It seemed completely welcome when a motion was put down by John Wilson MSP marking Down’s syndrome awareness week. Over fifty MSPs attached their name to the motion and this led to a debate on the floor of the parliament. [So far, so good.] However only around 10 MSPs actually made time to attend the debate and a very worrying undercurrent was exposed by the parliamentary discussion. While the motion asks us ‘to reflect on the value of people with learning difficulties in Scottish society’ Mr. Wilson states that “The charity Down’s Syndrome Scotland thinks that more work should be done on screening and maternity care, so that people can make informed decisions.” [This means that the very charity which is charged with upholding the rights and dignity of those with Down’s syndrome is also advocating an increase in screening which leads to a number of those with such a condition being aborted within the womb.] Scottish Government policy makes the chilling and euphemistic statement that ‘Pregnancy screening aims to enable women and their partners to make an informed choice about continuing the pregnancy, or to accept treatment at an early stage when it is likely to be more effective.’ It makes the warm words of Alex Neil MSP – The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing – ring slightly hollow when towards the end of the debate he added “Down’s syndrome awareness week will help us to realise how we can live in a Scotland that values people who have Down’s syndrome and provides them with the opportunities to live in an equal society in which they are truly valued and properly respected.” [They need to be born first.] More encouraging and brave in today’s climate of discourse were the sentiments expressed by Nanette Milne MSP that “Thankfully, the number of terminations following a prenatal diagnosis of Down’s syndrome has fallen in England and Wales.”
Welfare Reforms/Cuts – Part III
Michael McMahon MSP as Convener of the Welfare Reform Committee has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions the Rt. Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP recommending five changes to the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) - 1) ‘Those on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) with long-term conditions should not be subject to re-assessments.’ Mr. McMahon points out "It is ridiculous to expect people with conditions like Multiple Sclerosis to keep going through assessments. Whilst their symptoms may fluctuate, there is currently no prospect of the disease being cured and the stress on individuals is out of kilter with a society that cares for the sick and vulnerable.” 2) ‘People should be assessed for ESA only by health care professionals who have the knowledge and experience to understand and recognise the individual’s condition.’ 3) ‘Changes should be made to the WCA assessment criteria.’ It is thought that current assessment ‘descriptors’ fail to take account of changes in one’s condition and the impact of hidden symptoms. 4) ‘People who are applying for ESA should be treated with dignity and respect.’ There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that this is not always the case. 5) ‘Department for Work and Pensions communication should be in plain English clearly stating what the implications of decisions are.’n
Awards
This topic was the subject of debate on the floor of the parliament for the second
Stuart McMillan MSP in his motion ‘congratulates the pupils of St Mary’s Primary School in Alexandria on taking top prize in the West Dunbartonshire Primary School Public Speaking Competition 2014’. John Pentland MSP referred to the sad news of the death of Hugh McCann who was awarded an MBE in 2003. Mr. McCann ‘organised fundraising events for both St Brendan’s and St Margaret’s churches in Muirhouse’.
25 March 2014
 Fr. Paul T. Brooks
is a priest of the Archdiocese of Glasgow and the Parliamentary Researcher for the Catholic Parliamentary Office.
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