Hansard

I will address some capital issues that Craig Hoy might be interested in.

The Scottish Government has provided record levels of funding to local government. Last year, Aberdeenshire had a 7.2 per cent increase, Dumfries and Galloway had a 6.4 per cent increase, and Moray Council had a 6.6 per cent increase. The 2026-27 Scottish budget sets out multiyear spending plans covering three years of resource funding and four years of capital funding, in order to provide greater certainty for councils. That will certainly help with the planning aspects that members have asked for. Local authorities have autonomy to allocate funding to bridge and road maintenance, primarily through their general capital allocations, and they take their own decisions on investment priorities, reflecting local needs, risk and asset condition. In 2026-27, the local government settlement allocated capital grants totalling £681.4 million.

I highlight the specific example of the Spey viaduct, which is owned by Moray Council and which was affected by scour in December 2025. Aboyne bridge, which is owned by Aberdeenshire Council, has been subject to restrictions since 2023. Ultimately, it is for those councils to lead on the next steps. They will need time to work through the options, including by consulting and engaging with local communities, as they always do. However, for our part, the Government is more than happy to be part of those discussions.

We remain acutely aware of the financial pressures across the public sector, with high inflation, driven by global factors, alongside reduced capital grant allocations from the UK Government—[Interruption.]

I would like to make progress.

Those pressures continue to impact the affordability and timing of infrastructure investment across Scotland. I remind members that, from 2020 to 2022, the SNP Government operated a local bridge maintenance fund of £32 million. Since then, however, we have had the period of capital grant cuts to the Scottish Government, including the infamous Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng budget. There are implications in relation to capital cuts in that regard.

Although the Scottish Government is not responsible for local bridges, there have been specific circumstances in which we have been able to offer support for the wider community for strategic reasons. When I served as Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, I was pleased to secure funding through the rural tourism infrastructure plan for the new Lossiemouth footbridge. That investment restored vital access to the town’s wonderful beach and helped to strengthen Lossiemouth’s position as an important and welcoming tourist destination.

To elaborate on the Spey viaduct example, it is clear that the viaduct played a greater role for those in Moray than just a river crossing; it had cultural and historical significance, and it facilitated journeys and recreational activities for locals and visitors alike. Scottish Government officials continue to engage with Moray Council, HITRANS and What Wheel Cycle Trust to assist in minimising disruption and finding a solution. Local constituency MSP Richard Lochhead has sought and secured a meeting with me and has briefed me on the recent community meeting.

In the days following the incident, the priority was to make the area safe and investigate the cause of the collapse. The focus has now shifted to reopening the national cycle network route, the Moray coastal path and linkage points with the Speyside way, using an alternative crossing of the river and safe paths through the Gordon castle area. The new route has been confirmed and fresh signage has been put in place.

For a long-term solution, including consideration of repair or replacement, Moray Council has developed a plan with four key assessment steps that will provide clarity on the impact of the collapse on the river bed and the land surrounding the site. Significant funding is required to take us through those steps, and Moray Council is exploring the available options. I am pleased to confirm that the Scottish Government will provide £113,000 from the active travel infrastructure fund, which will allow additional engineering assessments, planning activities and alternative route implementation works to be completed between now and the end of the 2025-26 financial year. Therefore, I hope that the Conservatives will support the active travel budget.

I will conclude by re-emphasising the Government’s commitment to our bridge network. Working with local partners, we will continue to ensure its maintenance, its utility to the public and its potential to open up all kinds of associated activity, to the benefit of Scotland and its economy. However, members must call not just for improved capital funding for local councils, but, perhaps in the spirit expressed by Davy Russell, for improved capital funding and, indeed, increased borrowing powers to allow longer-term planning across councils and the Government, for this Government and this Parliament.