Chamber and committees

The following table contains details of the personal injury accident statistics on the A77 for the latest five full calendar years (2011 – 2015).

Transport Scotland has continued to implement road safety improvements on the A77. In Cairnryan Transport Scotland has worked with the community and recently installed traffic calming measures, along with speed monitoring equipment on the A77 within the village. Transport Scotland is developing a programme to work with hauliers and the ferry company to further improve driver behaviour, particularly for those vehicles using the ferry ports in the area. Also, from Girvan to Symington over £1 million has recently been invested in upgrading the average speed cameras to ensure that the improved safety performance continues on the route.

The Scottish Government's approach is to ensure cross border arrangements for railway policing offer a seamless service to all operators, passengers, goods and staff. We continue to work with the UK Government, BTP, BTPA, Police Scotland and other key stakeholders to deliver this objective.

Whistleblowing policies for Police Scotland are a matter for the Chief Constable, with oversight by the Scottish Police Authority.

The improvements made were funded from various budgets in the previous and current ScotRail franchise, along with funding from the Department for Transport's Access for All fund. The time period for the works range from 2007 until 2016, with the recent investment being the installation of CCTV cameras at Sanquhar and Kirkconnel stations from the £78k franchise commitment to install CCTV camera at stations across the rail network by March 2016. The actual cost of each station improvement is not known as this is a commercial matter between the franchisee and their contractor.

BTP officers are not currently included in the figures giving the number of full-time equivalent officers in Scotland. Following the merger between BTP and Police Scotland any comparison of officer numbers in Scotland with the position prior to the merger would need to take account of this.

I met the A7 Action Group in Parliament on 15 June 2016 to discuss their Action Plan, which set out its aspirations for the route. I committed Transport Scotland to undertake a review of the Action Plan and engage directly with the A7 Action Group regarding this review. The review has now been completed and has identified a range of items within the Action Plan that we will consider further. This will be done alongside on-going maintenance and improvement programmes on the route. We will also continue to monitor road safety on the A7 and through this approach will identify the need for any further road safety investigations or improvements.

As indicated in response to S5O-00145 and S5O-00146 on 15 September 2016 the Enterprise and Skills Review will be taken forward through a phased approach, with phase one reporting shortly on key recommendations for change across a number of areas while phase two will explore the implementation of these recommendations in more detail with partners. Phase two will include exploring the regional dimension in greater depth, with Ministers clear that any long-term approach must take account of the needs of the South of Scotland and all areas across Scotland.

It is important to think about Enterprise Areas (enterprise zones is the term used in England and Wales) in the context of the wider economic development support available.

In the South of Scotland for example, where textiles is an important traditional industry, we have confirmed that part of the £10 million economic stimulus package announced in this year's Programme for Government will be used to support delivery of the Hawick Action Plan to revitalise the town. Scottish Enterprise are also working to create the conditions for business growth in the area including through account managing 72 companies across the Borders.

The answer to S5O-00145 is available on the parliaments website, the Official report can be viewed at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=10520

The Scottish Government through Transport Scotland and its Operating Companies, Amey and Scotland Transerv, formally meet with representatives from Dumfries and Galloway Council, Scottish Borders Council and East Ayrshire Council on a regular basis. The purpose of these meetings is to share knowledge, problems and discuss forward programmes of work to ensure effective co-ordination and minimise potential disruption to road users and local businesses. Notwithstanding this, any urgent issues can be raised by either party between these meetings for discussion and immediate action. The Minister for Transport and the Islands also engages with local authorities and campaign groups. For example, he met with the A7 Action Group on 15 June 2016 when the group presented their A7 Action Plan and he met local politicians and stakeholders at the Dumfries and Galloway Transport Summit held in Dumfries on 22 August 2016 where he and the Deputy First Minister took part in a discussion about the role of transport and associated infrastructure to support the economy and communities in Dumfries and Galloway.

The Scottish Government's core purpose is to deliver sustainable economic growth with opportunities for all to flourish.

Enterprise Areas (enterprise zones is the term used in England and Wales) are specifically targeted on sites and sectors where there are clear opportunities ready to be developed, and where companies can be anchored in areas and supply chains developed that support growth and jobs in the wider area.

The mid-term evaluation of Scotland’s Enterprise Areas, published by HIE on 21 March 2016, demonstrated that Enterprise Area incentives complement wider support delivered as a part of our work to foster inclusive growth throughout the Scottish economy. We are currently reflecting on the future direction of the Enterprise Area policy in Scotland and how it relates to the broader economic development support landscape. The merits and evidence for establishing additional Enterprise Areas will considered on an individual case basis.

No specific economic impact assessment has been undertaken. However, daily monitoring of the traffic light operation is undertaken to help ensure that any delays to road users are minimised. We continue to engage with local stakeholders such as the local authority and community groups to ensure good communication and to address any concerns.