Integrated Transport
We now come to a ministerial statement. I say to ministers and particularly to their advisers that they must read rule 13.2 of the standing orders, about ministerial statements. I am required to give an opinion as to whether statements are urgent, and I cannot do that if I receive a statement only a minute before it is due to be given. I hope that that point will be noted by all concerned in the respective departments.
Transport is at the heart of the Executive's vision for Scotland. We are committed to delivering a sustainable, effective and integrated transport system. Today sees another major step forward in the realisation of our ambitions, with the publication of our proposals for the integrated transport bill.
Since taking office, I have travelled the country seeing our transport problems and opportunities at first hand. I have met the Confederation of British Industry, the Automobile Association, the Royal Automobile Club, Transform Scotland, the Scottish Council Development and Industry, the chambers of commerce, the Freight Transport Association and the Road Haulage Association. I have spoken with local authorities and public transport operators across Scotland, listening and debating. All have strong views, forcibly argued, but there is agreement on many of the essentials, such as the need for partnership rather than confrontation; the need for increased investment in Scotland's transport infrastructure; the need to make hard choices; and the need to explain to the public what we are doing and why.
I have reflected carefully on those views in finalising our legislative proposals. I believe that our proposals will be supported by all those committed to delivering a step change in Scotland's transport. We have a vision for the future of Scotland's transport. We have an ambitious agenda, which cannot be delivered overnight. However, we are not starting from scratch. In the short time that this Parliament has been in existence, we have achieved a great deal.
We are investing in Scotland's key inter-urban links. Five major trunk road schemes are to proceed to construction over the next three years, drawing upon the additional £35 million for trunk roads announced in October. We are implementing the devolution settlement on rail, including new powers for the ScotRail franchise. Rail investment is on the increase and has resulted in the new Glasgow-to-Edinburgh service that runs every 15 minutes, new railway stations in Fife and new diesel rolling stock right across the network.
We have announced five freight facilities grants totalling £7.25 million, which will save well over 6 million lorry miles a year. We are improving public transport at local level, supporting 32 schemes and awarding £55 million in the first two rounds of the public transport fund. We are promoting seamless travel for the public transport passenger with a national transport timetable that should be in place by the end of this year.
We are meeting the distinctive needs of Scotland's rural communities. The £14 million rural transport fund has so far supported 350 new and extended public transport services, 73 community transport projects and 10 refurbished petrol stations. Furthermore, support for Caledonian MacBrayne and Highlands and Islands Airports is at record levels. We are also committed to increasing investment by channelling any future above-inflation increases in fuel duty into extra spending on transport.
The integrated transport bill will build on that record of achievement and create the strategic framework by which central Government, local authorities, the private sector and others can plan and invest.
The bill will promote better integration at regional level. Local authorities have begun to work together in voluntary partnerships to deliver better co-ordinated and integrated transport services. I wish to build on the progress achieved by existing partnerships, while avoiding the disruption and costs involved in establishing the regional transport authorities that are advocated by some.
I propose to take enabling powers to require selected local authorities and, where relevant, Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive, to develop strategies for tackling specific cross- boundary issues. I envisage that the first use of those new powers will be to require the public authorities in and around Glasgow and Edinburgh to prepare strategies for managing commuting flows in and out of those two cities.
The bill will also address the specific problems of ensuring accessibility across the Forth estuary, an issue of vital importance to communities on both sides of the estuary. Traffic levels on the Forth road bridge are increasingly unsustainable and daily flows are forecast to increase by 33 per cent by 2006. A second bridge is not a viable option because of cost, environmental impact and the implications for congestion elsewhere in the network. I therefore propose to set up a new joint board, building on the existing partnership between local authorities and the Executive. The
new body will take over the responsibilities of the existing joint board. It will also have wider strategic and funding powers to promote public transport, road works and traffic management measures relating to the Forth crossings.
There is growing support in the Highlands and Islands for the establishment of a transport authority. A transport authority could develop a vision for transport for the region and take responsibility for Caledonian MacBrayne and Highlands and Islands Airports. I am sympathetic to such aspirations, but I am aware that the issues are complex. I am, therefore, commissioning a thorough examination of the issues with the Executive, relevant local authorities and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. My aim is to reach a decision by the end of this year. Any decision to proceed would require primary legislation.
I now refer to my proposals for high-quality bus services. The Executive's vision is of a bus market that is growing rather than contracting. However, if people are to be encouraged to use local bus services, bus operators and local authorities will need to provide frequent, comfortable and reliable services, which operate at times when people want to travel, and to the places where they want to travel.
The bill will provide the tools for achieving that aim. We will give bus quality partnerships statutory backing to provide local authorities and bus operators with the confidence to work jointly to deliver improved services, through bus priority schemes and investment in new high-quality buses. We will give transport authorities increased powers to support additional services on existing routes, thus providing the means to deliver better, more frequent services.
Our preference is to move forward by means of partnership, to harness the talents of all parties and to build on the hard-won successes of recent years. If that fails to deliver the necessary improvements in service, we will have the power to allow local authorities to regulate bus services through quality contracts. Those will allow local authorities to make binding provision in respect of routes, quality of buses, fares and frequency levels. The Executive regards such contracts as a last resort, and would expect to approve them only when all other approaches to service provision had failed. Nevertheless, I serve notice that we will not hesitate to use them if circumstances require.
In addition, we will give local authorities new powers to provide better bus information to the public and to require through-ticketing, so that passengers need buy only one ticket per journey irrespective of the number of buses or bus operators that they use. We will also tighten the regulation of bus services and introduce more flexible penalties to tackle some of the worst remaining problems of deregulation.
The bill will give local authorities powers to tackle the growing congestion and environmental problems in our urban areas. Traffic is projected to increase by 50 per cent over the next 30 years. To do nothing would be to abdicate responsibility. Traffic jams cost time and money—costs that Scottish business can ill afford. Traffic jams also pollute the air that we all breathe. We will therefore give local authorities the powers to introduce local congestion charging for driving in an urban centre and a workplace parking levy on employee parking at business premises. Let there be no confusion. As I stated to Parliament in November, we will not legislate to raise tolls on the motorway and trunk road network.
The Executive believes that charging has a role to play in reducing Scotland's traffic, but it is not a panacea for our congestion ills. It will be up to local authorities, acting singly or in partnership with neighbouring authorities, to decide whether to use those powers. All schemes will have to address a pressing congestion or air quality problem; all must fit into an authority's overall vision for transport, as set out in its local transport strategy; and all will have to win the support of local people and the approval of Scottish ministers. That is why we will require each local authority that wants to introduce a charging scheme to enter into a contract with the motorist— a public document against which the local authority can be held to account.
I make the following five pledges to the Scottish motorist: 100 per cent of the net revenue from charging will be ring-fenced for local transport; all the net revenue from charging will be genuinely additional expenditure on transport; motorists and businesses will be able to see where their money is going, through transparent accounting arrangements; there will be fair treatment for those paying and for those benefiting; and public transport improvements will be made before charging, with further improvements to follow.
It will not be easy to introduce a charging scheme, and local authorities that have the vision and determination to tackle congestion problems in their urban centres deserve our support. There are many ways in which the Government can help. Today I signal my support for authorities that are committed to developing a charging scheme, by offering, on a case-by-case basis, matching financial support towards their research and development costs. Over time, the revenue from charging will fund a step change in public transport, providing services that are comparable to the best in Europe. Let us keep that vision in mind as we discuss the bill over the coming months.
Finally, I wish to refer to an issue that will be
supported by everyone in the chamber and in Scotland. Our programme for government commits us to encouraging the improvement and integration of concessionary fares schemes on public transport for pensioners and those with special needs. In December, I was pleased to announce free travel for blind people throughout Scotland on rail, bus, ferry and underground services, which is the first and only such scheme anywhere in Britain.
MSPs of all parties know that funding is tight. We cannot always move as quickly as we would all wish to. In government, there will always be difficult choices but, in making those choices, we are determined to pursue social justice for Scotland's pensioners and people with disabilities. I am therefore delighted to be able to inform the Scottish Parliament of the first step towards delivering on our commitment. Today, I am commissioning a research project to examine all the options for improved concessionary travel for pensioners and people with disabilities.
When the results of that research are available, we will set a national level of concession for pensioners and disabled people throughout Scotland. The Executive's aim is to increase progressively that minimum level of concession as and when resources become available. A national concessionary fare will improve the quality of life of pensioners and people with disabilities throughout Scotland. Today's step is a positive indication of the Executive's priorities—translating social justice into action on the ground.
The Executive's ambition is to deliver a transport system that stands comparison with the best in Europe and that will meet Scotland's needs for the 21st century. While much remains to be done, a good start has been made. The legislative proposals that I am publishing today mark another major step forward in delivering that vision. I commend them to Parliament.
I ask that members' questions be as brief as possible.
I listened with interest to the list of representatives of various industries whom the minister has met and was surprised to note that there were no representatives from the air, rail or maritime industries. Are we not discussing an integrated transport policy?
I wish to deal with the proposals on the Forth road bridge and its trunk roads. The A8000 is a national trunk road, and trunk roads elsewhere have, to date, been paid for and provided by central Government funding. Will the minister guarantee that the motorist from Fife—or elsewhere—will not face a triple whammy from fuel duty, excise duty and tolls for evermore, simply to pay for a national trunk road?
Let me make the position clear. The people and organisations I consulted in producing the bill go way beyond the list that I mentioned at the start of my statement. However, that list contains the critical organisations that will be involved in delivering our partnership. Of course I have met people from other transport industries, which will play a major part in our overall transport strategy.
Today is about legislating on the key issues that I outlined. The Westminster Parliament is producing transport legislation on rail, through the devolution settlement—the McLeish settlement— but today I am focusing on our proposals. The Forth road bridge measures will enable us to tackle congestion and to ensure that the resources go where they are needed. I must make it clear that a lot of work has been done by the Forth transport infrastructure partnership, which includes all interested local authorities and the Forth Road Bridge Joint Board. I want to ensure that we can spread resources effectively. I invite members to check what I am saying about investment in local transport and in public transport to deal with the local congestion priorities as seen by the authorities in those areas.
I made it absolutely clear in November that the A8000 is not a trunk road, but it is a major priority for people who live in the Forth estuary area. We will deliver a contract with the motorist, on which people will receive annual reports, so that they can see where money is going and what it will be spent on. That is a good deal for motorists in Scotland.
Sixteen members hope to ask questions in 10 minutes, which is impossible.
Will the minister confirm that she indicated in "Tackling Congestion" that a maximum period of 10 years should be set for toll tax schemes and that her position in the document issued today is that no national limit should be set? Does that mean that motorists in certain cities face indefinite tax increases for as long as councils are able to introduce schemes that meet the minister's criteria?
It is a stronger commitment. We are not setting a limit on the ring fencing of new transport revenues for the schemes. I have made it absolutely clear that each local authority will have to consult on the principles of a charging scheme through its local transport strategy. It will have to involve the business community and the wider community in those discussions. It will then have to submit its proposals to me before it can proceed with the development of a scheme.
People will have to be able to see that these are value-for-money schemes, that the revenues will be used effectively and that they will be ring- fenced for public transport and local transport improvements. This is a stronger commitment than the one that we made in the consultation paper, "Tackling Congestion". I am not setting a limit because it will be up to local authorities to make the case and justify their proposals to each local community. I am not setting a limit on the amount of investment that can go into schemes.
I welcome the minister's announcement and, in particular, the proposals for concessionary fares—which will be welcomed by the committee that Andy Kerr chairs—and for a Highlands and Islands transport authority.
I would like to ask the minister about congestion charging. Does she accept that it is important that people should be offered improvements in public transport before the charges come in, so that the choice is there and high-quality public transport alternatives are in place? In other words, does she agree that income and expenditure from charging must be utterly transparent?
I agree absolutely. The provisions that we will make in the legislation will require each local authority to consult before it develops a scheme, to identify the new public transport provision that would be introduced under the scheme, to consult on the details of the scheme, and to make an annual report of how revenue is being raised and spent. We will need value for money.
In advance of that, we have the £90 million public transport fund and the £14 million rural transport fund. Investment is going in now. The new rail stations in Fife and the proposals for crossrail in Edinburgh and a new rail station in East Lothian show that public transport improvements are being delivered now. We will see more of them.
It would take at least another two years before a paper scheme could be introduced. We could not have an electronic charging scheme until at least 2005. Now is the time to make the public transport improvements—the step change—that everybody in the chamber wants.
Having lodged the first motion on phasing in a national concessionary fares scheme, I am most pleased by what the minister has announced today.
The point that I want to make concerns child safety, for which the statistics comparing Scotland with Europe are particularly bad. There is great concern in my area about the fact that routes to school are unsafe for children walking. Will the minister agree to examine how further resourcing of traffic calming and other measures on school routes might be included in future Executive policy?
Dr Jackson is absolutely right to say that there is no room for complacency on child safety. We must ensure that we meet our targets. I see the safer routes to school scheme and "Tackling Congestion" as integrally linked. Members will recall that last year we launched our publication on safer routes to school in Stirling. I hope that local authorities, the police and parents will be able to work together to deliver on safer routes to school, which must be part of our overall priorities. Traffic calming is a key area where local authorities can act now.
The minister seems to be using the bill to load responsibility for transport investment on to local government. The thrust of the bill appears to be either that the council should pay, or that—again— the motorist should pay, on top of the road tax and petrol tax of 80p in the pound. Leaving aside November's announcements, what new finance will the minister provide for Scotland's roads infrastructure?
As we made absolutely clear in November, we have allocated an extra £35 million to our substantial roads programme. This is not about us asking the local authorities to do work for us, but about working in partnership. We are paying up front, putting in resources through the public transport fund, the rural transport fund and a variety of other mechanisms. The ScotRail franchise will yield more than £208 million, and we are providing our highest-ever support for Caledonian MacBrayne and HIAL. We have put in the investment. What we need are the complementary measures that will pull everything together—that will let local authorities work with us and with the transport operators. That is the exciting vision in our transport legislation.
I welcome the minister's statement, particularly in the light of the transport situation in Aberdeen. I welcome the fact that local authorities will be able to examine which schemes they need, such as the western peripheral route around Aberdeen. Is the minister aware of the costs to the Scottish economy that are caused by not tackling congestion? I believe that those costs are rising and are causing concern to the business community and—
That is enough of a question. We will let Ms Boyack answer.
Aberdeen Council and Aberdeenshire Council are two of the authorities that are leading the way. They are working together effectively, and their work on bus quality
partnerships is bringing about a real change for drivers and public transport operators in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Tackling congestion must be a priority for the Executive. Just-in-time deliveries mean that our lorries cannot afford to get stuck on our roads. We must ensure that we provide high-quality, convenient and hassle-free alternatives for people to get to work. The bill will provide major opportunities for the Scottish Executive, businesses, local authorities and transport authorities to do that in partnership. We must all work together to tackle congestion.
I welcome much of what I have heard today. Does the minister intend to set traffic reduction targets? If so, when will those targets be audited? Is there an audit system in place to establish whether traffic reduction targets have been met?
I will address that issue in the new guidance for local authorities that are preparing the next round of local transport strategies. Each local authority has submitted a local transport strategy to us. We have taken on board what they have said and will issue revised guidance to take account of the requirements of the Road Traffic Reduction (National Targets) Act 1998.
I welcome Sarah Boyack's statement. I particularly welcome what she said about community transport, in which I am very interested. What other plans does she have for community transport?
Helen Eadie may be interested to learn that we fund a full-time staff member to work on community transport in Scotland. Community transport is vital for many of our rural areas, where we need to provide a much more localised and focused type of transport. It is a key part of our overall integrated transport strategy.
I take on board what the minister said, particularly about not legislating to raise tolls on the motorway and trunk road networks—I welcome that U-turn. Will she guarantee that new road infrastructure will not be subject to tolling?
I guarantee that the bill does not give me powers in relation to tolling on trunk roads and motorways—it is clear about that. We have consulted for the past eight months and there has been extensive discussion in Scotland on that issue. Today's announcement is the point that we have reached.
Sandra White talks about U-turns. The U-turns that the SNP has made on transport in the past few months are legendary. For example, the SNP included the fuel tax escalator in its budget for independence. She should look to other people for road tolls.
I, too, welcome the minister's statement. It is refreshing that the Executive has taken on board the partnership approach of the Parliament, and that it will involve all those who are concerned with transport issues and devolve power to local government. I particularly welcome the minister's comments on the concessionary fare scheme. What is the time scale for the research project to which she referred?
I expect that we will have the results of that research by the time the legislation is enacted this year.
I acknowledge what the minister said about tackling congestion. Is she aware of recent research indicating that it would take a charge of £8 to influence people on their journeys? Is that the level of congestion charge that she will recommend that local authorities introduce?
Absolutely not—I will not be recommending an appropriate level of congestion charging to local authorities. That is for local authorities to resolve, in consultation with local and business communities. They must work out what local transport priorities are and what is right for them. It would be inappropriate for me to tell them what to do.