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Commenting ahead of the Scottish Parliament approving a minimum price per unit of alcohol of 50p, with the measure coming into force next week, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said:

"Decades of low alcohol prices have taken their toll on Scotland. While this legislation will help to discourage the misuse of alcohol, inflation eroded the value of the original minimum price during the years that this policy has been caught up in the courts.

Responding to the Welsh Government's statement that it has an agreement with the UK Government over EU withdrawal, Scottish Liberal Democrat Europe spokesperson Tavish Scott MSP said:

"The Scottish Brexit minister Mike Russell knew that the Welsh Government had reached an agreement with the UK government yet refused to answer questions on why the Scottish and Welsh governments had diverged.

Responding to Scottish Brexit Minister Mike Russell's statement to the Scottish Parliament on negotiations with the UK Government, Scottish Liberal Democrat Europe spokesperson Tavish Scott MSP said:

"It appears that the Scottish Government have now departed from their Welsh counterparts in reaching an agreement that is badly needed.

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today warned that clinical staff are "increasingly looking for an early exit" as he revealed that the number of staff retiring has more than doubled since 2010/11.

In response to a written question from Mr Cole-Hamilton, the Health Secretary revealed that the number of NHS clinical staff who have taken early retirement or accessed their patient early has risen from 358 in 2010-11 to 730 in 2017/18. In crisis hit NHS Tayside, the number has tripled.

Responding to claims made by the Deputy Chief Executive of NHS Lothian, Jim Crombie, in the Health and Sport Committee this morning that the health board requires £31m to return services to 2017 levels, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

"The troubles with NHS Tayside, and now with NHS Lothian, show the clear strains on the system. Staff are working around the clock but they aren't getting anywhere near the support and resources they need.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable has used an address to the Scottish Liberal Democrat spring conference in Aviemore on Saturday 21st April to warn that the Government's Brexit deal is unravelling and call on the SNP to do the right thing and choose the national interest over the narrow interests of her party.

Responding to reports that plans for a new dedicated BBC channel for Scotland have been approved by Ofcom, Scottish Liberal Democrat culture spokesperson councillor Eileen McCartin said:

"The BBC is one of the finest institutions in the UK and has injected news, entertainment and culture to living rooms across the UK for decades.

Responding to BMA Scotland's warning that doctors in Scotland are "under pressure like never before", with "patients suffering" and "services deteriorating" because resources aren't keeping up with demand, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP commented:

"Doctors could not put it in starker terms for the SNP Government.