- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26534 by Fiona Hyslop on 17 April 2024, when it will “develop implementing actions” to deliver its Vision for Scotland’s Public Electric Vehicle Charging Network.
Answer
In response to the UK Climate Change Committee’s recommendation, by the end of 2024 we will publish an Implementation Plan identifying the key actions to be taken to deliver our Vision for public EV charging.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how it is recording growth in active travel along routes funded by the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) recommendation 1 on "connected neighbourhoods".
Answer
The Scottish Government funds a range of projects throughout Scotland that deliver on recommendation 1 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) to create connected neighbourhoods. This includes funding provided to local authorities via the Sustrans Places for Everyone programme, the new Active Travel Infrastructure fund, and directly through the Cycling Walking Safer Routes (CWSR) grant.
All active travel grants are assessed and awarded against the criteria set in the Active Travel Framework | Transport Scotland . Programmes delivered by partners are monitored and evaluated against the framework using a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods to evidence the impact and confirm delivery of Active Travel outcomes. This includes monitoring the growth in active travel within the study area.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what will replace the Energy Savings Trust e-bike loan scheme when it closes.
Answer
There are no plans for Transport Scotland to replace the Energy Savings Trust e-bike loan scheme. Through the Active Travel Transformation Project (ATTF), support for grass-roots community groups and charity-led projects is being decentralised, with acknowledgement from everyone involved in active travel that decisions about how to support grass roots behaviour change work needed to be taken closer to communities, and in a way that’s more joined up with local and regional transport strategies.
It is a matter for Local Authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships to make decisions on which projects are supported through their funding under the new active travel delivery model.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria will need to be met for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) recommendation 2, which is a recommendation that scores highly across the STPR2 objectives, to be taken forward into action.
Answer
The strategic case for investment in Recommendation 2 (see recommendation-2-active-freeways-and-cycle-parking-hubs.pdf (transport.gov.scot) has already been met through the STPR2 appraisal process.
Work is ongoing under this recommendation, but it remains the responsibility of local authorities to deliver active travel lanes on local authority owned roads.
As with any transport investment, schemes will follow the standard business case and design processes. After which, Local authorities can submit to the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund for delivery costs.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many village to town routes have been funded under recommendation 3 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), and what proportion of the total possible routes this represents.
Answer
The Scottish Government funding for active travel projects is not allocated based on STPR2 recommendation delivered. We fund a range of projects throughout Scotland that deliver on recommendation 3 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) to connect villages to towns by active travel. This includes funding for the National Cycle Network programme, investment in active travel infrastructure on the trunk road network, and funding provided to local authorities via the Sustrans Places for Everyone programme and the new Active Travel Infrastructure fund, and directly through the Cycling Walking Safer Routes (CWSR) grant.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been undertaken to determine "the most appropriate prioritisation approach", as described in the affordability section of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) in relation to recommendation 3, and where the results of any such assessment can be found.
Answer
STPR2 is a national appraisal and identifies recommendations to be delivered over the long term. The delivery of the recommendations is subject to the funding allocations agreed by Parliament each year through the annual budget process.
In the case of Recommendation 3, which focuses on village-town active travel connections, investment will likely be phased over numerous years. Currently, projects are identified by local authorities and regional partners who then apply for funding through the Sustrans Places for Everyone programme, the new Active Travel Infrastructure fund, and directly through the Cycling Walking Safer Routes (CWSR) grant.
In the case of the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund, we accept proposals for funding the construction of various types of active travel interventions, which can include village-town active travel connections.
The assessment and prioritisation of projects considers a multi- criteria approach and includes two main factors: the impact they achieve and the deliverability of the project. Some of the factors considered in the prioritisation of projects are: potential for mode shift; the quality of proposed infrastructure; safety and security; integration with existing active travel infrastructure and/or public transport; impact on the most deprived 20% of communities; impact on community severance; access to schools; access to employment; access to other locations and value for money.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26535 by Fiona Hyslop on 17 April 2024, when it will publish the study that it has commissioned that "will look at EV adoption to-date and will model future demand across a number of scenarios".
Answer
In response to the UK Climate Change Committee’s recommendation, by the end of 2024 we will publish an Implementation Plan identifying the key actions to be taken to deliver our Vision for public EV charging. The key findings of the study will be published as part of the Implementation Plan.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to protect the welfare of wild bees.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2024
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when it will set out the impact of achieving its 20% car kilometres reduction target on the road building plans set out in its 2023-24 Programme for Government, in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.
Answer
The future investment in our transport network will be set out in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) Delivery Plan. This will align with the sustainable mode and investment hierarchies. New roads projects will normally only be taken forward where they reduce the maintenance backlog; address road safety concerns or adapt the network to deal with the impacts of climate change or benefit communities such as bypassing settlements.
The impact of climate change is built into Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) with a specific Climate Change criteria introduced in the latest update. As part of this approach two transport modelling scenarios in transport appraisal ensure that the 20% car km reduction target is a key part of the appraisal of transport projects, including road project appraisal. As such, climate change impacts are a key part of our investment decision making processes, including prioritising investment in line with the sustainable investment hierarchy.
We will publish a final 20% reduction in car use route map by autumn 2024 which includes a timeline for implementing demand management. This will include consideration of how local government action can further incentivise the switch to EVs in addition to reducing overall car km.
We will carefully consider the UK Climate Change Committee report recommendations and provide a Scottish Government response in due course.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26533 by Fiona Hyslop on 15 April 2024, when it will develop an implementation plan to deliver its vision for the public electric vehicle (EV) charging network, in line with the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.
Answer
In 2023, SG published its Vision for Scotland’s Public Electric Vehicle Charging Network , highlighting the need for a transition towards a public charging network that is largely financed and delivered by the private sector. In late 2024 we will publish an Implementation Plan identifying the key actions be taken to deliver our Vision in response to the UK CCC recommendation.
This Implementation Plan will include a route map for delivering approximately 24,000 additional public charge points by 2030 and will be developed in partnership with key stakeholders who share collective responsibility for delivering public EV charging across Scotland and outline an agreed set of actions to meet Scotland’s needs, including the needs of rural and island communities.
