Chamber and committees

I thank Mr Carson for that intervention speech.

We need infrastructure to back up the new renewables, but it needs to be balanced. I know that a controversial decision was made last week on the Kendoon to Tongland pylon replacement project, but I think that the people in Galloway acknowledge the need for power—they just wanted the line to be undergrounded where appropriate, so I have a lot of sympathy with what Finlay Carson talked about in his intervention. Nevertheless, I am clear that we need to focus on what we can do to improve our renewable energy in the south of Scotland, not only in Dumfries and Galloway but across the Borders.

The south, like the country as a whole, is awash with renewables operating right now, as well as future potential. However—and there is a “however”—it is scandalous that the price that every household in my region pays for its electricity is so much higher than in other parts of the UK. Standard charges for southern Scotland are 54 per cent higher per day than for customers in London. Even with changes that are coming soon, the cost will still be 22 per cent higher for a constituent who is living literally right next door to our generating sites.

I am conscious of the time, Deputy Presiding Officer—

Yes—I am conscious of the time.

As a final point, if we had full control over energy in Scotland—over pricing, distribution and everything else—a just transition is what we could achieve. We could make things better for people if we had independence.

I am also a member of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and we just did an inquiry into healthcare in remote and rural areas. The big issues that came out of that inquiry included access to housing and recruitment and retention. However, a lot of people were not very happy about the use of the term “remote and rural”, because they felt that it made them seem like the “other” who is seen as being “somewhere over there” rather than being part of everything. That committee even heard from proponents of an agency being created to advocate for people in remote and rural areas, not just in healthcare. I know that the Scottish Government has created a national centre for remote and rural health and care, which was launched in 2022. Do people know that that centre of excellence exists and that it has been created in order to support healthcare?

It has also come to my attention that people do not really talk about the Scottish graduate entry medicine—ScotGEM—programme, which is tailored specifically in order to get rural general practitioners in the Highlands and in the south-west of Scotland. I am interested in hearing a bit of feedback on those healthcare aspects among the people who were interviewed—for instance, whether they were aware of the national centre for remote and rural health and care, or of ScotGEM.

I have a quick question, Professor O’Hagan. You said that you are coming to the south of Scotland. How will you let people know that you are coming, so that they can engage with the next part of your engagement?

Good morning to youse both. It has been interesting to hear what you have said so far. I am interested in your methodology and how the information was obtained. The committee’s papers say that 146 individuals were interviewed across multiple locations. I think that there were about 20 locations across the Highlands and Islands, which would mean that, on average, about 7.3 folk showed up at each session. I know that it was a mixed methodology, because there was desk-based work and interviews, and there were probably phone calls and so on.

I would be interested to hear about participation in the process. The people who went to the sessions self-selected, and, as MSPs, we know that people come to us and to our caseworkers when there is a problem—they do not come to us when everything is going okay—so I am interested in hearing about the methodology and about how the information was gathered.

First, I welcome the news that the feasibility study into extending the Borders railway will get going, after some foot dragging from the Tory and Labour UK Governments. I hope that, when the feasibility study reports to the by then re-elected SNP Scottish Government, it will study the recommendations carefully.

The Scottish Government’s programme of rail modernisation has, among those of all parties, been one of the success stories of devolution, not just—

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the announcement by Creative Scotland that it will provide multiyear funding to deliver cultural and creative programmes. (S6O-04350)

Will the cabinet secretary share how the Scottish Government, through Creative Scotland, will support smaller festivals that take place away from the central belt and are created by the community, such as the Stranraer oyster festival, Kirkcudbright festival of light and the Big Burns Supper?

I am sorry—I dinna have time. Four-minute speeches are quite short.

Rail modernisation has been one of the success stories of devolution, not just in the Borders but across the country. The system has been built on and expanded hugely over the past decades. The investment programme, which has included £20 million for building the Reston railway station in Berwickshire, has led to a huge increase in passenger numbers. It is that kind of investment that drives people to choose the railway to travel, because it leads to improved and faster services, cleaner and smoother travel, and modernised and reliable rolling stock.

I appreciate the point that we all want to pay less for our train and bus tickets. If the Scottish Government had the required financial resources, it could repeat or extend the off-peak trial. However, it seems from the Government’s amendment that that

“would cost up to £40 million of resource funding”

and, while our resources are subject to someone else’s diktat, I believe that we need to get the biggest bang for our buck.

I look forward to the refreshed rail decarbonisation plan that will be published this year, continuing the Scottish Government’s commitment to electrification across a huge swathe of our rail network.

On ticketing, customers travelling to or from Stranraer were able to take advantage of a two-for-one ticket offer from 18 November last year, with a £17.30 return for twae folk. However, there are challenges with the station’s current location at the end of the pier, and some people have mooted a reopening of the Station Street station near the town centre or a newer platform closer to the town centre. I would appreciate hearing from the cabinet secretary whether the two-for-one ticket offer boosted passenger numbers and whether there have been any discussions to review the location of the station, although I know that that is a Network Rail issue and is reserved to the UK.

Locally, there are challenges in parts of my South Scotland region. Lockerbie station relies on TransPennine Express, which is owned by the UK Department for Transport, for the vast majority of its services. ScotRail does not serve the station and has never served it. I have pursued that issue separately. Lockerbie is an important railhead for Dumfries and Galloway—it is particularly important for the whole of Galloway—but it is clear that we are being dealt a service that seems to be hitting the buffers with depressing regularity.

The ticket price of £24.70 from Lockerbie to Edinburgh or Glasgow might be challenging for many, but a look at the train service in the past week alone shows that ticket pricing is not the only problem. Last Friday, 16 of the 34 services at Lockerbie were cancelled completely and only 11—less than a third—turned up on time. The day before, 10 of the 36 services were cancelled and eight were more than half an hour late. On Sunday, only five of the scheduled 30 services turned up at the station on time.

I am sorry, but I am not gonnae take any interventions. I am looking at the seconds that I have left.

It does not matter what the rail fare is if the trains do not turn up. I know that it is not the Scottish Government’s fault as TransPennine Express is not part of its remit. Nevertheless, I would be grateful if the cabinet secretary could advise me whether she will contact her counterpart at the UK Department for Transport and prod them on how the service could be improved so that people in D and G can rely on the transport that they need to get to the capital city, to Glasgow and wider areas.