Hansard

I have only five minutes, and I have a lot of ground to cover, because we are doing so much.

Since announcing in December 2023 our delivery plan to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness, we have met every milestone on time. Today, work is under way on the third section, Tomatin to Moy, in the north and on the fourth section, Tay crossing to Ballinluig, in the south. The procurement of the fifth section, Pitlochry to Killiecrankie, is well under way.

I wrote to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 26 November to confirm that procurement and funding routes for the remaining A9 projects will be announced as part of the budget and spending review on 13 January 2026, as any decision will have a significant impact on that and on future spending reviews and budgets. I have requested to make a parliamentary statement on the progress of the A9 dualling programme following that announcement, to provide further detail on the outcomes of the further decision-making process.

Let me be clear that we remain fully committed to delivering the full A9 dualling programme by 2035. Already, 10 out of the 11 sections of the A9 have completed the statutory process. If the Conservatives want to shorten the process of the final remaining section, from Pass of Birnam to the Tay crossing, Murdo Fraser will need to write to each and every one of the objectors to say that the Conservatives want to remove that right to object, ignore them and steam on regardless—good luck with that one.

We also remain in favour of full dualling of the A96 and are progressing the dualling process from Inverness to Nairn. We are pressing forward with work to determine the most suitable procurement option for delivering the scheme, as well as the adjacent Inshes to Smithton link road.

I had constructive discussions, as reported by the Ayr Advertiser, on 2 November this year with the A77 campaign group, and separately with the south-west transport alliance and the A75 campaign group. We have a firm plan for the improvements that we want to make on both routes, as is set out in the strategic transport projects review 2, and those are now progressing. The union connectivity review made it clear that the majority of the strategic benefits of improvements to the A75 are to the rest of the UK and recommended that the UK Government support the significant upgrade to the route. Given that, I will continue to press the new UK Government to provide additional funding for improvements to the A75.

Briefly, on EV charges, I am not sure whether Sue Webber is aware that the UK Government is responsible for the standards for the public charging network. Indeed, it introduced regulations on the matter in December last year.

The Scottish Government has worked collaboratively to support the introduction of the vehicle emissions trading scheme with the UK Government. It is four-nations legislation with annual targets that chart a path towards battery electric vehicle uptake, and it remains the most significant tool that we have to reduce road transport emissions.

We are committed to maintaining the strength and integrity of VETS, and it is clear that any weakening of that will risk slowing progress towards our carbon budgets. If we are to have a sensible transition to EV car use, the UK Government needs to engage the four nations properly on reform of motor taxation, as I have regularly asked of previous Conservative and current UK Government ministers.

In conclusion, despite facing significant demands on our capital budget, this Government has delivered, and will continue to deliver, infrastructure improvements to enhance connectivity, decarbonise road transport and promote sustainable economic growth for the people of Scotland.

I move amendment S6M-20057.3, to leave out from “; urges” to end and insert:

“and the progress being made to deliver the completion of the A9 dualling in 2035 specifically; further recognises that both public and private funding has been used to support the development of the trunk road network, including the use of private finance for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie-Tipperty and the M8, M74 and M73 motorway improvements, and that private finance will continue to play a role in the future; notes that the Union Connectivity Review, undertaken by Lord Peter Hendy on behalf of the previous UK Conservative administration, recognised the contribution that the A75 makes in linking the rest of the UK to Northern Ireland; urges the UK Government to match the previous UK Conservative administration’s funding commitment for the A75; notes the improvements undertaken by the Scottish Government to the A77, including the Maybole Bypass; welcomes the ongoing constructive work between the Scottish Government and the A77 Campaign Group and South West Transport Alliance; supports the full dualling of the A96, beginning with the Inverness to Nairn section, along with delivery of the Inshes to Smithton Link Road, as part of the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal; agrees that improved connections across Scotland can be enhanced through the provision of more safe and secure rest stops, particularly for the logistics sector; rejects the UK Government’s planned imposition of a pay-per-mile tax for electric and hybrid vehicles, regretting the ill-thought-out and counter-productive proposal, which will be bad for the climate and for rural Scotland in particular; agrees that the switch to EV cars and the provision of public and at-home EV infrastructure will be vital to Scotland meeting its climate change targets, and calls on the UK Government to engage in four nations discussions on motoring taxation reform to support a properly planned transition to EV car use.”