Jonathan
Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, commenting on
news that three more trusts have been put into financial special measures by
NHS Improvement, said:

“The
Government’s inept mismanagement of the NHS is pushing hospital finances to the
brink. NHS Providers have already warned this week that delivering services
within the current financial settlement is “mission impossible”. The news today
that another three hospital trusts have been forced into financial special
measures just illustrates the deepening financial challenge facing the health
service.

“Theresa
May can’t keep on forcing hospitals to choose between balancing the books and
providing safe patient care. By underfunding the NHS for so long, the Prime
Minister is putting patients at risk. The Government needs to set out a long-term,
sustainable financial settlement for the NHS which allows hospitals to provide
the top quality health services which Britain’s patients expect.”

His Royal
Highness Prince Phillip, The Duke of Edinburgh made an official visit to RAF
Northolt on Friday 17 March.

The Duke
made the visit in his capacity of Honorary Air Commodore for the unit, which is
home to 33 units from across Defence and wider Government.

As part
of the visit programme The Duke received an update on operations on the unit
and met 120 personnel from all three Armed Services and Civil Servants. Corporal Loz Prior, who works on the unit as
a Physical Training Instructor was part of the group that met The Duke, he
said: ‘I felt immensely proud to be part
of the occasion. A big part of my role
is to ensure that our people are fit to do their job, and His Royal Highness
was very interested in the various ways we manage to achieve that. It was a real honour to meet and speak with a
member of the Royal family.’

The Duke
last visited RAF Northolt in March 2015, when he awarded a new standard to 32
(The Royal) Squadron as part of the unit’s centenary celebrations.

Editor: Squadron
Leader James Tenniswood

© MOD Crown Copyright 2017

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22 Mar 2017

A former SNP frontbencher has described his party’s plans for the currency of a separate Scotland as “not just lamentable, but laughable”.

Writing in today’s Herald, ex justice secretary Kenny MacAskill said that criticism of the nationalists will “turn to scorn” unless they can come up with a proper plan for the finances under independence.

The remarks come as Nicola Sturgeon gears up for the second of a two-day Holyrood debate on whether or not there should be another independence referendum.

But as the First Minister prepares a new break-up bid, she has repeatedly failed to address questions such as which currency an independent Scotland would use and how it would cope with huge debts, deficits and a massive shortfall in North Sea oil revenues.

Mr MacAskill said: “The fundamental issues that lost the first referendum and undermine the case for a second – the currency and the economy – remain.

“Failure to address the currency issue is becoming not just lamentable, but laughable. Action needs taken before criticism turns to scorn.”

Scottish Conservative shadow economy secretary Dean Lockhart said:

“This is a cutting intervention from someone who, not that long ago, was at the heart of the SNP’s separation campaign.

“If even Kenny MacAskill feels the nationalists’ currency plans are laughable, you can imagine what the voters think.

“The SNP is rushing into this second campaign, and in the process is making all the same mistakes which lost the vote last time.

“The First Minister has recently changed the SNP’s position from flirting with adopting the Euro to possibly using the pound, while other senior SNP ministers want to use a new currency altogether.

“With so much SNP confusion over a fundamental issue, how can voters be asked to make an informed decision in an independence referendum?”

To see the original remarks, visit: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15173328.MacAskill__SNP_failure_over_currency_issue_becoming__quot_laughable_quot_/

Justin Madders MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Minister,
commenting on new figures which show that hospitals have flouted caps on locum
pay, said:

“The astonishing amounts paid by the NHS for locum doctors is yet
another example of the woeful workforce planning by the Conservative
Government. There isn’t just a shortage of permanent medical staff, there’s now
a shortage of available locums to plug the gaps.

“Patients want to know that taxpayers’ money is being spent on
patient care, not padding out the profits of employment agencies. Jeremy Hunt
needs to explain what he’s going to do to deliver a long term, sustainable
workforce plan for the NHS.”

Pat Glass MP,
Labour’s Shadow Transport Minister,  responding to the National Audit
Office (NAO) report into the Government’s Road Investment Strategy, said:

“This report
shows that the Government has made a huge error of judgment. The Road
Investment Strategy was rushed out by George Osborne and David Cameron as a
gimmick for the 2015 election. It was insufficiently planned, poorly thought
out and unrealistically costed.

“This
has raised expectations with motorists and businesses that Labour warned at the
time could not be met and it is clear that the Department for Transport has
questions to answer.

“The Government
needs to seriously reconsider their plans, so that these crucial infrastructure
projects are delivered on time and in budget.”