Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 30 May 2013
30 May 2013 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Scotland’s Railways
Quite honestly, I do not believe that it is for Ed Miliband to tell the Scottish Labour Party what it believes. He can consider what he wants for the United Kingdom.
I am not saying that either the model that is being considered by the UK Labour Party or the model that is under consultation in Wales is necessarily correct, but what is disappointing is that the Scottish ministers seem to have no interest in having that wider debate. Instead, any time that anyone asks a question, as Kenneth Macintosh did last week, we get prevarication about the 1993 act, rather than a willingness to discuss matters in more detail. I suggest that, instead of patting themselves on the back about their achievements, Scottish ministers need to use more imagination to envisage what a successful future for Scotland’s railways might look like.
I move amendment S4M-06766.2, to leave out from “high levels” to end and insert:
“; believes that this is due to the importance attached to improving rail services by successive administrations since May 1999; is disappointed however that the first phase of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme has been scaled back, that projects such as the Borders Railway have experienced significant delays and that others, including the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, have been cancelled altogether; notes that the level of public subsidy for Scotland’s railways in 2013-14 will be £511.5 million; further notes the publication of Rail Cymru - A People’s Railway for Wales and Rebuilding Rail in 2012, and believes that the renewal of the rail franchises in 2015 should be an opportunity for discussion of the future development of rail services in Scotland, including the option of a not-for-profit or mutual company running Scotland’s railways.”
14:55
I am not saying that either the model that is being considered by the UK Labour Party or the model that is under consultation in Wales is necessarily correct, but what is disappointing is that the Scottish ministers seem to have no interest in having that wider debate. Instead, any time that anyone asks a question, as Kenneth Macintosh did last week, we get prevarication about the 1993 act, rather than a willingness to discuss matters in more detail. I suggest that, instead of patting themselves on the back about their achievements, Scottish ministers need to use more imagination to envisage what a successful future for Scotland’s railways might look like.
I move amendment S4M-06766.2, to leave out from “high levels” to end and insert:
“; believes that this is due to the importance attached to improving rail services by successive administrations since May 1999; is disappointed however that the first phase of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme has been scaled back, that projects such as the Borders Railway have experienced significant delays and that others, including the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, have been cancelled altogether; notes that the level of public subsidy for Scotland’s railways in 2013-14 will be £511.5 million; further notes the publication of Rail Cymru - A People’s Railway for Wales and Rebuilding Rail in 2012, and believes that the renewal of the rail franchises in 2015 should be an opportunity for discussion of the future development of rail services in Scotland, including the option of a not-for-profit or mutual company running Scotland’s railways.”
14:55
References in this contribution
Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
Good afternoon, everyone. The first item of business is a debate on motion S4M-06766, in the name of Keith Brown, on transforming Scotland’s railways. We are...
The Minister for Transport and Veterans (Keith Brown)
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Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
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Keith Brown
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Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
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Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab)
Lab
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Keith Brown
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John Lamont (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)
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Will the minister give way?
Keith Brown
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Elaine Murray (Dumfriesshire) (Lab)
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Stewart Stevenson
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Elaine Murray
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John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
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Elaine Murray
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Keith Brown
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Will Elaine Murray give way?
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Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
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Elaine Murray
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Keith Brown
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Elaine Murray
Lab
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Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con)
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Patrick Harvie
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Will Alex Johnstone give way?
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The Deputy Presiding Officer
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You should be drawing to a close, please.
Alex Johnstone
Con
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Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD)
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Stewart Stevenson
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Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green)
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