Hansard

I first want to thank you, convener, for the way in which you have convened the committee over the years and for making it a friendly and welcoming forum for those who bring serious concerns to the Parliament. I wish you well for the future. The Conveners Group met the First Minister on 13 November, way back in 2019. The First Minister said that she would respond to the petitions in writing and that she would use them as a case study to describe the process that the Government goes through to reach decisions. As we have heard, despite repeated requests for information, no response has yet been received. The lack of a response is not only disappointing but unacceptable, given that the First Minister singled out the petitions and committed to using them in a case study—if that is the process that the Government uses, it is no wonder that the people of the south of Scotland believe that they are no longer just the forgotten corner, but the ignored corner. In June 2019, the committee suggested that there might be a round-table session with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the transport minister. However, that was delayed following a recommendation from the Government that it should take place after the Scottish Futures Trust meeting that was due to take place in Dumfries. That meeting was never held, and we are still waiting for the round table. I urge the committee to continue the petitions and to drill down into why successive Scottish Governments have ignored the compelling case for upgrading the A75 and A77 as part of a strategic streamlining of transport infrastructure that links Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. I must declare an interest because, right now, just by looking over my shoulder, I can see the increase in freight traffic since Brexit. The United Kingdom Government has identified those routes as priorities, and the recently published union connectivity review by Sir Peter Hendy clearly recommends upgrading the routes. We already have a priority list of upgrades and schemes that have been identified. It is time for the Scottish Government to stop ignoring the south of Scotland and start acting to implement those schemes. I urge the committee to continue the petitions.