Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 07 December 2017
07 Dec 2017 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Air Quality (Low-emission Zones)
I cannot give Mr Dey an exact number and I would not try to hazard a guess, but he is right to say that the £16 million-plus that we have spent on the green bus fund has allowed 362 buses to be greened. I have mentioned that another tranche is coming, and in the programme for government the First Minister promised to extend and expand the green bus fund, which will be welcome.
On top of that, we are working closely with the bus industry to see how we can create an abatement retrofit scheme for buses, which will incentivise retrofitting where that is appropriate. However, many bus companies have told me that they do not want money for retrofitting. They do not want to retrofit a 13-year-old bus; they would rather have assistance to buy a brand-new electric bus or a Euro 6 bus. We therefore have to ensure that the fund is flexible, so that bus companies that are at different stages, depending on the age of their fleet, can make use of it.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani)
SNP
The next item of business is a statement by Humza Yousaf on improving Scotland’s air quality and putting in place Scotland’s low-emission zones.
The Minister for Transport and the Islands (Humza Yousaf)
SNP
Clean air is essential for our health and wellbeing. Overall, Scotland’s air quality is good, but we know that areas of poorer air quality still exist in som...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
The minister will now take questions on the issues that have been raised in his statement. I will allow about 20 minutes for that.
Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
I thank the minister for prior sight of his statement, although, with the greatest respect, I say that there was nothing in his 10-minute statement that we d...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
Yes, I can. I have the greatest respect for Jamie Greene and he knows that. It is only right and proper that we come to Parliament, not just with detail—I re...
David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the minister for advance sight of his statement. Labour welcomes the lowering of emissions as a strategy for improving air quality in Scotland. As th...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
I will do my best to answer the nine questions that I managed to note down. I have to confess at the very beginning that I have no further information on th...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I can see already that we are not going to get through all the questions, so it is up to members and the minister to have quicker questions and answers, please.
Graeme Dey (Angus South) (SNP)
SNP
Just over 360 buses have been replaced through the green bus fund, and in evidence to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee earlier this ...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
I cannot give Mr Dey an exact number and I would not try to hazard a guess, but he is right to say that the £16 million-plus that we have spent on the green ...
Donald Cameron (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
The minister mentioned the FSB’s concerns, and he will accept that residents and small businesses will be worried about the short timescales that he outlined...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
Donald Cameron will have heard from my answer to his colleague Jamie Greene that I welcomed the FSB’s contribution. I look forward to meeting representatives...
Clare Haughey (Rutherglen) (SNP)
SNP
Concerns have been raised in my constituency by, among others, Cambuslang community council about air pollution in Cambuslang Main Street in particular. Alth...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
Clare Haughey will be aware that, as well as committing to introducing low-emission zones in the four largest cities by 2020, we are also committed to introd...
Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
The minister referred in his statement to the potential for LEZs to have unintended secondary effects. I welcome the £1.6 million funding for the bus abateme...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
The member is absolutely right, and let me put on record that I recognise her interest in the issue, on which she has campaigned. She is right to mention dis...
Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Green
Notwithstanding the answer to that previous question, the minister’s statement identifies that only 47 buses went through the previous round—round seven—of t...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
For the sake of brevity, my answer is that that is absolutely the case. We have made significant progress, but we understand that, when it comes to the intro...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
I too, thank the minister for early sight of his statement. He refers to the ambition to expand the electric charging vehicle network, which I very much supp...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
I acknowledge the member’s interest in the issue. We have met on many occasions to discuss electric vehicles. Orkney is a leader when it comes to the take-up...
Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
Urban consolidation hubs can enhance low-emission zones by reducing business costs, helping to standardise freight traffic and tackling congestion and pollut...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
I acknowledge the member’s persistence on the issue of freight consolidation centres; I have met him to discuss them before. There is much evidence to sugges...
Ivan McKee (Glasgow Provan) (SNP)
SNP
I am glad that the minister’s statement has a significant focus on modal shift from private to public transport but, clearly, there is a risk that there will...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
I do not disagree with Ivan McKee; he is absolutely right. The introduction of a low emission zone has to be coupled with better and more affordable public t...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
That is the end of questions on the statement. My apologies to those I was unable to call.