Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 13 January 2011
13 Jan 2011 · S3 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Freight Facilities Grants
We are talking about Scotland, and the minister is responsible for the situation in Scotland. Labour Party members criticise their party when they need to. We do not just do as we are told; we take responsibility, which is what we are asking the minister to do tonight.
The grant system was designed and implemented in recognition of the economic advantages of reducing long-distance road congestion, and of the social and environmental advantages of rail freight. Given the threat of climate change, those justifications have only grown stronger with time.
As others have pointed out, the freight facilities grant has helped to take over 33 million lorry miles off our roads since 1997. That has been delivered through 37 awards totalling £69 million. Indeed, the vast majority of the projects facilitating the shift from road to rail in Scotland in recent years have been achieved with the assistance of the freight facilities grant.
Given the significantly better carbon emission figures for rail—it produces 70 per cent less carbon than the equivalent road journey—that represents a substantial and positive impact on the environment.
That was recognised by Transport Scotland when it stated that moving more freight to rail contributed to the Government’s targets of making our transport network smarter and greener.
In addition to the environmental impact of removing freight from our roads, there are also significant benefits in relation to congestion and road safety.
I support the call that is being made by Transform Scotland and the Rail Freight Group to retain the scheme with an initial suggested budget of around £5 million. That will ensure that the momentum that has been created and maintained through the FFG since its introduction will not be lost.
There is a real concern that, without the grant, future freight infrastructure projects will fall at the first hurdle due to insufficient funding. Indeed, concerns have been raised that withdrawal of the grant could lead to existing rail traffic reverting to road haulage.
Obviously, members’ business debates finish without a decision. However, I hope that the minister is listening closely to the case that is being presented this evening by members across the chamber. This is not about scoring party-political points. I accept the Government's commitment to environmental sustainability. I ask only that the minister take the steps that are needed to turn that commitment into action.
17:34
The grant system was designed and implemented in recognition of the economic advantages of reducing long-distance road congestion, and of the social and environmental advantages of rail freight. Given the threat of climate change, those justifications have only grown stronger with time.
As others have pointed out, the freight facilities grant has helped to take over 33 million lorry miles off our roads since 1997. That has been delivered through 37 awards totalling £69 million. Indeed, the vast majority of the projects facilitating the shift from road to rail in Scotland in recent years have been achieved with the assistance of the freight facilities grant.
Given the significantly better carbon emission figures for rail—it produces 70 per cent less carbon than the equivalent road journey—that represents a substantial and positive impact on the environment.
That was recognised by Transport Scotland when it stated that moving more freight to rail contributed to the Government’s targets of making our transport network smarter and greener.
In addition to the environmental impact of removing freight from our roads, there are also significant benefits in relation to congestion and road safety.
I support the call that is being made by Transform Scotland and the Rail Freight Group to retain the scheme with an initial suggested budget of around £5 million. That will ensure that the momentum that has been created and maintained through the FFG since its introduction will not be lost.
There is a real concern that, without the grant, future freight infrastructure projects will fall at the first hurdle due to insufficient funding. Indeed, concerns have been raised that withdrawal of the grant could lead to existing rail traffic reverting to road haulage.
Obviously, members’ business debates finish without a decision. However, I hope that the minister is listening closely to the case that is being presented this evening by members across the chamber. This is not about scoring party-political points. I accept the Government's commitment to environmental sustainability. I ask only that the minister take the steps that are needed to turn that commitment into action.
17:34
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Alasdair Morgan)
SNP
The final item of business today is a members’ business debate on motion S3M-7567, in the name of Cathy Jamieson, on freight facilities grants. The debate wi...
Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab)
Lab
I thank members, particularly those who have stayed for the debate, for their support for the motion, which has helped it to be selected for debate. I also t...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
We come to the open debate. I ask for speeches of four minutes. The debate is oversubscribed, so I will stop members when they get to the four-minute mark.17:18
Christopher Harvie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP)
SNP
I congratulate Cathy Jamieson on the motion and her eloquent presentation of it. I also declare an interest as the honorary president of the Scottish Associa...
Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab)
Lab
I begin by congratulating Cathy Jamieson on securing the debate and providing members with the opportunity to highlight the short-sightedness of the Scottish...
The Minister for Transport and Infrastructure (Keith Brown)
SNP
Would the member like to address the impact of the £800 million cut in this year’s capital budget? If Cathy Jamieson can describe the reduction of the freigh...
Michael McMahon
Lab
The minister makes a clever argument, but he can see the importance of his strategy—I will come on to that later—and he is undermining his position rather th...
John Scott (Ayr) (Con)
Con
I congratulate Cathy Jamieson on securing the debate, which is relevant to Ayrshire and South Ayrshire, in particular, which we both represent. The freight f...
Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome the opportunity to speak in this evening’s debate and I congratulate my colleague, Cathy Jamieson, on securing a members’ business debate on this i...
Keith Brown
SNP
Does the member think that the decision of the Labour Government to scrap the scheme five years ago and the fact that it spent less money in five years in En...
Karen Whitefield
Lab
We are talking about Scotland, and the minister is responsible for the situation in Scotland. Labour Party members criticise their party when they need to. W...
Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD)
LD
I congratulate Cathy Jamieson on securing this debate, which provides us with an opportunity to discuss not only the future of the freight facilities grant b...
Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab)
Lab
I congratulate my colleague Cathy Jamieson on bringing to the chamber a debate that is at once important and very topical.At the December 7 meeting of the Tr...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
At this point, I would be prepared to accept a motion without notice to extend the debate by 10 minutes to complete the business. I ask Cathy Jamieson to so ...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
Green
I add my thanks and congratulations to Cathy Jamieson for bringing the motion to the chamber for debate. I was happy to sign up to it almost as soon as it wa...
Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab)
Lab
I, too, thank Cathy Jamieson for the opportunity to debate this important issue. I also thank her for alerting me to something that I had overlooked complete...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
I, too, congratulate Cathy Jamieson on securing the debate. I welcome the new Minister for Transport and Infrastructure to his post. I want to tell him a lit...
The Minister for Transport and Infrastructure (Keith Brown)
SNP
Like other members, I congratulate Cathy Jamieson on securing the debate. I think that it was Aneurin Bevan who said that politics is the language of priorit...
Hugh Henry
Lab
The minister highlights a mistaken decision by Westminster-based politicians and a very correct decision made by ministers of the same party in Scotland.
Keith Brown
SNP
I acknowledge and welcome that intervention, but what has changed is the financial situation. I think that Hugh Henry would go on to say that that is the rea...
Michael McMahon
Lab
Is the minister not missing the point? The freight facilities grants scheme in Scotland was much more flexible and operated in an entirely different way from...
Keith Brown
SNP
Power is one thing, but resources are another. It would be useful if the member would acknowledge, even for one second, the disastrous effects of Labour’s ha...
Patrick Harvie
Green
Will the minister give way?
Keith Brown
SNP
I am sorry, but I have to make some progress.The new hospital in Glasgow is another project that will take a huge chunk out of a capital budget that has been...
Cathy Jamieson
Lab
Will the minister give way?
Keith Brown
SNP
I have to make some progress. We have concluded that we cannot fund new FFG projects for the time being. We have allocated £2.9 million to support the freigh...
Cathy Jamieson
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention?
Keith Brown
SNP
Although I have already taken two interventions and do not have much time left, I will take the member’s intervention provided that she is very brief.
Cathy Jamieson
Lab
Almost six minutes into his speech, I am glad that the minister has mentioned the Grangestone railhead. His predecessor was supportive of the project, on whi...
Keith Brown
SNP
I have been trying to deal with that subject. Cathy Jamieson made the point in her speech that the FFG scheme is suspended, from which I think she took some ...