In addition to holding two surgeries today :* I had a positive meeting with the Chair, Chief Executive and Head of Pharmacy at NHS Tayside about the transportation of drugs issue I have highlighted recently. The NHS representatives agreed to put the policy before the Board’s Improvement & Quality Committee for discussion and have also agreed to my request to retain records for longer.
* I met the Director of Housing and the Housing Strategy Manager about ensuring that the Logie area is given every support to ensure there's a residents/tenants group into the future, following the recent decision by Logie Residents' Association to disband.
* I then met with the Sinderins Court and Pennycook Court Residents' Association and we had a good discussion on a number of local issues, including bus services.
* I attended a lengthy series of City Council meetings tonight - including :
- Education Committee - where I raised a question about preparations for Standard Grade replacement following implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence.
- City Development Committee - where I highlighted my concern that the department's Service Plan does not include improving parking opportunities in areas of parking difficulties - including parts of the West End. The council's progress with this issue is delayed and that is unfortunate. I sense no clear direction from the SNP administration to deliver the much-needed parking improvements for the West End. At this committee, I also expressed concern at the loss of parking spaces in South Tay Street.
- Housing Committee - at which I sought assurances that provision of showers will still be made for all people with medical need. In relation to progress with the Scottish Housing Quality Standard, I raised the need to provide controlled entry facilities for tenants in flatted properties.
- Policy & Resources Committee - where I seconded a motion by Cllr Kevin Keenan, Labour Group Leader, to make the proposed so-called Changing for the Future Board more democratic, open and accountable. Unfortunately the SNP group had the usual 'take it or leave it' approach and this positive amendment was defeated. And in a similarly unfortunate way, my suggestion that the Development Quality Committee be renamed the Planning Applications Committee (i.e. - it is what it says on the tin) rather than the SNP administration's meaningless "Development Management Committee" proposal was lost, despite my suggesting deferring the matter for a short time to enable further discussion of the matter. One thing is for sure - the SNP is certainly not for listening to anyone else's point of view. Nothing new there then.