Labour calls for volunteer army

LABOUR yesterday called on the Scottish Government to create an army of 4,000 young volunteers to work on schemes in education, health and the environment.

Labour set up such a scheme, Project Scotland, in 2005. But the SNP stopped funding it, party leader Iain Gray said.

He said the Obama administration had backed a scheme to quadruple the number of volunteers in Americorps to 250,000.

"We can do likewise by creating 4,000 new places on national voluntary schemes through Project Scotland for young people in education, health and the environment," Mr Gray said