I want to take this opportunity to once again thank constituents for their patience and understanding since the start of the pandemic. After an extremely busy year, my constituency office staff will be taking a break now until Tuesday, January 5.   If you need urgent help during this period, Falkirk Council’s 24-hour helpline on 01324 506070 can offer support on issues such as homelessness,...

Colleges exceeded the Scottish Government’s target for the number of full-time equivalent places by almost 2,000 students in the last academic year. Scottish Funding Council figures show there were 328,889 college enrolments in 2018-19 – an 8.5% increase on the year before – and 118,242 full-time equivalent places. Record levels of learning hours were delivered to students with a disability,...

Falkirk West MSP Michael Matheson is backing a charity’s campaign to ensure that young carers don’t miss out on vital support. The Carers Trust’s Count Me In! campaign launches on Young Carers Awareness Day on Thursday,  January 30. It calls on education providers to do more to identify young carers and ensure that they receive the recognition and help they deserve. According to the...

Michael Matheson has urged opposition MSPs to overturn a proposed amendment to the Non-Domestic Rates (Scotland) Bill – after 27 business organisations signed a letter to raise their concerns over the proposal. Amendment 9 to the Bill would mean that rates would no longer be set nationally and business rates relief schemes, including the Small Business Bonus and rates relief for nurseries, would...

Michael Matheson has backed calls for better support to keep people with arthritis in work. The Falkirk West MSP attended a Versus Arthritis exhibition at Holyrood last week, which highlighted the charity’s work in Scotland to identify the barriers people with musculoskeletal conditions face in seeking and remaining in employment. The exhibition also included artwork by young Scots with...