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Letter in response to Tory criticism of the new SNP Government
policies on addressing the crisis in dentistry inherited by
the SNP in May 2007 and on addressing the needs of the fisheries sector
in the Berwickshire News, August 2007
Sir,
In 1989, the then Conservative government allowed a decision to
be taken to close the Edinburgh University dental school to new
students. By 1993/94, the final cohort of degree graduates were
awarded their degrees. As a consequence the number of new graduate
dentists in Scotland fell immediately from 160 per year to around
120 per year from the two remaining schools and at one point
thereafter, it fell as low as 105 graduates. If that immediate drop
is extrapolated to today, 13 years on, then we might conclude that
Scotland has produced more than 500 fewer dentists than it might
have had if the Tories hadn't allowed the school to be closed as
part of cutbacks.
Hence, while I agree with John Lamont MSP that action must be
taken now, his diatribe might sit better with those of us with
longer memories than his own if his party apologised for the mess
they made in 1989 - it was short-sighted in the extreme at the time,
but looks positively incompetent now. Rather than criticise the new
SNP administration, who have had less than 100 days in power,
perhaps he should reflect on the fact that while the Tories closed
the school during their 18 years in charge, and a go-slow by Labour
and Lib Dems thereafter, the SNP minister, Shona Robison, has
immediately provided additional funded places for dental students
and has stated she is committed to re-establishing a third dental
school for Scotland.
In addition, before carping about the itinerary of SNP Cabinet
Secretary for Rural Affairs, Richard Lochhead, he might like to
check his diary, as the Minister is due to attend a session on 20th
August at Tweed Horizons Centre to hear views of those working in
the agriculture and fisheries sectors in the Borders. The SNP have
always fought for our fishing sector's interests and we will take no
lessons from the Tories on fishing either - with declassified
documents revealing Mr Lamont's party, during the Heath government,
shamelessly used Scotland's fishing sector and fishing grounds as an
expendable pawn in negotiating entry to the Common Market - the
Common fisheries policy of today is, in many ways, a Tory legacy.
Yours faithfully
Paul Wheelhouse
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