Calls to cut down price of gas One of the biggest worries for local families is the sky high cost of gas and electricity bills.

There are pensioners here in Renfrewshire who are shivering in their home this winter because they are worried about the heating bill.

People have been ripped off by the big energy firms who never seem to pass on savings to customers. In the last year, wholesale energy costs have fallen by between 9 per cent and 20 per cent but no supplier has reduced the price of their standard tariff.

That’s why the next Labour government will freeze energy prices until 2017, so that bills can fall but not rise. By re-setting the market and bringing in a tough new regulator we will stop the rip-offs in the future.

But local people need help now. This Wednesday I am calling on MPs from all political parties to back plans for fast track new powers to cut bills by forcing energy firms to pass on savings to consumers.

This would make a real difference to local families struggling to make ends meet this winter.

Broken Promises The SNP Edinburgh government in Edinburgh is letting Renfrewshire down after having broken their promise on class sizes while sitting on funding of almost half a billion pounds.

In 2007 the SNP pledged to cut class sizes for P1-P3 to 18 pupils or fewer. However new figures show that only Renfrewshire only 1 in 10 pupils (10.8) are being taught in classes that meet this standard.

This is while reports show that the Scottish Government have an underspend of £440 million for this year’s budget, including £165 million in education.

The best investment we can make in Scotland is in our young people, everyone benefits from a better educated, better skilled Scotland.

The SNP government in Edinburgh has fallen woefully short of their promise to cut class sizes to 18 pupils or fewer and are letting pupils and parents in Renfrewshire down.

In fact, because of SNP cuts, only 1 in 10 P1-3 pupils in Renfrewshire are being taught in classes this small.

The SNP are cutting funding for schools and colleges while they are sitting on almost half a billion pounds.

Renfrewshire Council is going great work supporting our local children but it’s time the SNP government started doing the right thing by pupils and parents.

How can it be acceptable for money to be sat in government coffers in Edinburgh while the SNP cut money for teachers here in Renfrewshire?

The SNP have been so focused on the referendum campaign that they have taken their eye off the ball on the services local people rely on every day. Whether it is in our schools, or in our hospitals, local people are now paying the price.” Legal Highs Warning The numbers of deaths in Scotland involving legal highs has more than doubled in the last year.

Legal highs, or New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), which are often packaged and sold under the guise of plant food, can be legally purchased The figures show that it is mostly teenagers who use legal highs and I would urge them to recognise the dangers.

Too often people believe that these legal highs aren’t dangerous but this is a grave mistake. These substances are potentially life-threatening. Just because they are ‘legal’, they are in no way safe.” Accident and Emergency departments in Scotland currently aren’t required to report presentation of overdose and injuries associated with legal highs. This makes it more difficult for doctors to share information and best practice to help patients who have overdosed.

It also means there are no clear indicators or a complete picture on the prevalence and impact of legal highs on young people in Scotland.

I am calling on the Scottish Government to implement a reporting system to help save the lives of young people in Scotland.