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VAT threat to charitable donations

Another week, another

shambles following the

Governments out of touch

Budget. After the Granny

Tax and PastyTax

comesconcernsfrom

charities and the voluntary sector about the

plan to cap tax relief on charitable donations.

There are loopholes which must be closed on

tax avoidance as I highlighted in a recent

debate, but hitting charities is not the answer.

Once again the Government does not seem to

have thought through the real life

consequences of policies which they have put

forward.

Stamps rationed as price hike hitsRoyal Mail has

reportedly imposed

a cap on the

number of stamps

available to buy

ahead of a

significant hike in price. Shops will only be

allowed to purchase up to 20% of their annual

allowance of stamps before the price risecomes into effect on 30 April, leaving some

fearing that shops will run out. Many

customers wish to stock up in advance of 30

April, when a massive 14p rise in the price of

both first class and second class stamps will

come into effect, with a 1st class stamp to cost

60p, and 2nd class rising to 50p.

If a shortage is created, it is once again thepublic who lose out.

Crosshouse Hospital at leading edgewith new Biomass boiler

I joined Liz Marquis of theEnergy Agencyon a

visit to Crosshouse Hospital to find out more

about the recently installed Biomass boiler.

One of only three of its kind in the UK, theboiler provides a more environmentally friendly

way of ensuring heating and hot water is

available for the hospital. Replacing the

previous gas boilers, the new installation uses

wood pellets, and it is hoped that these can in

future be supplied from local companies.

More Street Surgery Dates Planned

I am now organising street surgeries for May

and June so if you would like me to come to

your street, please get in touch. Meantime,

Drop In Surgeries

will be held at10 am

on Friday 20 April in

Shortlees Campus,

and 10am Saturday

21 April at Stewarton

Area Centre.

Cathy Jamieson MPeBrief from

16 April 20125th December 2011

http://www.scvo.org.uk/scvo-media-release/media-release-treasurys-charity-tax-grab-must-be-stopped/http://www.scvo.org.uk/scvo-media-release/media-release-treasurys-charity-tax-grab-must-be-stopped/http://www.scvo.org.uk/scvo-media-release/media-release-treasurys-charity-tax-grab-must-be-stopped/http://www.energyagency.org.uk/http://www.energyagency.org.uk/http://www.energyagency.org.uk/http://www.energyagency.org.uk/http://www.scvo.org.uk/scvo-media-release/media-release-treasurys-charity-tax-grab-must-be-stopped/

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Whitelee windfarm visitI could well understand whyWhiteleewas

chosen byScottish Power

for Europeslargest onshorewindfarm whenI visited lastweek. As wellas an outputsupplying the

equivalent of electricity needs for 180,000homes, around 340,000 is paid out per year inCommunity Benefit Funding. There are over90km of trails in the area, suitable for walking

and cycling, as well as a hands on visitorcentre and an Education Programme managedbyGlasgow Science Centre.

There is a proposal to add 5 more turbinesto the site, and a Public Information Day isscheduled to be held in Fenwick on 25thApril 2012, as part of the communityconsultation.

Love food, hate waste

My colleague KerryMcCarthy MP, whois coincidentallyalso vegan, hasrecently introducedtheFood Waste Billin the House ofCommons. The Bill

would ensure that more of the obscene

amounts of food wasted by supermarkets andmanufacturers is donated to charities, so theycan redistribute it to the increasing number ofpeople living in food poverty in the UK.

It is estimated that in the EU, up to 50% ofedible and healthy food gets wasted and thatfigure is set to rise by 40% by 2020 if no actionis taken. So far Government policy hasfocused on improving methods of disposal(such as anaerobic digestion and composting)

ahead of landfill.

But there is no government incentive fordiverting surplus food from disposal in the firstplace. It is also immoral that good food isthrown away when food poverty is growing. Inthe current economic climate, with risingenergy and rent bills and a freeze on manyincomes, food is sometimes one of the fewflexible costs. A recentsurveyby Netmumsfound that one in five mums are skipping mealsso their children can eat. Foodbanks rely ondonations from supermarkets andmanufacturers, of food that would otherwise bewasted, because.

More Big Lottery Funding available

for Youth Projects

Aimed at third sector organisations,YoungStartis funded by money collected fromdormant bank accounts, and will provide grantsof between 10,000 and 50,000 for up to twoyears for projects that help to unlock thepotential of children and young people aged 8to 24. It can fund a range of youth activitiesincluding:

Using local artists in a creative artsproject to improve young peoplesconfidence.

Getting young people involved in sportthrough the use of local sports facilities.

Young people teaching older peoplehow to use technology and try newactivities such as using the internet,social networking and gaming.

Work experience tasters with localemployers.

Groups can

download an

application form

at:

www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/youngstartfundand

can keep up to date with the latest Young Start

news atwww.facebook.org.uk/youngstartfund

or following Young Start atwww.twitter.com/youngstartfund.

http://www.whiteleewindfarm.co.uk/http://www.whiteleewindfarm.co.uk/http://www.whiteleewindfarm.co.uk/http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/http://www.kerrymccarthymp.org/parliament/the-food-waste-bill.aspxhttp://www.kerrymccarthymp.org/parliament/the-food-waste-bill.aspxhttp://www.kerrymccarthymp.org/parliament/the-food-waste-bill.aspxhttp://www.netmums.com/home/netmums-campaigns/families-in-crisishttp://www.netmums.com/home/netmums-campaigns/families-in-crisishttp://www.netmums.com/home/netmums-campaigns/families-in-crisishttp://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_young_starthttp://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_young_starthttp://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_young_starthttp://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_young_starthttp://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/youngstartfundhttp://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/youngstartfundhttp://www.facebook.org.uk/youngstartfundhttp://www.facebook.org.uk/youngstartfundhttp://www.facebook.org.uk/youngstartfundhttp://www.twitter.com/youngstartfundhttp://www.twitter.com/youngstartfundhttp://www.twitter.com/youngstartfundhttp://www.facebook.org.uk/youngstartfundhttp://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/youngstartfundhttp://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_young_starthttp://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_young_starthttp://www.netmums.com/home/netmums-campaigns/families-in-crisishttp://www.kerrymccarthymp.org/parliament/the-food-waste-bill.aspxhttp://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/http://www.whiteleewindfarm.co.uk/