstate a Post Office service to the local community. The Post Office will keep me updated on their future plans.

If you would like to apply to be the Post Master you can here using this link: www.runapostoffice.co.uk

Alloway Tunnel Project

The Alloway Tunnel provides the opportunity for locals to come together and showcase their talents. The work this project has done is truly wonderful. It has revigorated the old railway tunnel.

The project has recently secured £12,610 funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. Congratulations to everyone on securing this money and keep up the good work!

Need help?

If you have any issues or matters you would like to discuss with me, please contact the office. Phone 01292 810034 or email: siobhian.brown.msp@parliament.scot to book an appointment. And keep an eye out for surgery dates and locations.

Highlights from the Scottish Government

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