Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 19 September 2012
19 Sep 2012 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Rail
The rails will still continue to exist, but why would the UK Government invest in a rail service that benefits another country?
According to a written answer that was supplied to me, senior officers in both Network Rail and ScotRail were aware that Transport Scotland was undertaking a review, but there seems to have been no consultation with other partners, such as Stirling Council, which had already invested significantly in planning for the necessary infrastructure. Officers from Stirling Council had met Network Rail only the day before the announcement of the reduced programme. It is clear that neither organisation was advised that it was wasting its time. If the chief executive of Network Rail, Dave Higgins, had been, as was said, “aware” of Transport Scotland’s review and had been involved in reviewing its findings, he did not seem to have passed that information on to others in the organisation.
The Jacobs report has not yet been published, but I have been informed that it will be “published in due course”. Damien Henderson, a journalist for The Herald, was told in answer to a freedom of information request that the report is still in draft form. An important decision was apparently made on the basis of a draft report that cannot yet be published.
Questions that I have asked about how the savings were calculated have not been answered on the basis that the information is commercially sensitive. Therefore, we cannot even know why cutting the programme in half has saved only one third of the budget. I wonder whether the revised programme has been subject to a Scottish transport appraisal guidance—STAG—appraisal.
The Scottish Government will doubtless blame Westminster cuts, but the financing of EGIP was to have been via a 30-year low-interest-rate loan from Network Rail against its asset base. If the schemes that are not included in the phase in question are to go ahead later, I presume that another loan will have to be negotiated at a higher price.
Iain McMillan of the Confederation of British Industry stated to Rail magazine that, as the original project would have improved journey times and environmental performance, he would have expected the CBI to be consulted if major changes were planned, but it was not. Liz Cameron of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce expressed her concern that EGIP’s potential to be transformational may fail to be realised, and the SCC has added its voice to those of Transform Scotland and the regional transport partnerships calling for a rethink.
According to a written answer that was supplied to me, senior officers in both Network Rail and ScotRail were aware that Transport Scotland was undertaking a review, but there seems to have been no consultation with other partners, such as Stirling Council, which had already invested significantly in planning for the necessary infrastructure. Officers from Stirling Council had met Network Rail only the day before the announcement of the reduced programme. It is clear that neither organisation was advised that it was wasting its time. If the chief executive of Network Rail, Dave Higgins, had been, as was said, “aware” of Transport Scotland’s review and had been involved in reviewing its findings, he did not seem to have passed that information on to others in the organisation.
The Jacobs report has not yet been published, but I have been informed that it will be “published in due course”. Damien Henderson, a journalist for The Herald, was told in answer to a freedom of information request that the report is still in draft form. An important decision was apparently made on the basis of a draft report that cannot yet be published.
Questions that I have asked about how the savings were calculated have not been answered on the basis that the information is commercially sensitive. Therefore, we cannot even know why cutting the programme in half has saved only one third of the budget. I wonder whether the revised programme has been subject to a Scottish transport appraisal guidance—STAG—appraisal.
The Scottish Government will doubtless blame Westminster cuts, but the financing of EGIP was to have been via a 30-year low-interest-rate loan from Network Rail against its asset base. If the schemes that are not included in the phase in question are to go ahead later, I presume that another loan will have to be negotiated at a higher price.
Iain McMillan of the Confederation of British Industry stated to Rail magazine that, as the original project would have improved journey times and environmental performance, he would have expected the CBI to be consulted if major changes were planned, but it was not. Liz Cameron of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce expressed her concern that EGIP’s potential to be transformational may fail to be realised, and the SCC has added its voice to those of Transform Scotland and the regional transport partnerships calling for a rethink.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-04165, in the name of Elaine Murray, on rail.14:40
Elaine Murray (Dumfriesshire) (Lab)
Lab
The Scottish Government often repeats its assertion that it must hold the independence referendum in the second half of this parliamentary session because it...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
The member mentioned steam. I am just old enough to remember steam on the railways. I also remember when the low level at Glasgow Queen Street station was el...
Elaine Murray
Lab
It is not quite the fantastic news that we were promised in the SNP manifesto, is it?In the press release from Transport Scotland, the minister was quoted as...
Jamie Hepburn (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member give way? Interruption.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Order.
Jamie Hepburn
SNP
My constituents in Cumbernauld are absolutely delighted to see that the line to their town will be electrified.The member suggests that it is impossible for ...
Elaine Murray
Lab
The rails will still continue to exist, but why would the UK Government invest in a rail service that benefits another country?According to a written answer ...
The Minister for Transport and Veterans (Keith Brown)
SNP
The member seems to have neglected two particular statements that have been made. The leader of Glasgow City Council said:“this announcement is good news for...
Elaine Murray
Lab
I checked with my council colleagues, who provided statements, but nobody had shown them the entire press release or explained to them that half of the proje...
The Minister for Transport and Veterans (Keith Brown)
SNP
Since the funding of rail was devolved to the Scottish ministers in 2006, there has been major investment in the rail network and its services. The Governmen...
Drew Smith (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention?
Keith Brown
SNP
No, not just now. In that statement to the chamber, I committed to continuing the delivery of EGIP and ensuring that it and other network improvements are co...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
Will the member give way on that point?
Keith Brown
SNP
Earlier this year, Network Rail began advanced route-clearance works and the redevelopment of Haymarket station in readiness for increased passenger numbers ...
Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention, or will he just keep talking?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Order.
Keith Brown
SNP
In December 2012, new Edinburgh to Glasgow via Carstairs services will be introduced. Delivered a year earlier than expected, the new services respond to loc...
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (Lab)
Lab
Will the member give way?
Keith Brown
SNP
I will give way to Patricia Ferguson, but perhaps she could say where the £350 million that the Labour Party says that it intends to reinstate would come from.
Patricia Ferguson
Lab
The minister knows of my long-standing interest in this project. I recently had occasion to write to Network Rail about its consultation process on EGIP. It ...
Keith Brown
SNP
There was no answer to the question about where the £350 million would come from. I note the member’s previous intervention in relation to this—Interruption.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Order.
Keith Brown
SNP
Her previous contribution was to propagate scare stories about Glasgow station closures that never happened.On the point about the EGIP timetable—
Drew Smith
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention on that point?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
The minister has made it clear that he is not taking an intervention at the moment.
Keith Brown
SNP
On the point that I have just mentioned, we have already started progress towards EGIP and will continue that progress according to the previous timetable of...
Patricia Ferguson
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention?
Keith Brown
SNP
No. I have taken one from the member already.The Jacobs review identified a new opportunity to deliver increased capacity by lengthening platforms as part of...
Neil Findlay
Lab
In the past few days, I have been contacted by a large number of constituents from Winchburgh who are concerned that the new project there, which is to creat...