Chamber and committees

Leadership is about taking bold and courageous decisions. Alongside teaching groups and experts such as Lindsay Paterson, I have been calling for a ban on mobile phones in classrooms for quite some time now. Can the cabinet secretary confirm today that the approach in her action plan will empower our schools and headteachers to take the necessary action to do that, or are we, in the words of Lindsay Paterson,

“leaving it up to schools to argue it out with resentful adolescents and stroppy parents”?

I thank everyone who has stayed behind this evening and is contributing to the debate. Most people will know that its subject has been close to my heart since I was elected as an MSP.

Last year, I launched an online campaign to call for the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland to come together to fund and build a new train station at Winchburgh. In April, campaigners and residents from Winchburgh came to the Scottish Parliament to deliver to the Scottish National Party Government a petition with more than 2,000 signatures that asked for a train station to be built at Winchburgh. Along with many other members, I was pleased to meet those people that day and show my support for that vital campaign. I am therefore glad to have the chance to raise the issue in Parliament on our first day back.

On one of the rare dry days in the summer, I managed to get out and have another insightful tour around what is a rapidly growing village. Some SNP ministers may criticise me for being late to the campaign for the station. However, in August 2020, prior to my election in 2021, my sister bought her home in Winchburgh. I knew then how desperately the community needed—as it still needs—such a station. On my election day, I vowed to do all that I could to deliver a station for the people of Winchburgh.

Winchburgh is a vibrant and growing community in West Lothian that finds itself isolated from the national rail network. The lack of direct access severely restricts the ability of residents to reach essential medical services, pursue educational opportunities and connect with employment across the region. The establishment of a new railway station would dramatically enhance connectivity and ease congestion in West Lothian and the west end of Edinburgh. Given the absolute chaos that is on the A8 right now, it would have been quite mindful to have had a station there—if a little time travel could have been involved.

All those elements would support our ambitions to provide sustainable transport solutions. After all, the region anticipates 4,000 new families as a direct result of the investment that will be leveraged from the Edinburgh and south-east Scotland city region deal. Demand for more robust public transport options has never been more urgent and will continue to grow.

Winchburgh Developments Ltd is the principal landowner and has worked in partnership with Winchburgh community council and Winchburgh Community Development Trust. The local authority and the Scottish Government specified that integrated travel must be a key part of the overall development. Already, we have lots of shops, a pharmacy—soon to be two pharmacies—and new schools and motorway junctions. Winchburgh Developments paid £20 million towards making all of that possible.

Winchburgh Developments has clearly shown considerable commitment to the expanding community. The motorway junction has certainly helped the already busy bus service and made it much easier for the average two-car household to literally get out of the fast lane and into the capital. However, improving the roads so that cars can move around more easily does not do much for integrating travel or our net zero ambitions. The main railway line west from Edinburgh runs through the middle of the development site. A space around the track is set aside for a new station, and plenty of car parking space is already there. A station would keep thousands of people currently in cars off the roads virtually every day of the year—they would go by the train tracks.

That is what integrated travel means. We hear again and again about the importance of getting people out of their cars and on to mass public transport solutions. There is no point in getting on a bus to sit in a traffic jam on the A8, St John’s Road and Corstorphine Road all the way into town; that defeats the purpose. We are talking about an 11-minute train journey versus a 47 or 48-minute commute by road on a good day.

A study from transport consultant Systra estimates that a station would remove 420,000 car journeys a year, help passengers to save £2.4 million a year and offer £3.5 million in decongestion benefits. However, despite a commitment from the developers of several million pounds, which has been ring fenced from the outset, and despite the offer of as much professional help as is required to physically plan and build a station, the Scottish Government continues to refuse to meet a penny of the shortfall, although that would guarantee integrated travel for potentially tens of thousands of people.

I do not at all understand the logic in that. I appreciate that finding £10 million, especially in the current climate, will not be easy, but that is a fraction of the cost of the Scottish Government-approved tram project in Edinburgh, which was so badly mishandled. Let us not even start to do the maths on what proportion of a properly organised ferry contract—we heard about that earlier—that sum might be.

The developers have faced so many barriers, not least of which are the sluggish Labour-controlled councils in West Lothian and Edinburgh, and the reluctance of Transport Scotland. When I visited, I saw extraordinary progress, and the quality of the homes that are being built there is notably high. It is no wonder that people want to move there. It is not a dreary estate but an exciting new place to live, with affordable homes built to mirror the old miners’ cottages, so that there is a real sense of place and continuity. Everywhere we look, there are new homes. It is quite a transformation, and the pace of change continues at an accelerated speed.

Until recently, there was nothing but excuse after excuse from Transport Scotland. In fairness, the new SNP connectivity minister, Mr Jim Fairlie, responded positively to WDL’s determination and community pressure. I thank him for that. Blockages might be dissolving and money might be found. I see no viable reason why the new main line halt cannot be built by the end of 2026 to give new residents vital links to their workplaces and the extended services that are available from all the various neighbouring areas.

There is, of course, another very good reason for building a new station at Winchburgh. The physical station, tracks, rolling stock and everything else would be built by members of the Railway Industry Association. The RIA has been the trade body for the supply chain part of the industry for more than 150 years and it already brings 56,000 jobs of all levels to Scotland. Just think how many more would be created in a part of West Lothian that badly needs the good-quality jobs that the rail industry would bring for men and women.

I have quite a bit left to say, Presiding Officer. Is it okay for me to carry on?

It was me.

As the cabinet secretary knows, Scotland is host to world famous events, including the international book festival and the Edinburgh fringe festival. However, because of the Fossil Free Books campaign, literary festivals across the country now have huge holes in their budgets. Last week, the First Minister highlighted the damage that disinvestment campaigns are doing to the arts sector and I know that he has spoken with Baillie Gifford to offer reassurance about the role that those campaigns play in the economy and culture sector.

Other than financial help, what specific support might the cabinet secretary be looking to offer to the book festival and the fringe festival to give them the security that they need, so that they will not feel the pressures of some of those campaigns?

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, in light of reports that the Fossil Free Books campaign has threatened its viability. (S6O-03622)

I thank the minister for that response, and I remind him that no developer has ever led the delivery of a new station anywhere in Scotland.

The economic and environmental case for a train station at Winchburgh is undeniable. Passengers will save £2.4 million, and there will be £3.5 million of decongestion benefits. There will also be almost half a million fewer car journeys every year. The list goes on, as the minister acknowledged in his letter to Edward Mountain, the convener of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee.

There is keen interest in building a station at Winchburgh, and it remains of significant public interest. The next meeting is in five days. The people of Winchburgh deserve much more. Can we expect a positive announcement and significant progress to be made before we return to Parliament in September?

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide further details of the progress that it has made regarding the delivery of a railway station in Winchburgh, including the date by which it anticipates the business case and cost will be finalised. (S6O-03615)

The next agenda item is consideration of subordinate legislation. The regulations are being considered under the negative procedure. At last week’s meeting, members raised a number of points in relation to the regulations and agreed to write to the Scottish Government for more information. The committee received a response from Ivan McKee late last night. It will be published on the committee’s web page and has been circulated to all members of the committee. Do members wish to raise any issues?

Do members agree to make no recommendations in relation to the regulations?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you for that confirmation. The public part of our meeting is now at an end and we will consider our remaining agenda item in private.

Good morning, and welcome to the 20th meeting in 2024 of the Education, Children and Young People Committee. We have apologies from Stephanie Callaghan.

I welcome George Adam, John Mason and Evelyn Tweed, who are joining us as new members of the committee to replace Ruth Maguire, Ben Macpherson and Michelle Thomson. We thank Ruth, Ben and Michelle for their work and engagement as members of the committee.

Our first item of business is to invite Mr Adam, Mr Mason and Ms Tweed to declare any relevant interests. In alphabetical order, I turn first to Mr Adam.