Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 19 April 2012
19 Apr 2012 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Bus Services
Mr Baker answered the cabinet secretary’s question; indeed, Mr Rennie answered it, too, but the cabinet secretary was too busy shouting over them to listen to what they said.
I am not surprised to hear the ministerial team talking spin on concessionary fares. Mr Brown issued a press release that said that
“£187m funding has been set aside for concessionary travel for the coming year, up around 4% from last year.”
However, according to the Government’s budget documents, the estimated concessionary travel budget in 2010-11 was £192 million and was capped at £185 million last year. That is the underfunding by £7 million that CPT Scotland said had contributed to the recent fare rises.
I am not surprised to hear the ministerial team talking spin on concessionary fares. Mr Brown issued a press release that said that
“£187m funding has been set aside for concessionary travel for the coming year, up around 4% from last year.”
However, according to the Government’s budget documents, the estimated concessionary travel budget in 2010-11 was £192 million and was capped at £185 million last year. That is the underfunding by £7 million that CPT Scotland said had contributed to the recent fare rises.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
Good morning. The first item of business is a debate on motion S4M-02639, in the name of Elaine Murray, on transport. I advise members that the debate is tig...
Elaine Murray (Dumfriesshire) (Lab)
Lab
Scottish Labour selected the topic of bus services for a debate on 26 January. We bring it back for discussion today because, in the intervening 12 weeks, th...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
For what purpose did the member ask for that if Labour is not considering changing the present situation?
Elaine Murray
Lab
For the purpose of considering what is said in evidence to the Finance Committee. It is necessary to assess all the evidence. Mr Neil misquoted me—anyone can...
The Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment (Alex Neil)
SNP
As it is clear that the member watched “Sunday Politics Scotland”, will she answer the question that Mr Baker could not answer and tell us what Labour would ...
Elaine Murray
Lab
Mr Baker answered the cabinet secretary’s question; indeed, Mr Rennie answered it, too, but the cabinet secretary was too busy shouting over them to listen t...
Christine Grahame
SNP
Will the member take another intervention?
Elaine Murray
Lab
No—I will get on.The budget has returned to £192 million this year, where it will remain for the rest of the spending review period, according to the spendin...
Mark McDonald (North East Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
Does the member agree with Ellis Thorpe, the Labour candidate for Inverurie and district, who said in The Press and Journal on 4 April:“Arguably the problem ...
Elaine Murray
Lab
I do not even know whether that quote is about the BSOG. If it is about the BSOG, I disagree with it, so that is fine.Paul Thomas, the managing director of F...
The Minister for Housing and Transport (Keith Brown)
SNP
The member mentions other parties. Tim O’Toole, the chief executive of FirstGroup, has said that“underlying weakness ... led to this performance”.He identifi...
Elaine Murray
Lab
If the minister bothered to read our motion, he would see that we identify any number of factors, of which the BSOG is one. I am giving him the evidence on t...
The Minister for Housing and Transport (Keith Brown)
SNP
As Elaine Murray said, the previous debate that we had on buses was held in Parliament on 26 January 2012. At that time, we had a fairly wide-ranging discuss...
Jim Hume (South Scotland) (LD)
LD
I want to correct the minister. Willie Rennie stated on “Sunday Politics Scotland”, and my amendment states, that consequentials of some £7 million this year...
Keith Brown
SNP
I have lost track of the number of times that the Liberal Democrats have spent the consequentials that have been allocated.It is important to acknowledge tha...
Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
What has happened in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly. The Welsh Government has listened to the concerns about the cut in the grant there and imposed...
Keith Brown
SNP
I have different information. I read a publication this week that stated:“Labour meanwhile blames the SNP for bus cuts and pretends that it would end deregul...
Elaine Murray
Lab
Will the member give way?
Keith Brown
SNP
I will let the member in once I have made some progress. I have mentioned the £85 million and the £1 billion. Labour has not identified one penny of the mone...
Elaine Murray
Lab
Can the minister give me the source of the quote that he read out about Wales?
Keith Brown
SNP
The source is this week’s edition of Private Eye. I will give the member a copy if she likes. Laughter. Obviously, those on the Labour benches are avid reade...
Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
The minister is two thirds of the way through his speech and has so far shown no empathy whatsoever for the people who are affected by the service cuts. What...
Keith Brown
SNP
I might have done that if I had not been intervened on so much, so I am happy to get to that point.Some of the coverage in the papers has been disappointing....
Jim Hume (South Scotland) (LD)
LD
Earlier in the year, when bus operators were still coming to terms with the proposed 17 per cent cut to the bus service operators grant, they were informed o...
Alex Neil
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Jim Hume
LD
I have hardly started, but I am always delighted to take an intervention from Alex Neil.
Alex Neil
SNP
Will the member join me in asking the UK Government to reverse the crazy decision that was announced in the budget to have a further hike in fuel duty from 1...
Jim Hume
LD
I do not think that the bus operators would agree with that. First and Stagecoach have highlighted that the change to grant funding has major implications in...
Mark McDonald
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Jim Hume
LD
I have hardly started.Apparently, environmental reasons are the rationale behind the move. That is what we have been told. In January, the minister stated th...