Water pours out of Fordell Day Level into site Picture Linda Reid

In Muir Dean Opencast Pict Linda Reid

The Leader of Fife Council, Alex Rowley, has this week said there are many unanswered questions around the operation and future development of opencast sites in Fife where the current owners have gone into receivership.

His comments come on the back of an announcement that Durham-based mining company Hargreaves have preferred bidder status to take over Scottish Coals six working open-cast mines including St Ninians at Kelty in Fife. Hargreaves has already bought the debt of mining company ATH which operated the site Muir Dean near Crossgates in Fife.

Mr Rowley has written to Council officials raising many concerns over the way that sites have been managed and the level of risk that is associated with current sites. The Council leader has also cast doubt over the likelihood of an extension at Muir Dean in Crossgates and the development of Loch Fitty near Kingseat both of which have full planning permission but await planning consent which is linked to a legal agreement being put in place.

Mr Rowley spoke to the Press following a visit to the Muir Dean site in Crossgates. He said; “I have been given assurances by legal and planning officials in the council that Fife is in a better position than most given that we have bonds in place on both sites. I do have doubts however about the level of restoration costs and whether the bonds in place will be sufficient for full restoration of the sites to a standard that we should expect. I am therefore asking for more detail on the sites and what needs to be done to put them back into a proper state.

The Council leader is also calling for a more joined up approach with all the key stakeholders coming together. He said that the Muir Dean site near Crossgates posed some serious ‘risks’ and that this had to be evaluated ‘sooner rather than later’. Speaking specifically on the Muir Dean site Mr Rowley said; “Whilst I am not an expert, this site comprising some 5 to 600 acres has been mined and to date there is no evidence of any restoration works having taken place. Most sites have a plan in place for progressive restoration and I am asking what was in place at this mine. It is also very worrying that the Fordell Day Level which acts as a drainage system serving old underground mine workings is discharging onto the Muir Dean site at a ferocious rate and is being pumped and treated 24/7 with no indication of a proper solution being anywhere near to being implemented. Given the seriousness of this and the level of pollution and the fact that the initial site has been coaled and indeed a further extension has also been coaled you have to ask why no restoration and why no action to date on the Fordell Day Level. I am certainly of the view that no further consent should be given until these issues are addressed.

On the question of Loch Fitty being drained and coaled Mr Rowley is adamant that no consent should be given until the St Ninians site is addressed and ‘adequate insurance’ is in place. He said; “The proposal to drain Loch Fitty is a major and complex project that will come with many many risks and the council therefore must make sure that those risks are evaluated and that all the costs of putting the site back into a proper condition are included in a multi-million pound insurance bond. Given what we now know about the difficulties within the industry and the fragile nature of these companies we must be vigilant and absolutely thorough in our approach to any new workings”.

Mr Rowley said that SEPA and the Coal Authority are key stakeholders in the Fife sites and need to be at the table when discussion the specific issues and risks with the current Fife sites.

Photo shows Alex Rowley viewing the Fordell Day Level and the mine near Crossgates.

Editors notes

From Wikipedia on the Fordell Day Level

 Close to the Castle, the Fordell Day Level surfaces. This is a mine “river”, connecting the foot of numerous former coal mines, from as far afield as Cowdenbeath, and draining the pits. It is now one of Scotland’s worst pollution issues, issuing iron-polluted water into the nearby watercourse. Ongoing open-cast mining being carried out by ATH Resources promises to solve this issue as part of their reparations.[citation needed] A Planning Application is currently being considered by Fife Council for the first extension to the Muir Dean mine, in an area south of the current mine, towards Vantage Farm.

Kelty and Blairadam Pipe Band in Kinross

The competitive season has got off to a good start for Kelty and Blairadam Pipe Band as they picked up first prise for Novice Juveniles at the Loch Level Pipe Band contest held this weekend in Kinross.  There was an extra bonus when the band unexpectedly picked up first prize in the street parade competing against many more experienced bands from across the country.

 Kelty tutor David Millar said the players were delighted with the two first prizes and praised the young players who are only in their third year as a band. Pipe Major Andrew Keating’s said; “This is a tremendous boost for all the young players and is a credit to all their hard work and practice that we were able to win our grade and the street parade”.

Many of the young pipers have been recruited through the local schools projects set up through the Cowdenbeath area committee schools for piping programme. There was also a celebration for the young drummers in the drumming section as they took third prize in the open drum core section.

working the ground in Kelty

Get an allotment

If you are interesting in a bit of gardening and growing healthy fruit and veg then there is still time to get yourself an allotment or even half and get fit whilst enjoying the outdoors and eating the best of veg that you know is free from things you don’t want to be in your food.

Fife council has allotments across Fife and you can put your name down to get one by going on line to the council web site or calling the council contact centre and ask for allotments.

Many people are still planting potatoes and onions and there is lots of time for all other veg, so if you are interested then have a go.

Kelty Centre

The move towards a new sport and leisure centre took another step forward this week when the Cowdenbeath Area Committee agreed that a bid for funding be worked up and submitted to the Fife Community Investment Fund.

As well as funding from this source the committee noted that four buildings would be pulled into the new centre and therefore revenue saving will be achieved from the other buildings. The committee heard that the school is also in desperate need of a sports hall and assembly room and these facilities would be incorporated into the new centre for school use as well as community use.

There is an outstanding section 75 agreement for £500,000 and the social and economic form has £100,000 towards the 4G park.

Alex Rowley said; “The case for this new facilities is overwhelming as the other buildings are not able to offer the kind of modern facilities that a community the size of Kelty needs. The school is bursting at the seems and in desperate need of facilities and the old community centre is past its Selby date, indeed a janitor recently fell through the floor such is the state of the building.

“I look forward to making progress and getting this project started”.

Council leader meets young people taking part

EIGHTY FIVE training opportunities in Rural Skills leading to apprenticeships were unveiled today (Thursday 2 May) in the historic setting of Falkland Palace as part of Fife Council’s £5 million investment in apprenticeships for Fife’s young unemployed.

A variety of land-based training providers now have the opportunities for unemployed young people who are within the 16 to 24 year old age group.  These rural skills apprenticeships range from working on golf courses, core paths, timber and landscaping to woodland management and environmental conservation.

Leader of Fife Council, Councillor Alex Rowley added: “Since the Fife Youth Job Contract commenced four months ago, we have already approved over 130 apprenticeships.  This shows the commitment of organisations to make sure they put the skills in place to meet the needs of their business.  These 85 training opportunities will allow young unemployed people to get a foot on the ladder which could lead to a future of employment with good prospects. In these difficult economic times it is crucial that Fife Council does all it can to support young people to get the training and skills to support them into work. We are pleased with the progress being made and the partnership approach with employer and would encourage more employers to become involved with council scheme.”

The Rural Skills training providers are Fife Council (Core Paths), Fife Golf Trust, River Leven Development, Living Solutions (Scotland), Centre for Stewardship (Falkland) and the Ecology Centre.

For further information on training opportunities in Rural Skills, contact Grant Leaburn at Opportunities Fife on 08451 55 55 55 ext 406723 or check out www.opportunitiesfife.org

Workers in Keltyhill Road

“years of underinvestment must be tackled”

Alex Rowely

Many streets in the Lochs ward are seeing roads teams working to tackle the worst of the roads infrastructure impacted by the cold and wet winter and this according to Lochs councillor Alex Rowley; “Is a very welcomed activity given the state of some roads full of potholes and breaking up”.

However, the Council leader is asking people to remain vigilante and report all potholes to the council. He said; “It is still important that if a road defect appears in your street or on a road you are driving on that it is reported. This year we have put additional monies into fixing roads and the budget now stands at £8.4 million for each of the next three years. I am keen to ensure that we are getting value for money and that we make a real difference in starting to tackle the many years of under investment in our roads infrastructure”.

Mr Rowley said he is monitoring roads spent across Fife and will be looking at all benchmark date available to compare Fifes costs with other Scottish Councils to make sure the council is achieving best value for the “Fife pound”.

Alex Rowley campaigns with daughter Danielle

In Fife the bedroom tax will affect over 6,300 households in receipt of housing benefit. Many will have to find monies from their already low incomes to pay for bedrooms the government deem they don’t need. This will hit hard on disabled people, separated parents with children who spend time with them and many people who quite simply cannot get another house that is smaller.

Fife Council took steps today to agree a way forward to support people who run into difficulty with this unfair and unworkable tax and we have said that as long as people who are experiencing difficulties get in touch and work with us then there will be no one in Fife left without a roof over their head as a result of the bedroom tax.

Councillors and Labour Party activists were campaigning across Fife at the weekend and even in the bitter cold weather people were stopping to sign the petition and express their concern at this new tax being imposed on the poorest and weakest in our society.

Fife Council leader Alex Rowley said; “As a Council we are doing everything within the powers we have to minimise the impact of this tax on the people affected and I would urge the Scottish Government to stop playing their separatist political games with peoples welfare and join with councils across Scotland in the call for the UK Government to scrap the tax, and in the meantime to make resources available to Councils and Housing Associations to help tenants most at risk across Fife and Scotland”.

The motion passed today at the Fife Council Executive is below.

NOTICE OF MOTION – In terms of Standing Order No. 30, the following notice of motion has been submitted

Executive Committee

1          Notes:

1.1       That from 1^st April nearly 5,000 council tenants and 1,300 housing association tenants in Fife will be adversely affected by the under-occupation provisions of Welfare Reform – the so-called ‘Bedroom Tax’.

1.2         That Fife Council is concerned that the bedroom tax will lead to increased rent arrears, and considers that this represents a significant financial risk to the Housing Revenue Account. 

1.3       That the Council has been making strenuous efforts to contact those tenants likely to be affected and to investigate all legal means of mitigating the impact of these measures.

1.4       That the Council has included a sum of £5.4m in its budget to deal with the impact of Welfare Reform.

1.5       That all tenants should continue to pay their rent but should contact the Council as soon as possible if they are in danger of falling into arrears.

2          Agrees:

2.1       An increase in resources available to support the application of the Discretionary Housing Fund to the maximum level allowed (150%) bringing the Fund in Fife up to a total of £1.087m, funded from the resources previously built in to the council budget to deal with the impact of Welfare Benefit Reform.

2.2      That for any tenant facing financial difficulties as a direct result of the ‘Bedroom Tax’ provided they have contacted the Council to discuss their financial position, are doing all they reasonably can to avoid falling into or escalating arrears, and where applicable have entered into an agreed financial arrangement, Fife Council will use all legitimate means of supporting tenants to ensure the collection of rent but will not pursue eviction measures.   

2.3       That outstanding arrears will not prevent a transfer for any tenants wishing to transfer to a smaller property as a way of mitigating the impact of the ‘Bedroom Tax’.

2.4       That tenants who do not wish to accept the offer of a property that would result in under occupation and financial hardship under the Welfare Reform provisions will not be suspended from waiting or transfer lists under the current allocation policies.

3          Calls on:

            The UK Government

3.1       To reverse the under-occupation provisions of Welfare Reform or failing this to further expand the categories for exemption from these provisions.

            The Scottish Government

3.2       To continue to use its devolved powers under housing and social welfare legislation and in consultation with local authorise and other social housing providers, to mitigate the impacts of Welfare Reform and in particular the ‘Bedroom Tax’.

3.3       Specifically to further supplement the Discretionary Housing Fund.

Bryan Poole, Jim Leishman, Alex Rowley

The new Dunfermline High School was officially opened this week by Fife Provost Jim Leishman.

The school opened its doors to pupils last August but the building had yet to be formally opened so today was a day for pupils, staff and others involved in the building process to gather and celebrate the success of the new building.

Provost Jim Leishman said: “Dunfermline High School is the flagship school in the Building Fife’s Future Programme, which will see seven new schools built around Fife.

“From its ultra modern yet super-functional design to its magnificent eco-credentials Dunfermline High School is a building to be proud of and you can see in the faces of the pupils that they are proud of their new school.

“Dunfermline High School has a long history and has always enjoyed a great reputation, this new building gives the staff and pupils the facility they need to build on that reputation and be all they can be by taking full advantage of the state-of the-art building and everything it has to offer.”

Pupils, staff and guests were treated to a programme of music and performance before the official opening of the school was carried out and a plaque unveiled to mark the occasion, guests were then given a guided tour of the school.

Cllr. Alex Rowley, Leader of Fife Council, said: ““I want to take this opportunity today to thank the people of Fife, who, through their taxes will be paying for this new school for many generations to come. This £40 million investment in young people along with the many other new schools being built across Fife is a testament to the value the people of Fife put on education and sets the high standards we want for all our school buildings”.

Built in partnership with BAM Construction, the school has a number of exciting features which depart from the traditional idea of how a school should look. The building’s main feature is the transparency of every area of the school. To ‘see and be seen’ is the key in this building, a design which has been proven in other schools to improve behaviour and markedly decrease bullying.

The central “street” creates a feeling of community linking up the three teaching wings of the school and provides a flexible open space for learning, performance and socialising.

Many of the sub-contractors on site were local businesses and Fife Council’s Building Services carried out most of the joinery work on site after winning the contract in competition.

The building was designed and built with the collaboration of the school and the Education service to ensure a building to meet the educational needs of children now and into the future. Many of the design features came directly from feedback given by pupils who were involved in a design festival, held at the beginning of the BFF programme. The widespread use of natural light, the open space and flexible learning areas are all things specifically requested by the young people themselves.

The building has also been constructed with the latest environmentally friendly features with natural light being used to maximum advantage, rainwater collection to flush toilets, great insulation and natural ventilation in classrooms.

Headteacher Bryan Blanchflower said: “This has been a great chance for the whole school community to come together to celebrate our new school. We are all so proud of it and honoured to be able to work in a building which has been almost tailor-made for us.

Kelty and Blairadam Pipe Band

A big well done and congratulations to Kelty and Blairadam Pipe Band who competed at the Fife Minibands and solo drumming competition held at Queen Anne High School Dunfermline this weekend. The players all did themselves proud with less than three first places in the solo drumming for Cameron, Scott and Ben.   Erin, Callum, Mary, Reece also gained medals.  In the miniband competition the band gained a first and second prize and also in the adults section came seventh out of 17 entries beating a good few seasoned bands.  This has been a great start to the season, lets hope for continued hard working leading to more trophies. 

The level of work put into the band from Dusty and Andrew who give up their time to work with and teach the young band. They all do the village proud.

Not wanted in Fife

There are many aspects to the welfare reforms coming through from the Westminster government that are cause for real concern and will bring about real hardship and poverty for millions of hard working people, disabled people who are either unable to work or unable to find work, children and families across the UK.

One area of the reforms that will impact on over 6000 households here in Fife is the Bedroom Tax.

The government will cut housing benefit for people with a spare room in their social or council let home, despite the Department of Work and Pensions impact assessment acknowledging that there is a shortage of smaller properties for tenants to move to.

In Scotland the measure will cost 80,000 Scots an average of £624 a year.

With one hand the Tory led government gives millionaires a tax cut of £100,000 a year and with the other its hitting hard-pressed families and the disabled with an unfair and unworkable bedroom tax.

Not only are the Tories’ plans unfair, but they are now in such a mess they could end up costing more than they save in many parts of the country. If families are made homeless or pushed into expensive private rented accommodation the taxpayer could actually be left with a higher bill – and still the problem of under occupancy will not be solved.

Even if every household in Fife wanted to move to a property with the number of bedrooms to meet their needs, it simply could not be done as there is not the houses available and what about grandparents who have their families to stay, or people couples who need two bedrooms or parents who live apart and have their children live with them some of the time.

• According to the Scottish Government, eight out of ten households hit by the tax include an adult with a disability.

• Working households on the lowest incomes will lose out.

• Divorced parents whose kids come to stay are being affected.

• The DWP admit that there are not enough smaller properties for families to move to, yet the bedroom tax will still hit households that don’t have the option to move.

In Fife Council we are looking at every option available to us and you can find out more information about welfare reform by going to www.fifedirect.org.uk/welfarereform where you will also find a video that sets out what reforms are taking place and what they mean.

There are a number of ideas come forward on options for the Council to support people impacted by the bedroom tax and we are examining all of these.

Specifically as a council we have written to 5000 households that are council tenants and will be effected by the bedroom tax and have made direct contact with over 1000 people that will be hit the hardest.

Our message is if you are hit by this odious tax and are in difficulty then contact the council and our line would be to support people unable to pay the extra burden of the bedroom tax.

Fifes share of the hardship fund being made available to councils from the government to help those with greatest need is £400,000 and we believe we can increase this to £1 million and we are looking to do so. We have also set up a new £5.4 million fund in our budget to deal with the impact on the council of welfare reform.

We will as a council continue to look at all the options available but I am very disappointed at the response to date from the Scottish Government. Our Scottish Parliament has the power to help, but the Scottish Government is not doing enough. Different and creative options have been suggested; the Scottish Government need to consider them and act.  It could have been using Devolution to investigate every possible way of protecting tenants, but it hasn’t, it need to do more and stop posturing.

I was interested to read a blog by Ian Smart setting out his thinking and views on options for us in Scotland to deal with the bedroom tax. Ultimately we must campaign for an end to the tax but in the meantime whilst councils must do all they can the Scottish government must act.

Below is the Ian Smart blog and it gives you some ideas on options

SUNDAY, 24 FEBRUARY 2013

Of the Bedroom Tax: Tories, Hypocrites and Numpties

This is a blog about how angry I am with all four of our major Parties.

Let’s start with the Coalition Parties. The Bedroom tax, at the sharp end, is an outrageously callous piece of legislation. I don’t have any difficulty with supporting the idea that no-one should be subsidised to live in a house larger than they need but only a very small number of people affected actually fall into that category. The key is in the word need.

Surely the absent parent with residential contact to their children “needs” a bedroom for them to sleep in? Or many disabled households “need” to have separate bedrooms so that the able bodied partner (and carer) can get a decent night’s sleep? Or even that those with accepted over-occupancy “need” to be able to pay their rent if there is nowhere smaller available for them to stay? Yet all of these people are swept up in a blanket policy; indeed, since they constitute the majority of those affected, it must surely be assumed that they are consciously targeted by it.

Let’s not forget that the reason historically that public sector housing benefit has had different rules from private sector benefit is that the whole basis for the entitlement to and allocation of public sector housing has been “need”. The bedroom tax doesn’t make that need go away.

So for starters I am angry with the Tories and their Lib Dem allies.

But then let’s move on to the SNP. Last weekend Nicola gave an interview promising that “after independence” the bedroom tax would be abolished. This was cynical politics of the worst sort. What exactly was the message here? If you are affected by the tax then if you can only find some way of paying your rent for THREE YEARS and, invest your faith in a Yes vote a year in  October. then everything will be hunky-dory thereafter. This is a worthless promise because, of course, in three years time, the Bedroom Tax will have had its effect. People will,at best, have moved to smaller accomodation and, at worst, have been evicted and living in God knows what circumstance. For once you don’t need to ask the Nationalists to cost their promise because this is a promise with no cost. But there is something much worse in Nicola’s crocodile tears, it is the premise that nothing can be done without Independence. Because that is a completely false premise.

And that leads me on to the final Party with whom I am angry; the Official opposition, my own Party.

This Leadership are of course the progenitors of the infamous “Now that the Tories are back” 2011 Manifesto.Unlike the Tories, who are indifferent to the misery their policy will cause, or the SNP who seek to do no more than exploit that misery for their supposed wider advantage, we are meant to be the ones who would, given the chance, be looking to do something to prevent it. Or as the Official opposition at least exposing the hypocrisy of the Nationalist Government in failing to do that.

There are of course one or two well intentioned private initiatives on our side. Govan Law Centre have suggested that it be made illegal to evict for rent arrears those whose failure to pay is only as a consequence of the Bedroom Tax. Another suggestion is to classify the “third” room in some public sector housing as something other than a bedroom. The problem with both of these suggestions is that at best they take £50 Million per annum (the impact of the Bedroom Tax in Scotland) out of the revenues of public sector landlords. That comes at a cost borne by equally innocent victims, the tenants who will suffer in the form of improvements and repairs not undertaken, or indeed the employment of those who might be carrying out these repairs and improvements.

Short term at least the Govan proposal has my support but it is not a long term solution. The long term solution has to be based on replacing that revenue.

And that’s not impossible. Housing Benefit is of course reserved to Westminster but Public sector Housing; Local Government and Local Government Finance are all devolved. So what might be done?

Well, first of all, there are Discretionary Housing Payments. These already exist and involve the Local Authority paying the shortfall that might, under the current system, exist between the rent and the ability of the tenant to pay even after Housing Benefit. Even the Tories recognise that the Bedroom Tax will throw up some indefensible cases so they have provided direct funding to Local Authorities to increase their ability to make Discretionary Housing Payments. I have tried to find the figure specifically allocated to Scotland for this but without success. The UK figure is however for general and bedroom tax provision is £50 Million so it’s reasonable to assume the Scottish Figure to be around £5 Million.

But that’s not the end of it. The Discretionary Housing Payments (Grants) Order 2001 allows that to be topped up by an individual Local Authority to the extent of 250%. So, if they had the money, Local Authorities could immediately find an additional £7.5 Million to set against the £50 Million cost of the Bedroom Tax. Except that they clearly do not have that money. But the Scottish Government could give it to them. (I’ll come back to this).

But is that all? Well, look at this!

Those immersed in this area will know that the powers of the Scottish Parliament extend to all matters which are not specifically reserved to Westminster. And that these reservations are contained in Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998. And of course Social Security Benefits (including Housing Benefits) are reserved, aren’t they?

Now I appreciate that it might be asking a bit much of MSPs who spent the first week of the horsemeat scandal blissfully unaware that food safety was a devolved issue to be particularly familiar with Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998 but I might expect somebody to have read it.

Anyway, here’s what it says at the relevant part as to what is reserved.

Head F – Social Security

F1. Social security schemes

Section F1.

Schemes supported from central or local funds which provide assistance for social security purposes to or in respect of individuals by way of benefits.

Requiring persons to—

(a)

establish and administer schemes providing assistance for social security purposes to or in respect of individuals, or (b)make payments to or in respect of such schemes,

and to keep records and supply information in connection with such schemes.

• The circumstances in which a person is liable to maintain himself or another for the purposes of the enactments relating to social security and the Child Support Acts 1991 and 1995.
• The subject-matter of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.

Illustrations

National Insurance; Social Fund; administration and funding of housing benefit and council tax benefit; recovery of benefits for accident, injury or disease from persons paying damages; deductions from benefits for the purpose of meeting an individual’s debts; sharing information between government departments for the purposes of the enactments relating to social security; making decisions for the purposes of schemes mentioned in the reservation and appeals against such decisions.

Exceptions

The subject-matter of Part II of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (social welfare services), section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 (provision of welfare services), section 50 of the Children Act 1975 (payments towards maintenance of children), section 15 of the Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act 1990 (industrial injuries benefit), and sections 22 (promotion of welfare of children in need), 29 and 30 (advice and assistance for young persons formerly looked after by local authorities) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.

Interpretation

• “Benefits” includes pensions, allowances, grants, loans and any other form of financial assistance.
• Providing assistance for social security purposes to or in respect of individuals includes (among other things) providing assistance to or in respect of individuals—

(a)

who qualify by reason of old age, survivorship, disability, sickness, incapacity, injury, unemployment, maternity or the care of children or others needing care,

(b)

who qualify by reason of low income, or

(c)

in relation to their housing costs or liabilities for local taxes

(The highlighted section is my emphasis)

So, I hear you ask what is this odd exception in relation to Part II of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968? Well the Title of Part II is “Promotion of Social Welfare by Local Authorities” and here is a link to its entire text which is too substantial just to cut and paste in here.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/49/part/II

And in considering that text, notice this. Assuming that it falls within the general heading of “Promotion of Social Welfare by Local Authorities” the Scottish Parliament can amend the provisions of Part II. Indeed, pedants will note that the entire “Free Personal Care” regime has been introduced by just such amendment. Pedants will also note s 12B which, by amendment, allows direct payments for personal care without anyone suggesting that this is not competent despite

•       “ Providing assistance for social security purposes to or in respect of individuals includes (among other things) providing assistance to or in respect of individuals—

(a)

who qualify by reason of old age, survivorship, disability, sickness, incapacity, injury, unemployment, maternity or the care of children or others needing care,”

being reserved to Westminster by virtue of Head F1 of Schedule 5 referred to above.

So, assuming that preventing large numbers of people being rendered homeless and potentially destitute can reasonably be regarded as something which would run contrary to the “promotion of Social Welfare by Local Authorities” there is no reason that the Scottish Parliament could not amend Part II of the 1968 Act to enable local authorities to financially assist those facing that prospect.

But is that even necessary?  For let’s consider the existing ss 12(1) and 12(2) of that legislation Here’s that link again http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/49/part/II

And here’s the punchline. It it is difficult to assess the cost to a Local Authority of an eviction but given the imperative in terms of the Housing (Scotland) Act  1987 to rehouse the victims, together with the costs to Education Departments of reaccommodating, never mind counselling, affected children and the cost to Social Work Departments of ensuring the welfare of everyone involved, it would not be difficult to argue that any potential “Bedroom Tax” eviction would justify a s.12 payment to prevent it as falling within a category

“where the giving of assistance in either form would avoid the local authority being caused greater expense in the giving of assistance in another form,”

Except again, that would come at a cost.

So what would be that cost?

Now, let’s accept that some part of the Bedroom Tax has the effect the Tories desire, by forcing people with the option to downsize to actually do so. The total cost of preventing its worst effects would then probably be not £50 Million but rather somewhere  between £30 Million and £40 Million. Let’s split the difference and call it £35 Million.

Having met £7.5 Million of that by funding Discretionary Housing Benefit, it would cost another £27.5 Million for the Scottish Government to completely neutralise the Bedroom Tax by funding s.12 payments to cover the remaining shortfall. All, for the avoidance of any doubt, within their current powers.

Of course, £35 Million is a lot of money, certainly a lot more than the Scottish Government has lying spare. So it would need to be found. Where, you ask?

Well, firstly, the cost of providing free prescriptions to the richest 15% of the Scottish population (85% of prescription throughout the UK are free) amounts to £60 Million, Introduce a £4 prescription charge (still less than England) and there’s the money found immediately. Or if that wasn’t attractive, a 2% increase in Council Tax would produce the £35 Million with something to spare. That wouldn’t cost the very poor a penny as they would continue to get 100% Council Tax Benefit. Indeed, ironically, it would force a degree of subsidy from Westminster as they’d retain the obligation to pay that Council Tax benefit.

Now, there is absolutely no prospect of the SNP Government doing any of this, since it would involve taxing or removing perks from the rich to help the poor, and that’s not their thing. And it would also cut across their “Up the misery, Independence is the only answer” strategy exhibited, once again,  in yesterday’s YesScotland press advertisements.

But let’s not let them get away with saying nothing can be done because that’s not true.

So, in summary, I’m angry with the Tories for their malice; the Lib-Dems for their complicity; the SNP for their cynicism and the Labour Party for its ineptitude as an opposition.

Maybe I should become a Green.