The Observer from London, Greater London, England • 95

2 Observer Scotland Sunday 16 April 1989 PVTK irony itoiijxmis Ibsittttn ffoDir HJimnaDim Forsyth rounds on doctors SCOTTISH Health Minister Mr Michael Forsyth has attacked GPs for failing to understand the Government's proposals for a new contract. He warned doctors not to be 'misled by the slogans and instant reactions of medical politicians whose only interest seems to be in perpetuating confrontation with the Dismissing allegations that the proposed Scottish contract only 'tinkered' with problems, Mr Forsyth said he had been very much struck by the lack of knowledge displayed by doctors. 'They have really been arguing not about what the Government is proposing, but their impression of what the Government is he said. 'I don't pretend to be anything other than horrified and slightly taken aback by Mr Forsyth also revealed that he will this week send a leaflet explaining the Government's case to every GP in Scotland and dealing with the 'main areas of The Minister rejected accusations that the Government was trying to make doctors increase their list size, with a consequent loss of service. 'The contract we have issued will not require doctors to increase their list size in order to maintain or enhance their he said.

'They can do that by providing additional services such as childhood immunisation, cervical screening and so But last night Mr Andrew Vallance-Owen, Scottish Secretary of the BMA, said the dispute was not over the details but the fundamental philosophy of the contract. Meanwhile doctors in Ayrshire are demanding a public apology from Mr Bill Fyfe, chairman of Ayrshire and Arran Health Board, after he said they were attempting to distort the whole concept of the Government White Paper 'Working For Patients' and wanted instead to 'have patients working for doctors'. CALLUM MACRAE Mr Stevenson said: 'The whole conference will have to focus on the strength of the Union, and the Northern Ireland issue plays an integral role in any such discussion. The rightness of Dr Kennedy's case is so watertight that I am sure all right-minded people will support the motion. He believes the Northern Ireland discussion will preface the wider constitutional debate.

In order to impress on the electorate the importance of the Union to Scotland, it was not enough to keep 'trotting out the endless statistics about the improving economic performance and falling unemployment'. Mr Stevenson said: 'There's a distinct Scottish dimension and there's a body of opinion that says the feeling of nationhood in the Scottish people is much stronger than any perception of falling unemployment figures or economic improvements. I am worried that we are not doing enough to counter that, to demonstrate to the people of Scotland that our policies are working and they should work in terms of Scotland being an equal partner in the He said the increasing popularity of the SNP presented a real threat and demonstrated that 'there are people who are willing to play the old national game of Scottish roulette and cast their votes for a party on the strength of its empty slogans without thinking through the implications'. Concern is mounting that the Labour Party in Scotland's national executive has slackened its commitment to the Constitutional Convention by axing a specialist committee responsible for ideas and communication between the two groups. The NEC is playing down the decision, but yesterday the left-wing Scottish Labour Action Group discussed in detail their worries about the disbandment.

They fear the right wing of the NEC is casting doubts on the ability of the convention to deliver anything but rhetoric. Yesterday the group, which was heavily involved in getting the Labour Party behind the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly, agreed to keep a close watch on the future of the NEC's policies committee. Jim Boyack, a leading figure in the campaign, told Observer Scotland he 'couldn't understand' why the NEC axed the convention committee and admitted that he was anxious over the move. The SLA intends to keep close contact with the party leadership to ensure that there is no lessening of serious commitment from the Labour Party executive to the Convention at this crucial stage. STEWARTRY: A comprehensive shake-up of Church of Scotland churches in the Stewartry area led to nine congregations being cited to attend a presbytery meeting, leading to the biggest ever turnout.

The meeting was far from harmonious with talk of resignation from no less than 10 elders from St Andrew's Church in Casde Douglas. On the agenda was a move to link several churches and form binding unions with several others. Most of the proposals were carried on votes and now the controversial matters are to go to the Kirk's Edinburgh headquarters for a decision before coming back to Dumfries and Kirkcudbright Presbytery for final approval. The Galloway News CULLEN: The majestic Cullen House, ravaged by fire almost two years ago, has been painstakingly restored to its former glory. Last minute finishing touches are being put to the building and on 17 June two years to the day since the fire the building will be officially restored.

Historic masonry detail on the external walls was replaced with the help of photographs and fragments discovered in the ruins. Banffshire Adervtiser NEWTON STEWART: Chaos reigned in the normally quiet town when a man took a Jaguar out on a test drive. The driver broke speed limits, drove through a no-entry sign, turned right at a no-right-turn, ignored oneway signs and caused a taxi and other vehicles to swerve violently in order to avoid head on collisions. Police became involved in a high speed chase as the driver ignored the blue flashing beacon. A fiscal told the court that it was only 'by the Grace of God' that there were no serious accidents.

The driver pleaded guilty to driving without reasonable consideration for others. Sentence was deferred for reports. Wigtown Free Press RUTHERGLEN: More than 1000 parents gathered in Stonelaw Parish Church to support a campaign to save Rutherglen's only secondary school. Councillors and the local MP vowed to lobby to retain the school. The issue has united the community and now Strathclyde Regional Council is set for one of the biggest confrontations it has faced on the controversial school closures plans, which have been changed by parent power on several occasions.

The parents say the closure proposal is 'an outrage and a scandal'. Rutherglen Reformer LIVINGSTON: The 730 workers at Cameron Iron Works are anxiously awaiting the outcome of the owners' plan to seek a buyer for the firm. The American Robinson family, whose trust fund holds controlling interest in the works, wants to sell off 40 per cent of its 47.5 per cent stake. The remaining interest in the company was floated by the family in the early 1980s. Gordon McCrae, representative for one of the unions, said there was obvious concern among the workforce.

Lothian Courier LARGS: The quality of local drinking water is so poor that goldfish cannot live in it. Fergus Clarkson, regional councillor for the Clyde coast town, told the Largs Community Council: 'If you take the normal water supply and pour it straight into a goldfish bowl, they'll all die. I can guarantee The councillor claims that untreated water tastes better than the supply that pours from the taps in the town. He claims that while living in a house with an untreated water supply, visitors thought the water tasted 'wonderful'. Largs and Millport Weekly News 1 tBWW by ANDREW MACKENZIE SCOTTISH Secretary Malcolm Rifkind has failed to prevent his party from debating the position of Scotland within the Union when it meets in conference at Perth next month.

According to previous reports the Secretary of State went against heavy constituency support for a debate because he believed that if the Tories overstressed their role as defenders of the Union they would be seen to be at the opposite end of the political spectrum from the Scottish National Party, with Labour and the Democrats holding the middle ground. While the Scottish party's Edinburgh headquarters refuses to confirm that the Union debate is on the agenda strictly adhering to its decision not to unveil the conference programme before Monday, 24 April Observer Scotland can reveal that a motion proposed by Highlands and Islands Euro candidate Sir Albert MacQuarrie will call on the conference to support the continuation of the Union. The motion, to be backed by Eastwood MP Allan Stewart, states: 'This conference believes that the best way for Scotland to continue to flourish is as part of a United Kingdom, benefiting from both British and European It goes on to urge the Government 'to promote policies that will lead to a dispersal of economic activities from the south-east of England throughout the The motion will allow speakers to touch on the Constitutional Convention, which the party has boycotted, and the SNP's 'Independence in Europe' strategy. But it will also enable those Tories who still harbour hopes of some kind of Scottish Assembly to register their views. Mr MacQuarrie told Observer Scotland that in proposing his motion he would concentrate his attack on the SNP's strategy, which he described as 'an absolute nonsense'.

He said: 'The people of Scotland are being conned by the separatists about independence in Europe. It simply would not work. It would be up to 10 years before Scotland would be allowed into the European Community as a member Mr Struan Stevenson, the Kyle and Carrick district councillor bidding to become the Tory parliamentary candidate for Edinburgh South, welcomed the decision to place the Union debate on the agenda. He has fallen in line with Government policy on devolution since failing at last year's conference to convince the party that an assembly THE mystery surrounding the tenancy of a stretch of land on Skye has highlighted the problem of abstentee crofters and the difficulty of obtaining details of crofting tenancies. The croft, at 26 Elgol, comprises three hectares of land sitting astride the Elgol village road.

It forms part of the Strathaird Estate owned by Ian Anderson of the rock group Jethro Tull and is tenanted by an absentee islander. According to Colin Donaldson, a local prawn fisherman: 'It has been fallow for about 20 years now. My fiancee and I plan to got married in September and we would like to take the croft over, put it back into use and build a house to raise a At the end of last year Donaldson wrote to the person whom he believes to be the absentee tenant informing him of his desire to take over the croft, asking for his objections and informing him of his intention to take whatever legal action was necessary to expedite the matter. He received a letter from the purported absentee, who has an address in Mount Florida, Glasgow. It said, in part: 'I certainly do have objections to your taking over my croft.

I have plans with my family for the croft which are no concern of Hill Peters, senior executive officer Albert McQuarrle: 'Independence In Europe slogan Is with powers to raise, set, and abolish taxes should be established. Central to the Union issue, in the opinion of Mr Stevenson and many other Conservatives, is the question of whether Northern Ireland Tories should be allowed to join the mainland party. This will come up for debate on the first day of next month's conference when Edinburgh district councillor Mr Stephen Morrison will propose a motion calling for support for the Northern Ireland Conservatives. Many Tories view it as the key to any broad defence of the Union. Mr Morrison, also chairman of the Scottish Young Conservatives, said: 'We ought to give moral support for the setting up of Conservative associations in Northern He added that his speech would include an oblique attack on Dundee Conservatives for failing to put up candidates in many district council seats.

Dr Lawrence Kennedy, chairman of the North Down Model Conservative Association, who has led the campaign for integration, will attend the conference as an observer. He will not be allowed to speak but will re-state the Ulster case at a fringe meeting, at which Mr Stevenson will speak in support alongside Councillor Brian Meek, vice-president of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Association and leader of Lothian Regional Council's Tory group. Row over absent crofter at the Crofters' Commission, told Observer Scotland: 'The name of the absentee tenant which you have given is not the name which appears on our When asked if he would be willing to give the name held in the commission records he replied that the information was protected under the Data Protection Act. Peters added: 'However, if your newspaper or Mr Donaldson cares to write to us we will contact the person we believe to be the tenant and attempt to resolve Asked what the commission's present policy on absentee crofters is, Peters replied: 'We have a recently refreshed policy. This means we will be looking more closely at absenteeism in the Ian McKinnon, township clerk for Elgol and also the manager of Strathaird Estate, said he could not PRESTWICK TO NEW YORK DEP.

SATURDAYS 3 JUNE-6 OCT RETURN INFANTS (under 2): FREE GROUPS call us for low, low quotes. CONTACT YOUR ABTA AGENT OR SCOTIA AIR HOLIDAYS comment on individual tenancies. He added: 'Having said that, I agree that absenteeism is a big, big problem. Currently 25 per cent of the crofts in this parish are tenanted by absentees. The Crofters Commission whose responsibility this is should make a bigger effort to resolve this Anderson could not be contacted but Brian Wilson, Labour Party spokesman for rural affairs, said: 'Where there is a clear neglect and no sign of a tenant either using the croft or making arrangements to sub-let then the Crofters Commission should be more vigorous than it has been until now in enforcing crofting A spokesman for the Scottish Office said that it intended to look into the problem of lack of land for young people 'with some Angus Macrae, president of the Scottish Crofters Union, said: 'As a result of the activities of the Crofters Union and others the Crofters Commission have been encouraged to give the problem of absentee crofters a higher profile.

A possible solution to the problem of lack of land for young people is the creation of more crofts. Any action taken on the matter of absentee crofters would, we hope, not result in the erosion of present crofting BERT McCANN.