Question reference: S6W-02994
- Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 16 September 2021
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Current status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 September 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration was given to domestic manufacturers prior to awarding £4 million of funding from the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme to manufacturers in China.
Answer
The Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS) provided support to purchase new ultra low emission buses. The scheme was open to bus operators, local authorities and companies leasing buses to authorities/bus operators who run local registered bus services in Scotland. The bids included information about the buses that would be acquired, including the manufacturer, but whether the manufacturer was domestic or otherwise was not factored into the assessment of the bids. Scotland is bound by World Trade Organisation (WTO) subsidy control rules and the WTO’s principle of National Treatment prohibits discrimination between imported and domestically produced goods, however of the 272 buses purchased under this scheme 207 have been ordered from Alexander Dennis Ltd, the bus manufacturing company based in Larbert, Scotland.