eMagazine April May 2012 1

7/31/2019 eMagazine April May 2012 1

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MP

INSIDE

Award-w

inningeMagazine

www.ianmurraymp.co.uk


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WelcomeWelcome to a later than planned edition of my

eMagazine which keeps you up-to-date on my work as MP for Edinburgh South

As always, if you have any comments, suggestions or feedback then please donot hesitate to get in touch.

Top 3 Lobby Correspondence of the MonthEvery month I include the top 3 issues that constituents have contacted me about.

If you would like to see my responses, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Civil Liberties and Internet Surveillance

Reform of the House of Lords

Primary School Places

[email protected]

0131 662 4520OPEN Constituency Office31 Minto Street

EdinburghEH9 2BT

www.ianmurraymp.co.uk

twitter.com/ianmurraymp

Several constituents have asked me to include more political stories. This eMagazine is

deliberately NOT political but is an update on my role as a local Member of Parliament.Please get in touch if you would like to discuss or debate any political issues. I'm always

happy to provide information on any issue.

@


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IN THE CONSTITUENCY

AT WESTMINSTER

SCOTLAND ACT (2012)

22 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Contents

I was delighted to have been nominatedby fellow MPs for"MP of the Month".

It was a privilege to receive anhonourable mention and I'm pleased thatit has highlighted the issues around

employment rights.

If you haveany issues or

concerns that youwould like to discusswith me, please doget in touch by the

contact detailsover the page.

MERCY CORP FEATURE17


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On Saturday 28 April Iwas pleased to be ableto join thousands ofcyclists at the Meadowsand cycle to the ScottishParliament in Edinburghto show my support for

politicians of all partieswho are doing all theycan to make Scotland acycle-friendly nation.

I was delighted tosee that Mark Beaumont,the famous round theworld cyclist andadventurer, was takingpart. He rode the route

with a handmade bannercalling for a cycle-friendlyScotland.

As far as the eyecould see, thousands ofcyclists filled the wholeof both George IV Bridgeand the High Street.

Pedal onParliament have createdan eight point manifesto(which can be found herehttp://new.ctc.org.uk/news/2012-05-04/pedal-on-parliament) to remind theScottish Government ofits commitment to makingsure that 10% of journeysare by bike by 2020,something we should allbe encouraging and

making our owncontribution to.

Congratulations tothe organisers and

3CONSTITUENCY


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As readers may recall, Ken Logan from EdinburghSouth's local Braids Rotary Club was selected tocarry the Olympic Torch on part of its journeyacross the UK.

It has now been confirmed that he will becarrying the Torch through Loanhead. You canview the route map here -

www.london2012.com/torch-relay/route.I'm delighted to announce that Ken will

write a piece for this eMagazine next monthgiving us an insight into this once-in-a-lifetimeexperience.

Local writer and historian Olly Watt has justpublished his first novel The Democrat -which tells the story of Thomas Muir's fight for

democracy.After discovering that his innocent clientsare being convicted as state policy, Muir strives torepresent them politically but, by revealing theestablishment to be corrupt, he jeopardises hisown freedoms; and with his soul mate anexiled client he's forced into a perilous oceanodyssey pursued by the British Government, itsnavy and its allies.

The book is in the top twenty of the 170 inits category on Barnes and Noble and has gained

some good reviews on Amazon. Check it out!Information on the book can be found

at www.thedemocrat.org.uk.

Thanks to constituentMs Liz Blackadder for getting in

touch. She has highlighted the majorissues around M.E. Sufferers and has

pointed me in the direction of a usefulwebsite you may be interested in visiting - theEdMesh website. The organisation arranged a

screening of compellingand intensely moving film which unveils the reality

of people with M.E and their carers. Sadly I wasunable to get this edition of the eMag out beforethe screening, however I wanted to highlight it.ME needs more research, more understanding

and a more positive approach. I hope thatevents like this one are able to

higlight the seriousness ofthis illness.


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I had the pleasure of spendingthe afternoon at CranleyNursery in Buckstone withowners Anna and MarkMaclean. The event wasorganised by Chris Sullivan, CEOfor Corporate Banking at RBS, to

highlight how they are supportinglocal businesses and how theyare changing RBS to be moreresponsive to their SMEcustomers.

It was great to see thework that the nursery does, andthe staff were superb innegotiating our large tour withdozens of children. SouthEdinburgh is full of successfulsmall businesses and Im keen tochampion the good news storiesof these businesses.

We also had the pleasureof formally opening the nurserysallotment at their Craiglockhartcampus. The children havedesigned the allotment and haveturned their hand to growingvegetables and fruit.

Thank you to Mark, Annaand all the staff for such a warmwelcome and congratulations onthe success of the nursery inwinning the Nursery WorldAwards 2001 as UK NurseryChain of the Year. Well deserved.

CONSTITUENCY

Young people in Scotland willhave the opportunity to bringtheir social action ideas to life,as vInspired cashpoint comes toScotland for the very first time.

Opening on April 2,vInspired cashpoint will offergrants of up to 500 to give 14 25 year olds the chance tochange their community for thebetter. Due to the popularity ofthe programme, which has beenrunning in England for five years,it has been extended intoScotland, allowing socialentrepreneurs from across the

country to make their mark on theissues they care about.

Over the past five years, inexcess of 800 grants have beenawarded. Grants have been given

to young people, who have usedtheir creativity and passions todevelop projects including stand-up comedy sessions to helpyoung people build theirconfidence, cycling lessons togive young women fromBangladeshi communitiesindependence, and a communityearth ship to educate localpeople about eco-friendly living.But the grants wont just benefitthe community.

Through applying for andrunning their projects youngpeople will learn vital skills and

confidence, which will help themin their future careers, andperhaps even inspire them to setup their own full-scale socialenterprises. Grant recipients will

also be able to work towards theirvInspired Awards, which officiallyrecord hours of volunteering andsocial action to be added to CVsor job applications. All of whichwill help young people buildexperience, develop relationshipsand stand out in an increasinglycompetitive world.

To find out more visit:www.vInspired.com/cashpoint

Applications will beaccepted from April 2, 2012 untilAugust 2013. Grants will beawarded for not-for-profitprojects that show a clear

positive benefit to a community,group or the planet.

I would encourage youngpeople in South Edinburgh toapply.


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As you will be aware, earlier this month theelections to elect our local councillors tookplace. It was a hectic campaign and I was outon the doors speaking to residents across

Edinburgh South (I'm pictured below withCllrs Norma Austin Hart and Bill Cook)

I would like to take this opportunity tothank those Councillors who have either retiredor were unsuccessful in their re-election.

Their commitment to public service and our localcommunities is in no doubt. I would also like towelcome those Councillors who were newlyelected. I look forward to working with all of

them in the interests of everyone acrossEdinburgh South.

To find out who your local Councillor is,please click on the link below.

Edinburgh City Council is now governed by a partnership between Labour and the SNP, as theelection resulted in no overall control for one party.


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7CONSTITUENCY

The reality of parents unable to feed theirchildren is one of the starkest examples of thesqueeze on living standards faced by manyBritish families. Britain isthe seventh richest nationin the world yet we face agrowing epidemic of hiddenhunger, particularly inchildren.

In a recent survey ofshoppers, Asda found thatone in four mums putsomething back at thesupermarket checkout asthey try to balance higherfood prices and fallingwages. This situation is likelyto get worse when the taxcredit cuts to familiesworking part-time come into

force in April; 200,000families risk losing 74 aweek under thegovernments plans.The cost of living crisis hasled to a massive growth in families forced to turnto foodbanks for help.

Last year, 60,000 people relied on foodhandouts from the foodbank charity the TrussellTrust, including 20,000 children, and one new

foodbank opened every week. This year, theypredict they will feed 130,000 people. Anotherleading food charity, FareShare, feeds over35,000 people a day through working with thefood industry to redistribute unsold or surplusfood.

The situation is getting worse anddemand is going up. Foodbank users are no

longer the homeless, or people with drug andalcohol problems. The biggest demand is nowcoming from families facing benefits delays,

struggling with debt andunemployment.

One part of thesolution is to cut foodwaste. Food waste costsfamilies on average 50 amonth through uneaten

food which is past its sell-bydate. We also need to putthe spotlight onsupermarkets and largemanufacturers to reducewaste and show how theycan increase the amount ofsurplus food theyredistribute to charities.According to waste experts

WRAP, food manufacturingcreates three million tonnesof food waste a year,although we don't knowhow much of it is fit for

human consumption.Scottish Labour is working nationally with

FareShare to encourage the supermarkets andfood manufacturers to make more of this foodavailable to people. Volunteers are always

welcomed to help out at the FareShare Edinburgh& Lothians foodbank, as is buying a little extra todonate. I'm hoping to visit staff and volunteersthere soon. People in South Edinburgh have aproud tradition of reaching out and helping ourneighbours in times of need. Foodbanks are agood example of that tradition in action.


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You may recall that I was delighted to reportin these pages back in October that theproposed telecomms mast at Canaan Lane hasbeen rejected by the Council's PlanningCommittee following huge pressure from localresidents.

The developers appealed this decision tothe Scottish Government Planning Reporter,who has been considering the proposals for anumber of months now.

I was disappointed to learn earlier thismonth that the Scottish Government Reporterhas decided to approve it. This is despite manyresidents expressing their concerns that themast and accompanying furniture will limit space

on the pavement. I am particularly concernedabout the impact this will have on people at thenearby Royal Blind School, Astley Ainslie and StPeter's Primary.

Sadly, the only further appeal avenue toexplore is via the Court of Session which wouldresult in high costs. I am extremely grateful tothose residents who worked tirelessly to pulltogether the opposition to this application,especially given the tight timescale.

Local residents worked very hard on thesuccessful campaign to have this proposalrejected by the Council only to see thedeveloper appeal the decision to the ScottishGovernment.

t was a huge privilege to attend the InternationalWorkers Memorial Day event organised by theEdinburgh Trades Union Congress last month.

This was an opportunity to remember thosewho have been killed or injured in workplaceaccidents and those who have died from

occupational diseases. Official figures say therewere 171 deaths at work last year. But this is onlythe figure for workers killed in workplace incidents.If you add the 7,000 to 8,000 deaths fromcirculatory problems and heart disease which someexperts estimate to be work-related, then the figurefor work-related deaths in the UK is over 20,000 peryear and many experts believe this is an under-

estimate.A safe place to work should be a right and not

a privilege, yet millions of workers are killed andmaimed every year. We remember those across theworld who have lost their lives at work.

C

opyrightMJ

Richardson


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9CONSTITUENCY

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit last month toFalcon Bowling and Tennis Club's Open Day.

The Club is set within a wonderful setting.The membership are fantastic and they provideda very warm welcome, a real family feel.

Sports clubs are a fantastic way ofhelping people keep active and are marvellous atbinding local communities closer together. I

wish the club all the best for the future and hopethat this will be just one of many futuresuccessful open days

My one disappointment is that I didnt winthe raffle or treasure hunt but I did get a bag ofsweets from the Lucky Dip!


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m backing a campaign to

establish the first ever globalrms treaty organised by

Oxfams for a strong and robustArms Trade Treaty.

I am joining the thousandsf people worldwide calling for annd to the unregulated trade of

guns, bombs and bullets.I believe that it is vital that

robust and effective global Arms

Trade Treaty is negotiated thisear with comprehensive scopend robust parameters. A strongreaty is vital to tighten the net toliminate irresponsible trade, andnsure that legitimate tradeverywhere is properly regulated.

Across the world it is

estimated that 2000 people dieevery single day from armedviolence with 26 million peoplecurrently displaced within theirown countries as a result ofarmed conflict.

I urge other Scots to signour online campaign to make surethe UK Government recognisesthe strength of feeling on thisissue in Scotland and acts uponit.

To join the campaign, go towww.controlarms.org or click onthe play button to the right towatch the campaign video.


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he last month inWestminster also sawthe Queens Speech,whereby the Queenannounces her

Governments intentions for the

next parliamentary session to bothHouses of Parliament. The speechisnt actually written by the Queen,but is normally written by amember of the Prime Ministersstaff. I was pleased to see anumber of good bills proposed bythe Government, but I amconcerned that there was no billcommitting the Government to

giving 0.7% of GDP in aid acommitment which was started bythe previous Government or abill that would create a statutoryregister of lobbyists.

I have included a short

summary below of the bills thatwill apply to Scotland. If you wouldlike any further information on anyspecific bill/s please do nothesitate to get in touch with myoffice.

Enterprise and Regulatory ReformBill

A wide-ranging Bill coveringcompetition,employment disputes,

Last month, I was able toask the Prime Minister a question

during his weekly question time. You canwatch my question and his answer by clickingthe play button below:

Many constituents had contacted me regardingthe cut in the top rate of tax and I felt it

was an opportunity for those concerns

to be heard in the House.


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12WESTMINSTER

directors pay and regulatory reform.Competition enforcement will bestrengthened by merging the CompetitionCommission and sections of the Office ofFair Trading. A Green Investment Bank willbe established to promote investment in a

greener economy. This will be split betweenEdinburgh and London. I am delighted thatthe campaign for the bank to come here wassuccessful, and that I was able to play a partin something that will hopefully lead to thecreation of hundreds, if not thousands of

jobs in the city.There will be changes to the

employment tribunal system by providingmore options for the early resolution of

disputes through ACAS. My worries are thatthere is not currently enough detail in thegovernment proposals to determine if theseproposals will successfully lead to earlyresolution, and that ACAS does not currentlyhave enough resources to perform such arole. On Directors pay, the intention in thisbill is to allow shareholders to hold a bindingvote on the remuneration of directors. Ihope that this proposal will become law, andallow shareholders themselves to tackle theissue of excessive executive pay.

Banking Reform BillThis bill will make sure that banks whichprovide retail banking services will only beable to do so if the retail banking section isring-fenced from the investment activitiesof the bank. This is designed to prevent theproblems in 2008/2009 when some bankswere seen to be too big to fail

Groceries Adjudicator BillThis Bill will establish a Groceries CodeAdjudicator to enforce the Groceries Code.This will make sure that large retailers, suchas the big supermarkets, treat their WORDMISSING suppliers? fairly and arbitratedisputes between retailers and suppliers.

Small Donations BillThis proposal will provide a new system oftop-up payments which will loosely

resemble Gift Aid for small cash donations tocharities. For donations of less than 20,charities will be able to claim back 25p forevery 1 collected in the UK, up to a limit of5,000.

As I have addressed inthese pages previously, fortoo long, political leadershave been too concernedabout what people in thepress would think and too

fearful of speaking outabout these issues.

The subsequentLeveson Inquiry has dugdeep into this and hasshed some light, indeedlike the relationshipbetween Secretary ofState for Culture Mediaand Sport Jemery Hunt and

News Corp officialsFollowing the

evidence that News Corphad been communicatingwith Special Advisers fromboth the Scottish and UKGovernments, I asked aquestion in the Housewhich you can view bypressing the play button.


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Energy BillThis bill is intended to encourage more investmentin low carbon generation and clean energy. It willput more restrictions on the emissions of new coalplants and create a new independent regulator, theOffice for Nuclear Regulation, which will be funded

directly by the industry.Draft Water Bill

This bill is intended to provide greater freedom forpublic bodies and businesses to choose their watersupplier.

Pensions BillThis brings forward the state pension age to 67,which is intended to be achieved between 2026 and2028. This is intended to secure the sustainabilityof the State Pension scheme and will equalise the

male and female state pension age. The male agewill increase from 65 to 67, and the female age from60 to 67.

Public Service Pensions BillThis Bill will move public sector pensions over froma final salary scheme to a career average schemeand extends the age at which members of thescheme can draw their pensions. One consequenceof this bill will be that employees contributions totheir pension scheme will increase. The strike that

took place on the 30th November 2011 was inprotest against this.

Children and Families BillThis covers lots of areas including adoption, familylaw and parental leave. Changes to the rules onadoption will make race considerations lessimportant than finding a child a permanent homequickly. Families will get more choice on educationfor pupils with special educational needs. Parentswill be given access to flexible leave to allowinggreater sharing of caring responsibilities. On familylaw, there will be a six month deadline to completecare cases and, if families break up, the law will bestrengthened to make sure children continue tohave a relationship with both parents if that's intheir best interests.

Electoral Registration and Administration BillIntroduces individual voter registration. I amconcerned about this bill as, according to research

published last year, the changes could result in asmany as six million people falling off the registeralthough ministers had suggested the total wouldbe far less. If this proposal leads to the effectivedisenfranchisement of this many voters, theGovernment should drop it immediately.

House of Lords Reform BillBringing democracy to the House of Lords to ensurethat the majority of its members are elected.Although I agree with the principle of this bill and Iam entirely in favour of reforming the upper-chamber and creating an elected House of Lords, my

personal view is that a truly modern democracy thatis fit for the 21st Century should not containmembers who have not been elected and are notdirectly accountable to the people of the UnitedKingdom.Reform of the House of Loards was in my partysmanifesto at the last election and we will supportany sensible approach to this issue from thecoalition government.I would like to see a strong upper chamber with

wholly elected members that could play its part inscrutinising legislation and holding the Governmentto account.

Crime and Courts BillEstablishes a National Crime Agency to lead thefight against organised crime, enhance bordersecurity and fight cyber crime. It will allow TVcameras into courtrooms "in limited circumstances".Driving under the influence of drugs will be made aspecific offence. Judicial appointments will be

reformed to increase transparency and diversity.Justice and Security Bill

Strengthens oversight of MI5 and MI6 and allowscourts to consider sensitive information withnational security implications through the use ofsecret court hearings.

Draft Communications BillThis will allow the police and intelligence agenciesto collect data on communications, like texts andemails, subject to changes in technology, such asthe internet. A bill similar to this was proposed bythe previous Government, but was dropped after anoutcry from the previous opposition parties theConservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

European Union (Approval of Treaty AmendmentDecision) Bill

This bill will give formal approval to the creation ofthe European Stability Mechanism, a permanentmeans to support Eurozone countries in trouble.

Croatia Accession BillThis will give Parliamentary approval for Croatia to

join the EU and will allow for immigration to the UKfrom this new member country to be controlled.


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Along with MPs from across the politicalspectrum, I am supporting the campaign toprotect the name and identity of Scotlandshistoric regiments from this attack.

I am really concerned about thegovernments proposals and their impact onsoldiers and their families who are serving orhave served in these famous regiments.

We need respect and compassion forScottish military history, not disregard anduncertainty. Scotland has been part of the BritishForces DNA and history. Many Scottish unitshave histories dating back to the 18th century orbefore and have been deployed all over theworld.

If you would like any further informationon this campaign, please do get in touch.

Used cars, savingmoney on your energy bills

and dealing with dodgy buildersare just some of the issues that

Citizens Advices new online consumeradvice at www.adviceguide.org.uk can helpwith when I attended a CAB event held in

Parliament on Thursday 26 April 2012.

Consumers need good, easy to understandadvice which explains their rights and whatthey can do to solve their problem. The new

online consumer advice from CitizensAdvice offers just that and I think it will

go a long way to helping myconstituents sort out their

consumer problems.

The situation in Syria is ever more concerningand I was able to ask for an update from theForeign Secretary during the monthly ForeignOffice Questions.

The International community have at-tempted, through the UN, to impose greater meas-ure on Syria and along with the Kofi Annan planthis is not being as effective which is deeply wor-rying. You can watch my question and answer byclicking the play button.

14WESTMINSTER


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he last month atWestminster has seenthe passing of theScotland Bill, which willnow be known as the

Scotland Act 2012 as it received

Royal Assent from the Queen on1st May 2012. The Act sets outamendments to the Scotland Act1998 (which created the ScottishParliament).

This will lead to the largesttransfer of powers from centralgovernment in the last 300 years.The Scotland Act will giveministers at Holyrood control overaround 10 billion of taxes peryear to make them moreaccountable for the money theyspend.

The centre piece of the

legislation is a new Scottish rateof income tax. The Treasury willcut the UK rate for taxpayersnorth of the Border by 10p in thepound across all bands. From April2016, Scottish ministers will then

set their own additional rate. Thiswill give them much greaterpower to increase spending, ifthey wish, by varying taxes thanthose levied in the rest of the UK.

The Scotland Act also givesthe following powers to theScottish Parliament: the devolution of stamp dutyland tax the devolution of landfill tax the power to create new taxes new borrowing powers wortharound 5billion (Holyrood will


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1016SCOTLAND ACT (2012)

be able to raise up to 2.2billion incapital borrowing, limited to 10per cent of the Scottish budgeteach year. This would be worth230million in 2014-15.)

In addition, the legislation willgive the Scottish Parliamentcontrol over: air weapons change the name of the ScottishExecutive to the ScottishGovernment drink-driving and speed limits onScotland's roads a role in appointments inbroadcasting and the CrownEstate.

The UK Government said at thestart of this process that theywouldnt force this bill upon theScottish Parliament, and wouldonly proceed if there wasunanimous agreement. This led toa delay in the passing of the bill,as up until March of 2012, the

SNP opposed these new powersfor the Scottish Parliament, whichmeant that the legislation couldonly be passed recently.

I am delighted that theychanged their mind and that thisbill was passed unanimously inthe Scottish Parliament. Thesenew powers will allow theScottish Government, if they so

wish, to provide a boost to theScottish economy and help get asmany Scots as possible back intowork.

Click the play button to theleft to see my contributions to theBill's third reading.


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1018MERCY CORP

lobal charity Mercy Corpsmay well be one ofEdinburgh Souths bestkept secrets. From itsEuropean Headquarters

tucked away in Sciennes at the edgeof the Meadows, the organisationworks hard to save and improve livesin some of the worlds toughestplaces.

Whether by responding todisasters like the 2010 earthquake inHaiti and last years famine in East

Africa, or tackling long-termchallenges like chronic poverty andstrife elsewhere, Mercy Corps hasbeen grafting for decades to makethe world a better place from righthere on our doorstep in Edinburgh.

Earlier this year the UKGovernment recognised the charity...


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as one of the countrys mosteffective humanitarianorganisations. They appointedMercy Corps to a new elite squadof disaster response specialists

wholl rush UK aid to survivors ofdisasters whenever they strikeround the world within 72 hours.

With 4,000 staff in morethan 40 countries, Mercy Corps is ina great position to help wherevertheir assistance is needed. Beingpart of this new rapid responsenetwork will help the organisationsexperts save lives in the criticaldays and weeks after disasters like

floods and earthquakes hit.

Mercy Corps, with the generoussupport of people and businessesfrom across Edinburgh and beyond,reaches more than 19 millionpeople around the world each year.

Back in 2010, helped by amassive 400,000 raised by people

in and around Edinburgh, thecharity rushed to help the people ofHaiti when the huge earthquake hitPort-au-Prince. In the two yearssince the quake more the charity

has helped more than 1.1 millionpeople rebuild their lives.Then, last year in the Horn

of Africa, Mercy Corps helped morethan 1.5 million people survive theworst drought and famine theregion had seen for 60 years.Teams in Somalia, Kenya andEthiopia responded with a wholehost of assistance, bringing cleanwater to 500,000 people, food and

treatment to 42,000 malnourishedchildren and emergency cash for26,000 families, giving them thechance to buy the essentials theyneeded to survive.

The fight against povertyand hunger continues. Find outmore about this great local charityswork and how you can get involvedon the Mercy Corps website, by

following them on Twitter or likingthem on Facebook.


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1922LOCAL EVENTSIf you have

any suggestionsfor local events

which may be ofinterest, please dropme an email with the

details and I'll be

happy to post iton this page.


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Many local schools and community organisations run their annual fundraisingsummer fairs in the next month or so. If there is one near you please go along andshop your support. They raise valuable funds for local school parent councils and

groups and they are a lot of fun.

Thank you to everyone who gives up their time to help at these events. If youhave an event you would like to publicise, please do get in touch.

2nd June 2012, 11am till 2pm


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Every and atAt 31 Minto Street

Just drop in - no appointment necessary

- Gracemount Leisure Centre- Liberton High School

- Constituency Office, 31 Minto Street- The Open Door, 420 Morningside Road

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