Chamber and committees

I would have liked to intervene on Craig Hoy earlier, to ask whether he thought that it was respectful or fair to constantly refer to a member who is not in the chamber because he is ill and who has no recourse to reply. I thought that that was shameful.

I am speaking today not to rake over the coals of what has happened on the hugely important issue of ferries. The committee’s convener and members have rightly addressed many aspects of the challenges that have led us to where we are now. Ministers have apologised for the delay to the ferries and for the distress and difficulties caused. However, I would like to repeat what the cabinet secretary said in his opening speech: the Scottish Government will never apologise for taking action to save more than 300 jobs at Ferguson’s shipyard.

No, thank you.

This debate is about standing by our commitment to the shipbuilding communities in Inverclyde and our island communities that rely on the vessels that are currently being built at Ferguson’s. Vessels 801 and 802 will provide a high-quality lifeline service to our island communities, who I know are having a desperate time right now. Speaking as someone who represents an urban mainland constituency, I honestly cannot imagine what islanders are going through and I hope that the situation is urgently remedied, for very obvious reasons.

No, I am not taking interventions, thanks. [Interruption.] No—thank you.

There is no doubt that our island communities deserve to be supported by two new energy-efficient vessels—[Interruption.]—with the capacity and reliability that is required to support vibrant island economies. [Interruption.]

I am not taking interventions.

Vessel 802 will provide lifeline connectivity to the mainland and ensure that people on the beautiful island of Arran are supported for their day-to-day needs around health, education and commercial activity. It will also provide a resilient service to support the tourism industry, which contributes so much to the island’s economy. Recent issues with the reliability of an ageing island fleet and the costs associated with hiring replacement vessels in order to maintain services have merely added to the compelling case for delivering additional capacity as quickly as possible. That is why the Scottish Government has issued a written authority to continue to complete delivery of both vessels at Ferguson Marine. The project costs of completing them are currently estimated to be £202.6 million, including contingency.

Publication of the Public Audit Committee’s report “New Vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802” was welcome, and I congratulate the committee on a thorough and balanced report. It recognised that there have already been significant improvements in procedures and processes by Transport Scotland and Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited since the procurement of the vessels almost eight years ago. Both organisations, along with CalMac Ferries Ltd, are committed to continuing to building on those improvements—particularly in how the communities and stakeholders are embedded in the process and in ensuring that value for money for taxpayers underpins investment decisions.

The Scottish Government supports the growth of commercial shipbuilding in Scotland—and why would we not, with our proud shipbuilding heritage? The Scottish Government is in active engagement with Audit Scotland on strengthening the business investment framework within the Scottish public finance manual. It will agree an action plan with Audit Scotland to increase transparency and further enhance that framework, to ensure a consistent approach to future investment while ensuring that ministers have appropriate flexibility to intervene to support industries and communities. Of course, any decision on further audit work is for the Auditor General for Scotland, but all parties will fully engage in any work that is identified.

In response to some of the remarks that have been made today, I say that the Scottish Government is committed to transparency and has proactively published more than 200 documents on its website—[Interruption.]—if members would care to look.

Scottish ministers have taken action to ensure the completion of two ferries by Ferguson Marine, following a due diligence assessment carried out on forecast costs. I believe that that is entirely the right decision. Cabinet secretary Neil Gray has clearly outlined the Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting the completion of the vessels, which remains the quickest way of introducing new lifeline connectivity for island communities. I look forward to the delivery, as soon as possible, of those two vital vessels and I thank the skilled workers who are working so hard to make that happen.

With respect to my colleagues, they are making the matter more complicated than it needs to be. The cabinet secretary and her officials have clearly stated that the SSI is about providing continuity and a fair process for police officers in Scotland. We have gone down a rabbit hole a bit with all the questions. I am content for the SSI to go ahead.

Time is running out before the damage that we are doing to our planet becomes catastrophic, and active travel is a huge part of how we mitigate that damage.

All speakers here today have highlighted the positives of active travel, but, as we have heard, the negatives are when consultation and inclusivity are not part of the planning when setting out strategies. I will talk about that later.

I am proud that Scotland leads the UK in its active travel investment. It is punching above its weight, as usual, especially following devastating Tory cuts in England. At £58 per head, Scotland is not only a UK leader on active travel spend but a European leader as well. That compares with a spend of just £1 per head in England outside London.

The Scottish Government has massively increased investment in active travel, with almost £190 million in 2023-24, which is a major step towards the commitment of 10 per cent of the transport budget by 2024-25. That confirms active travel’s important role in meeting the Scottish Government’s priorities of equality, opportunity, community and building a fairer, greener Scotland. The minister’s announcement of the transformation fund is extremely welcome.

The route map of how we get there contains more than 30 interventions. Some of them are being delivered in the short term, including the groundbreaking policy of free bus travel for under-22s. Other actions will take longer, and some will prove more challenging than others and will need a mix of infrastructure, incentivisation and regulatory actions.

A key milestone is the introduction of low emission zones in four of Scotland’s cities—the first of which, in Glasgow, is already in force this month—which will enhance the quality of the environment and improve public health. Of course, changes to our daily life are difficult for everyone, and there will be bumps along the way. However, the importance of low emission zones and reaching our climate change targets cannot be overemphasised. Since the first low emission zone for buses was introduced, in 2018, in Glasgow, air pollution levels have dropped dramatically.

We know that active travel is good not only for the planet but for our health and wellbeing, both mental and physical, as John Mason said. It can combat obesity, heart disease and other serious illnesses related to inactivity. The Government has delivered a significant step-up in investment in spaces where people can walk, wheel and cycle safely, and it has ensured that there are more spaces that put people, not cars, first. As someone who has started to walk much more since getting a puppy this year, I already feel the benefits of regular walks in the countryside.

My local authority, East Dunbartonshire Council, first published its active travel strategy in 2015, and it has progressed significantly since then. However, it is true that several well-intentioned initiatives, such as cycle lanes in Bearsden and shared space in Kirkintilloch, were not planned inclusively with road users, residents and disabled people, and that caused much concern. That was almost 10 years ago, and I am confident that the council has learned those lessons as it goes forward with its active travel strategy.

The council’s current policy focuses on reducing car dependency. In East Dunbartonshire, rates of car ownership are higher than the Scottish average, and modal share for active travel, particularly cycling, is low. However, there is real merit in the adage that Mark Ruskell used: “If you build it, they will come.” Where there is more infrastructure for active travel—such as cycleways safely separated from the road—there are higher rates of active travel.

For example, in the Netherlands, where active travel infrastructure is comprehensive, 30 per cent of all journeys under 5 miles are cycled, and 36 per cent of people list the bicycle as their most frequent way of travelling. However, as Evelyn Tweed pointed out, the infrastructure did not happen by accident—it involved long-term planning, much investment, attention to all aspects of how it would affect everyday life and, of course, public transport investment. In Seville, where extensive cycling infrastructure has been constructed recently, rates of cycling have skyrocketed, with an elevenfold increase in the number of cycling journeys following the creation of a comprehensive 120km network of cycling infrastructure.

The East Dunbartonshire travel survey clearly illustrates an opportunity to increase active travel in the area. However, the survey identifies that the main barriers to active travel are safety, convenience and carrying things.

The Scottish household survey found that 70 per cent of East Dunbartonshire’s residents agreed that climate change is an urgent problem and that two thirds believed that their actions and behaviours contribute to climate change. John Mason spoke of parents driving children to school, which reminded me of when I used to drop off my son. I am ashamed to say that I was one of the many people sitting in cars outside schools. In that regard, things have improved dramatically now.

The “Hands up Scotland” survey on school travel provides modal share data for school travel in East Dunbartonshire between 2012 and 2021. It found that walking and cycling increased marginally to 45 per cent and 2.5 per cent while car use decreased by 3 per cent to 23 per cent. There is still a long way to go.

East Dunbartonshire has an ageing demographic, which must be taken into account when considering active travel. I agree with many of Ben Macpherson’s points: everyone must be taken into consideration, and those who are able to should benefit. We must take everybody’s circumstances into account.

The picture is evolving nationally and globally. Unless we embrace active travel—which, of course, must be supported by the correct investment to provide the infrastructure that is needed—we will continue to destroy the planet for future generations. I certainly do not want that on my conscience, and I suspect that none of us does.

Does there need to be a larger public awareness campaign directed at this subject? Is that an on-going need? Do we need to increase the public’s awareness of the subject?

That is helpful.

Stuart Allardyce, how do you evaluate your success? I know that that is a very bland question, but how can you evaluate the outcomes from the work that you do?

That is interesting.