Dundee Liberal Democrats - www.dundeelibdems.scot

Jamie Stone, Highlands MP, was this afternoon called to receive the first dose of the vaccine against Covid-19. The MP was overjoyed to receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, administered by NHS staff at the Tain Health Centre.

After receiving the vaccine, Mr Stone commented:

"When I received the call from my local health centre inviting me to come and be vaccinated, I couldn't book my appointment fast enough. I am in awe at the efficiency of NHS professionals when it comes to administering these jags. My experience was pleasant, quick, and painless.

Speaking after he pressed the First Minister over plans for the reopening of schools in the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said:

"Perhaps it was unwise for the First Minister to sneer at other governments making up dates when she has already changed the dates that she set out last week. The three-week review has suddenly changed to a weekly review.

Responding to new mental health waiting times statistics for the end of 2020 showing a record 1,892 children and 5,452 adults waiting more than year for treatment, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie commented:

"There were already a record number of children waiting over a year for treatment at the outset of the pandemic, years into the SNP Government's mental health strategy. Now they number nearly 2,000, with record numbers of adults waiting over a year too.

Commenting on the revelation that law officers were not asked about releasing legal advice pertaining to the Alex Salmond case until yesterday, Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

"For weeks ministers tried to suggest that it was the law officers who were preventing this advice from being published. I feel for the Scottish Government lawyers who have been used as human shields as a result of this deception.

A new analysis carried out by the Scottish Liberal Democrats shows that almost 170,000 scheduled operations have been lost to the pandemic between March and January 2021.

Figures published by Public Health Scotland show that 309,650 operations were conducted between March 2019 and January 2020. However, between March 2020 and January 2021, this figure was just 141,441, a decrease of 168,209.

On Friday 5^th March, the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference will debate plans for land reform aimed at boosting rural communities neglected by the SNP's "Government for the Central Belt".

The conference will consider proposals from the Highland Liberal Democrats that would:

• Replace property-based council tax with a locally administered land value tax, encouraging a more proportional system of taxation and fairer use of land.
• Expand the Scottish Land Fund to facilitate further community ownership across Scotland.
• Institute a First Time Builders Fund to support population growth in rural areas that lack housing stock.
• Require public bodies to consult with rural and remote communities to make sure Scottish legislation is "rural proof"

At a time when millions of small businesses are struggling to survive, to offer them just £5 billion would be an insult.

We need to see a budget with a bold and ambitious compensation package

From beauticians to builders, florists to café owners - the small businesses in our communities are on the brink and the Chancellor must do more.