Chamber
Plenary, 28 Mar 2007
28 Mar 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Railways
I will be succinct in my remarks, although I fear that, on this occasion, I might not be able to take any interventions. I commend Mark Ruskell for the motion and congratulate him on securing this, the final members' business debate of the session.
We in the Conservative party believe in giving members of the public the opportunity to travel by rail, and we are in favour of reconnecting communities by rail, for all the reasons that have been outlined in the debate. There is an important point to stress. We do not view this as an either/or issue. It is not about having rail instead of increased investment in roads. We believe that there should be both, and that they should be complementary.
Along with Mark Ruskell, and indeed Roseanna Cunningham, I have campaigned for the reopening of Blackford station. Members of COBRA—the campaign to open Blackford railway again—must be congratulated on their work to keep the issue on the political radar. I would like the new parliamentary session to be used to review train station viability on that line, as well as on the highland route across Perthshire and up to Inverness.
We have already heard reasons why Blackford station should be reopened. The same reasons apply to the halt at Greenloaning. Roseanna Cunningham and Mark Ruskell referred to the congestion that is caused at Dunblane by the pressure on the park-and-ride facility. Many of the people who go to the Dunblane park and ride come from points north and west of there. If the facilities were available at Greenloaning or Blackford, that would provide a new opportunity for commuters to take their cars there, rather than clogging up the streets of Dunblane, as happens at the moment. Opening new halts in that part of the world would widen the market for those who wish to use rail, particularly those who commute to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
I would like to add another station to the list of those that could be reopened: that at Bridge of Earn. Bridge of Earn is a community with a growing population where a substantial number of new houses are planned. There would be clear environmental benefits in providing a new station at Bridge of Earn. It would enable those who live there to commute to work in Perth or Edinburgh and also, of course, allow locals and visitors to use the train for shopping and leisure activities.
Rail services have been high on my agenda for some years. We should be encouraging greater use of the train and reopening stations that have been closed. There are substantial environmental benefits to be gained in pursuing that agenda. I hope that we will see progress on that in the next session of Parliament.
We in the Conservative party believe in giving members of the public the opportunity to travel by rail, and we are in favour of reconnecting communities by rail, for all the reasons that have been outlined in the debate. There is an important point to stress. We do not view this as an either/or issue. It is not about having rail instead of increased investment in roads. We believe that there should be both, and that they should be complementary.
Along with Mark Ruskell, and indeed Roseanna Cunningham, I have campaigned for the reopening of Blackford station. Members of COBRA—the campaign to open Blackford railway again—must be congratulated on their work to keep the issue on the political radar. I would like the new parliamentary session to be used to review train station viability on that line, as well as on the highland route across Perthshire and up to Inverness.
We have already heard reasons why Blackford station should be reopened. The same reasons apply to the halt at Greenloaning. Roseanna Cunningham and Mark Ruskell referred to the congestion that is caused at Dunblane by the pressure on the park-and-ride facility. Many of the people who go to the Dunblane park and ride come from points north and west of there. If the facilities were available at Greenloaning or Blackford, that would provide a new opportunity for commuters to take their cars there, rather than clogging up the streets of Dunblane, as happens at the moment. Opening new halts in that part of the world would widen the market for those who wish to use rail, particularly those who commute to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
I would like to add another station to the list of those that could be reopened: that at Bridge of Earn. Bridge of Earn is a community with a growing population where a substantial number of new houses are planned. There would be clear environmental benefits in providing a new station at Bridge of Earn. It would enable those who live there to commute to work in Perth or Edinburgh and also, of course, allow locals and visitors to use the train for shopping and leisure activities.
Rail services have been high on my agenda for some years. We should be encouraging greater use of the train and reopening stations that have been closed. There are substantial environmental benefits to be gained in pursuing that agenda. I hope that we will see progress on that in the next session of Parliament.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman):
Lab
The final item of business today is a members' business debate on motion S2M-5762, in the name of Mark Ruskell, on reconnecting communities by rail. The deba...
Motion debated,
That the Parliament welcomes the work undertaken by communities across Scotland to enhance the rail network; recognises in particular the long-standing need ...
Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green):
Green
I thank those members who have stayed behind to engage in the debate and the many others who signed my motion.This is the last members' business debate of th...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
We move to the debate; speeches will be three minutes.
Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP):
SNP
I congratulate Mark Ruskell on securing the debate. Given the bill that Parliament passed this afternoon, it is particularly appropriate that we continue to ...
Mr Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
I congratulate Mark Ruskell on securing the debate. Of course, no group in the Parliament has a God-given right to give itself the "green" accolade—and I say...
Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP):
SNP
Will the member give way?
Mr Brocklebank:
Con
I would rather not; I have only three minutes.I realise that, as a single car occupier, I am doing little to cut emissions or, for that matter, to help the o...
Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD):
LD
I, too, congratulate Mark Ruskell on securing the last members' business debate in this session of Parliament and endorse his remarks about freight on rail.I...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
Not by the member, I am sure.
Mr Stone:
LD
I hasten to assure Mr Fraser about that.Mr McMorran's point was that we need somebody to own the building, in the sense of use and maintenance, as well as in...
Christine May (Central Fife) (Lab):
Lab
I, too, congratulate Mark Ruskell on securing the last members' business debate of the session. I was pleased to sign his motion. My interest in rail goes ba...
Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
I, too, congratulate Mark Ruskell on securing this debate on reconnecting communities by rail. I hope that other MSPs will not mind a Glasgow MSP intruding o...
Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green):
Green
I join other members in congratulating Mark Ruskell on securing the debate and on highlighting the desire of communities throughout Scotland to be reconnecte...
Stewart Stevenson:
SNP
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I wonder whether I might take the liberty of moving a motion without notice that the debate be extended until five to...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
It is not possible for me to extend the debate—I am doing the best I can. If you had not stood up and taken so long, I could probably have got somebody else ...
Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD):
LD
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I will try to be brief to help you get someone else into the debate.I, too, congratulate Mark Ruskell on securing the final mem...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
You should be finishing now, Mr Smith.
Iain Smith:
LD
I have had only two and a half minutes, but I will finish with a final comment.The Levenmouth development is important because it would have significant rege...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
I call Rob Gibson. If members stick to their times I will manage to get everyone in.
Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP):
SNP
I welcome the chance to speak in the debate and congratulate Mark Ruskell on securing it.I am glad that there is such a positive attitude in Mid Scotland and...
Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green):
Green
I will speak quickly in support of the motion in the name of my colleague Mark Ruskell. Communities throughout Scotland have campaigned hard to expand their ...
Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP):
SNP
I congratulate Mark Ruskell on securing the debate.I will start with a declaration of interest: I believe in rail travel and I travel by rail every day. I th...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
I call Alex Fergusson, to be followed—very briefly—by Murdo Fraser.
Alex Fergusson (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (Con):
Con
I will be as brief as I possibly can be. I congratulate Mark Ruskell on securing the debate. I have every intention of being as parochial as Roseanna Cunning...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
I will be succinct in my remarks, although I fear that, on this occasion, I might not be able to take any interventions. I commend Mark Ruskell for the motio...
The Minister for Transport (Tavish Scott):
LD
Given that I have no stations in my constituency I, unlike others in this end-of-season debate, cannot be parochial about rail, which is probably just as wel...
Mr Ruskell:
Green
The regional transport plans will be submitted to the minister this week. What is his view of transport plans that put forward projects that are not yet in s...
Tavish Scott:
LD
It is important that there is consistency between documents. That is in the interests of regional transport partnerships and their constituent councils in re...