Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 30 April 2025
30 Apr 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Motorists
I am talking about the language that was used in the motion bringing the debate to the Parliament in the first place.
I recognise the fundamental importance of our roads and their users to the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of Scotland. That includes drivers—who I hope will drive more electric vehicles—and public transport users. The Conservatives’ deregulation of bus services in the 1980s and 1990s has resulted in decades of decline, meaning that there is no viable public transport provision in many communities, especially in rural areas. Poll after poll demonstrates that people want access to high-quality and affordable transport. They want to reduce their travel costs, they want to take climate action and they want sustainable alternatives to car use. I believe that that is the case among members across the chamber.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-17362, in the name of Sue Webber, on ending the war against Scotland’s motorists. Members who wish to spe...
Sue Webber (Lothian) (Con)
Con
The Scottish Conservatives will always stand up for motorists, unlike the left-wing parties in this chamber, who continue to treat them with disdain. For too...
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
Will Sue Webber take an intervention?
Sue Webber
Con
If Mr Cole-Hamilton does not mind, I will come to him in a second, once I have got a bit more traction. Despite what the SNP says in its amendment, it is no...
Alex Cole-Hamilton
LD
Liberal Democrats believe that we should incentivise people to get out of cars and into public transport, but we agree that we need to improve Scotland’s roa...
Sue Webber
Con
It is not an omission, Mr Cole-Hamilton. The point is about roads across the country generally. We did not want to specify and single out individual roads be...
The Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity (Jim Fairlie)
SNP
I thank colleagues for the opportunity to set out to Parliament the importance and the impact of our policies and investments relating to road users, infrast...
Sue Webber
Con
Will the minister take an intervention?
Jim Fairlie
SNP
I will take it in a second. I hope that we can reset the level of our discussion in order to find a solution that we can all agree to work on.
Sue Webber
Con
Can the minister refer to anything that I said in my remarks today that did not acknowledge that motorists want to be part of an affordable transition?
Jim Fairlie
SNP
I am talking about the language that was used in the motion bringing the debate to the Parliament in the first place. I recognise the fundamental importance...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
There was a discussion at the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee meeting this week on what more the Scottish Government could do to ensure that we have...
Jim Fairlie
SNP
I will try to come to that as I make my way through my speech. We all accept that we want to have alternatives to car use; as I said, I think that that is w...
Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
Will the minister take an intervention?
Jim Fairlie
SNP
Let me finish the point that I am making. Scotland reached its target of 6,000 public EV charge points two years early through a combination of Scottish Gove...
Liam Kerr
Con
Does the minister regret the failure of all the ministers who came before him to set out a costed delivery plan and milestones to reduce car use by 20 per ce...
Jim Fairlie
SNP
It is not a case of regretting what other ministers have done. I am standing here today as the minister who is contributing to the debate that has been broug...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Minister, I ask you to bring your remarks to a close and to move your amendment, please.
Jim Fairlie
SNP
—and the code of practice for co-ordination of road works. Presiding Officer, I will finish my remarks there. I move amendment S6M-17362.4, to leave out fr...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
We are having a very short debate that is attempting to cover many aspects of transport policy. We have already heard from the Conservative spokesperson and ...
Craig Hoy (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
Is the member aware that many bus companies are facing extreme financial pressures as a result of the Labour UK Government’s imposition of increased employer...
Claire Baker
Lab
The member will probably agree that the decline in bus services in Scotland happened long before Labour came into government. For years under the SNP, we hav...
Jim Fairlie
SNP
Will the member give way?
Claire Baker
Lab
I am quite pressed for time, but I will do so if the minister can be very brief.
Jim Fairlie
SNP
On the member’s point about certain areas not having bus services, is that not more to do with the fact that it is a deregulated market? In addition, irrespe...
Claire Baker
Lab
I agree with what the Government’s amendment says about deregulation and the impact that that has had. However, the SNP Government has done little to reverse...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Ms Baker will need to conclude and move her amendment.
Claire Baker
Lab
I will just say something about electric cars. We need to do more to increase the attraction of electric cars.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Thank you. I ask Ms Baker to move her amendment.
Claire Baker
Lab
We need to do more to make sure that we have a transport strategy that works for all our communities. I move amendment S6M-17362.1, to leave out from first ...