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Glasgow Southside MSP Nicola Sturgeon has welcomed the announcement by Cabinet Secretary for infrastructure and Capital Investment Alex Neil of £7.5 million for the Boiler Scrappage scheme.

Up to 18,000 householders can now receive as much as £400 towards the cost of a new boiler.

Nicola commented: “In an energy-rich country like Scotland, fuel poverty is unacceptable. This investment is an important part of tackling the problem.

“It comes on top of existing investment in the Energy Assistance Package and Boiler Scrappage Scheme and will help in the fight against fuel poverty.

“The Boiler Scrappage Scheme has been a great success, helping to deliver new boilers to 12,000 households over the past year.  I’m very pleased that this further commitment will bring warmer homes and lower heating bills to thousands more homes in Scotland.”

The campaign for a Yes vote in the referendum to be held in Autumn 2014 has launched.

Bringing together a range of people from different political parties (and none), the Yes campaign is for everyone who wants an independent Scotland.

It will be a community-led campaign, involving ordinary people, grassroots activists and independence ambassadors the length and breadth of Scotland. What unites them is a common cause and a shared purpose in seeing our country make the progress it needs to in order to make the most of our potential and allow all of our citizens a better, fairer future.

And the one basic truth which all of those campaigning for a Yes vote all agree on is that the people best placed to make decisions on Scotland’s future are those who care most about Scotland – and that is all the people who live here. Independence means the people of Scotland will be responsible for their own future. And because we have the greatest stake in the country and its future, we – all of us – are best placed to make it more successful and a better place to live.

You can find out more about the Yes campaign and volunteer to be a part of it here

Commenting on the news that 60 leading medical professionals have called on the UK Coalition Government to drop their damaging NHS reforms, Nicola Sturgeon said:

“The public, patients and practitioners can be very clear that these reforms will not apply in Scotland.  Scotland’s National Health Service is independent and, as long as there is an SNP Government, it will be run in the interests of patients not profit.

“Privatisation may be the Tory way but it is not our way. I know how highly Scots value our NHS and under the SNP it will be protected.”

Glasgow Southside MSP Nicola Sturgeon has welcomed the announcement of £210,000 of Scottish Government funding to help an estimated 26,000 – 30,000 carers across the southside.

The funding was announced by Public Health Minister Michael Matheson on a visit to the Pollok Carers Centre.

The money will help The Princess Royal Trust and Glasgow South East and Glasgow South West Carers Centres to offer information and advice, help with benefits, one-to-one counselling and emotional support to carers, as well as giving them the chance to meet other people in the same position and providing services for young carers.

Nicola commented: “I know what a fantastic job these three Centres do. This funding will help support a variety of excellent initiatives to identify and support carers so that they can receive support. The contribution made by carers and young carers to Scotland is enormous. That’s why I am pleased to see the Scottish Government support very  worthwhile initiatives of this kind.”

Glasgow Southside MSP Nicola Sturgeon has warmly welcomed the re-election of Alex Salmond as First Minister of Scotland. Mr Salmond’s election was unopposed and he was congratulated by each of the opposition leaders on the SNP’s successful election campaign. 

Mr Salmond will receive the Royal Warrant signed by the Queen before taking the official oath of allegiance in front of a panel of judges at the Court of Session in Edinburgh tomorrow to confirm him as First Minister.  

Nicola commented: “The Scottish people have shown that they want our country to move on, to have the economic levers to prosper and create more opportunities for our young people.

“Working together we can and will build a better and more successful Scotland.”