Chamber
Plenary, 27 Sep 2006
27 Sep 2006 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Glasgow Crossrail
I will not say that I would not have started from here, but I would certainly have started sooner. Somewhere in my archives, I have a document from 1973, when the then Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive examined the crossrail proposal in a wider study called the Clyde rail study. To be fair to Strathclyde Regional Council, which became the passenger transport authority in the west of Scotland soon afterwards, many great strategic rail projects were delivered.
When I became Strathclyde Regional Council's convener of roads and transport in 1994, crossrail was my rail priority, but the railways were in the middle of privatisation and the regional council was abolished within two years. Labour may have won the general election in 1997, but Gordon Brown—perhaps members remember him—froze the financial commitments at the previous Government's level for the initial two years of the Labour Government. That took us to 1999; along came devolution, and some people wanted to consider everything afresh.
For various reasons, there was a loss of momentum. However, as an aside, I will mention that I enjoyed a successful negotiation back in the 1990s with Councillor Pat Lally—perhaps members remember him—who agreed to sell SPT the Mercat building for the sum of £1 for the purposes of the proposed Glasgow Cross railway station.
More recently, I have said in previous railways and aviation debates that it was unfortunate that SPT was pressured to submit the Glasgow Airport Link Rail Bill separately from one on Glasgow crossrail. It was inevitable that the Glasgow Airport Link Rail Bill Committee would try to re-establish that link. It is one thing to have a shuttle train service from Glasgow Central to Glasgow airport. That will certainly help. However, it would be a much more significant step to open up that link to Glasgow airport with crossrail in place, which could bring in train services from anywhere in the country.
We have had enough of studies, as has been said. I am not a big fan of studies and certainly not of having too many of them. They can be a symptom of paralysis by analysis—when people are not quite sure what to do about something, they tend to want to study it a bit further. As a bit of a transport anorak, I have looked at the history of big transport projects in this country and it seems to me that the big decisions have always been taken at opportune moments by politicians. Officials can take things so far and they can present options and carry out studies, but it is more a question of political commitment and will. To be fair, that has begun to make its presence felt in the Parliament in recent months with regard to other projects.
We must make up for the missed opportunity of the past couple of years of devolution with regard to crossrail and build up a head of steam. I am heartened by the strength and breadth of the cross-party group on Glasgow crossrail. In these exciting times for railways, and potentially crossrail, I would like to hear a commitment in the debate from politicians of all parties that, at the very least, they will try to ensure that a commitment to crossrail is included in their manifestos for next May's election. If we can build that sort of consensus and support behind the project—which is justifiable in its own right anyway—we will be doing the right thing for the Scottish people.
When I became Strathclyde Regional Council's convener of roads and transport in 1994, crossrail was my rail priority, but the railways were in the middle of privatisation and the regional council was abolished within two years. Labour may have won the general election in 1997, but Gordon Brown—perhaps members remember him—froze the financial commitments at the previous Government's level for the initial two years of the Labour Government. That took us to 1999; along came devolution, and some people wanted to consider everything afresh.
For various reasons, there was a loss of momentum. However, as an aside, I will mention that I enjoyed a successful negotiation back in the 1990s with Councillor Pat Lally—perhaps members remember him—who agreed to sell SPT the Mercat building for the sum of £1 for the purposes of the proposed Glasgow Cross railway station.
More recently, I have said in previous railways and aviation debates that it was unfortunate that SPT was pressured to submit the Glasgow Airport Link Rail Bill separately from one on Glasgow crossrail. It was inevitable that the Glasgow Airport Link Rail Bill Committee would try to re-establish that link. It is one thing to have a shuttle train service from Glasgow Central to Glasgow airport. That will certainly help. However, it would be a much more significant step to open up that link to Glasgow airport with crossrail in place, which could bring in train services from anywhere in the country.
We have had enough of studies, as has been said. I am not a big fan of studies and certainly not of having too many of them. They can be a symptom of paralysis by analysis—when people are not quite sure what to do about something, they tend to want to study it a bit further. As a bit of a transport anorak, I have looked at the history of big transport projects in this country and it seems to me that the big decisions have always been taken at opportune moments by politicians. Officials can take things so far and they can present options and carry out studies, but it is more a question of political commitment and will. To be fair, that has begun to make its presence felt in the Parliament in recent months with regard to other projects.
We must make up for the missed opportunity of the past couple of years of devolution with regard to crossrail and build up a head of steam. I am heartened by the strength and breadth of the cross-party group on Glasgow crossrail. In these exciting times for railways, and potentially crossrail, I would like to hear a commitment in the debate from politicians of all parties that, at the very least, they will try to ensure that a commitment to crossrail is included in their manifestos for next May's election. If we can build that sort of consensus and support behind the project—which is justifiable in its own right anyway—we will be doing the right thing for the Scottish people.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh):
Con
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S2M-4688, in the name of Bill Butler, on the Glasgow crossrail scheme. The debate will be ...
Motion debated,
That the Parliament welcomes the progress that has been made to modernise Scotland's rail infrastructure, the most recent example of which was the agreement ...
Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab):
Lab
As a Glasgow constituency member and convener of the Scottish Parliament cross-party group on Glasgow crossrail, I am delighted to have secured this debate o...
Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
I thank Bill Butler for securing the debate—a debate that has been raging for about 30 years. One of the first debates in the Parliament was on the subject o...
Mr Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab):
Lab
I will not say that I would not have started from here, but I would certainly have started sooner. Somewhere in my archives, I have a document from 1973, whe...
Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con):
Con
First, I congratulate Bill Butler on securing the debate and thank him for circulating the appropriate correspondence, which has been very helpful. Those of ...
Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab):
Lab
I congratulate Bill Butler on his motion. As I was listening to Bill Aitken describing his weekend, it struck me that, as he was walking around Austria think...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green):
Green
I add my congratulations to Bill Butler on securing the debate and on his work in bringing together the cross-party group on Glasgow crossrail.I was looking ...
Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD):
LD
I want to provide some non-Glasgow support for crossrail. Our Victorian ancestors had enormous energy and created most of the railway engines and great railw...
Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab):
Lab
Like other members, I congratulate Bill Butler on securing the debate. Everyone acknowledges that he has been a champion of crossrail, which is an important ...
Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con):
Con
This has been a consensual debate—I disagree with little that members have said. However, I would like to hold Patrick Harvie to account. He referred to envi...
Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab):
Lab
I, too, thank Bill Butler for lodging the motion. I echo the points that members have made.I do not want to mention 1973, because the minister is relatively ...
The Minister for Transport (Tavish Scott):
LD
All I can remember about 1973 is that it was the year in which Scotland qualified for the football world cup in West Germany.I am from the Charlie Gordon sch...
Meeting closed at 17:54.