Political and civic leaders gathered in Glasgow today for a crime summit organised by SNP councillor Billy McAlister. Mr McAlister teamed up with local MSP, Bob Doris, as he invited representatives from all political parties to look at new ways of tackling Glasgow’s higher than average crime rate.

Bob Doris MSP has spoken out in favour of proposed legislation to sharpen up the practices of factoring companies. The idea has been proposed by Labour MSP Patricia Fergusson and will introduce a new dispute resolution process between factors and their clients. Complaints have flooded in about malpractice in the industry, with some companies forcing customers into poverty by applying exorbitant administration charges and failing to complete routine work.

Mr Doris said: "I support the regulation of factors and it is very positive that the Scottish Government has signalled that the introduction of a voluntary accreditation scheme does not rule out statutory regulation.

SNP MSP for the city of Glasgow Anne McLaughlin has today welcomed new figures that show police numbers across Scotland are at their highest ever.

At the end of 2009 there were a total of 17 273 police officers in Scotland, the highest number ever recorded. This has no doubt been a major factor that has brought crime across Scotland to its lowest ever in 30 years, with every single police force in the country seeing an increase in police numbers.

Following on from reports in the Sunday Times newspaper that the Police have been called in to investigate claims of false accounting at SPT, SNP MSP Sandra White has called on all involved to be open and work with the Police to assure that faith can be restored in the transport body.

The investigation comes just days after Labour's failed to reform the organisation by rejecting opposition offers of help in leading the organisation.

Scottish National Party MSP for Glasgow, Bob Doris, has described an attack on a mini-bus belonging to the Tir Conaill Harps Gaelic Athletic Club as a “public outrage”. The mini-bus, containing thousands of pounds worth of sporting and video equipment, was burned out in an early hours arson attack on Monday morning (22 Feb). A compressed gas cylinder was found in the burnt out wreck.

Demands for real reform of SPT and public transport services in Strathclyde has been backed in Parliament.

Responding to SNP Glasgow MSP Sandra White who raised the issue at First Minister's Questions Alex Salmond indicated that if SPT does not reform itself the Government will consider changing the legislation which governs it's membership and the appointment of it's Chair and senior figures.

The Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner has written to Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon today about the three complaints he received under the MSP Code of Conduct on the auctioning of lunches, in which he says that the complaints: “are not relevant and that there is no evidence of sufficient substance warranting further investigation. I have, therefore, dismissed the complaints”.