Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott) Con

The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-06657, in the name of Richard Baker, on immediate action at the Haudagain roundabout.14:40

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

I am pleased that we have been able to bring forward in Labour business the issue of tackling congestion at the Haudagain roundabout, because it is a vital t...

Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP) SNP

I thank the member very much for taking an intervention on that point. Does he accept that the Aberdeen western peripheral route is of great significance to ...

Richard Baker Lab

Of course; I am happy to accept that point. We all agree on the importance of the AWPR but, through today’s debate, we want to move the Haudagain roundabout ...

Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) SNP

What will happen to traffic to the airport if Mr Baker’s request for immediate action is granted? If the Haudagain is redone, we will have chaos on the roads...

Richard Baker Lab

That is both a poor excuse and a gross misrepresentation of the issue. I will specifically address the ludicrous press release that Mr Stewart issued yesterd...

Kevin Stewart SNP

Will the member give way?

Richard Baker Lab

I am sure that Mr Stewart will want to speak later, so he will have his chance then.Despite the Scottish Government’s verbal assurances that it will pay for ...

Bruce Crawford (Stirling) (SNP) SNP

I have been listening carefully to Mr Baker. Will he confirm whether Labour is committed to the construction of a third Don crossing any time in the near fut...

Richard Baker Lab

The member is aware that Aberdeen City Council proposes a third Don crossing. As I have said, the council stands ready to move forward with this work now and...

The Minister for Transport and Veterans (Keith Brown) SNP

The Scottish Government recognises, of course, the important contribution that Aberdeen and the north-east make to our wider economy and that an effective tr...

Richard Baker Lab

So when Alex Neil and John Swinney specifically called for immediate action more than five years ago, they were wrong.

Keith Brown SNP

Perhaps Richard Baker has forgotten that there has been a protracted legal challenge on the AWPR. Nestrans and the council that he has lauded have said a num...

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Will the minister take an intervention?

Keith Brown SNP

No. I want to make some progress.The funding of the regeneration proposal for the Middlefield area is a matter for Aberdeen City Council, but Transport Scotl...

Lewis Macdonald Lab

Will the minister take an intervention?

Keith Brown SNP

I will do so in just a second.The forthcoming by-election and Labour’s need for a fig leaf to hide every major construction project that it has delayed expla...

Lewis Macdonald Lab

I am grateful to the minister for giving way, even if he has done so when I was not seeking to intervene.Will the minister confirm that the STAG report actua...

Keith Brown SNP

I think that I have just said what is being done. We have employed design consultants to work on the design at this early stage in order that we can be ready...

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

It is wonderful what a by-election will do to focus Parliament on issues that are important to the people of Aberdeen, and the Aberdeen Donside by-election i...

Keith Brown SNP

Will the member give way?

Alex Johnstone Con

The commitment that I need from the minister today—I will give way if he is willing to give it—is that he will take action so that the Haudagain roundabout p...

Keith Brown SNP

If the member had listened to what I said, he would have heard me say that we have started on the design work, which is the necessary first step. Over and ab...

Alex Johnstone Con

The minister’s intervention takes us into an area that I need to talk about, which is the time that projects take.The minister went through a list of project...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

We are tight for time, so members must stick to four-minute speeches.15:02

Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) SNP

I have talked a lot in the Parliament recently about common sense—“gumption” is the word that we use in the north-east. Today, we see mair gimmick than gumpt...

Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Although Kevin Stewart offered to move on from the knockabout, he went on to produce one of the most comical speeches that I have heard. He asked a number of...

Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) SNP

No.

Lewis Macdonald Lab

The Haudagain is part of the trunk road network and therefore the Scottish Government’s responsibility.I heard a little heckling from a sedentary position. I...

Bruce Crawford SNP

Will work at the Haudagain roundabout cause extra congestion around the city?