The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 2361 contributions
Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: 2 May 2024
Mark Ruskell
Developers need to design those options with communities alongside the route selection process.
The grid upgrades must happen—they cannot be delayed. It is inevitable that there will be some landscape impact, but developers need to work harder with communities, minimise the landscape impact and invest in the future.
13:37Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: 2 May 2024
Mark Ruskell
Does the member recognise that the lessons from the Beauly to Denny project show that it is inevitable that the pylon lines will be constructed and that now is the time for developers to be working with communities on landscape mitigation, route selection and ensuring that the projects are developed in the best way? It is not about communities being pitted against each other; it is about having a process that gets to an outcome, delivers on climate and delivers what electricity consumers across the UK need and what his Government minister at Westminster wants to see.
Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: 2 May 2024
Mark Ruskell
The latest report from the Government’s climate adviser is clear that there is no credible route to net zero without cutting unnecessary air miles. It is, then, time to shift frequent short-haul travellers away from high-carbon flights and on to low-carbon rail. Does the minister agree that the use of sustainable aviation fuels will not be enough to deliver net zero and that taxation has a key role to play in that transition?
Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: 2 May 2024
Mark Ruskell
If there is time in hand, I will give way to Mr Carson.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 30 April 2024
Mark Ruskell
Okay. That will be 15 years since the initial policy commitment to roll out integrated ticketing, and there is no understanding of whether the three regional transport partnerships that I mentioned will have any role in that in the near future.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 30 April 2024
Mark Ruskell
That will be useful.
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 30 April 2024
Mark Ruskell
Which of the three options do you think will get more people on to public transport and repair services?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 30 April 2024
Mark Ruskell
Three regional transport partnerships are mentioned in the statutory instrument but there is no understanding of whether they will move towards rolling out integrated ticketing in the near future. Is that correct?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 30 April 2024
Mark Ruskell
What will the timescales be for that?
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Meeting date: 30 April 2024
Mark Ruskell
I will try to keep it to the subject. Have the three RTPs that are named in the SSI benefited from the community bus fund? The minister mentioned that there is a relatively small amount of money—£5 million—for community bus funds. You will have noticed in Perth and Kinross that the council has used that money successfully to develop a new model for rural bus services that involves communities running their own services. I am interested in where that would sit within a new emerging model of rural services, and whether there is an expectation that the community bus fund will be enhanced and further developed in order to create new delivery models?