Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02824 on 27 September 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

While local authorities are responsible for ensuring they are fulfilling their statutory obligations regarding the maintenance of local roads in their area, the Scottish Government is committed to working with local authorities to ensure the efficient maintenance of all roads in Scotland.

The Road Maintenance Strategic Action Group, which I co-chair with COSLA, provides local road authorities and Transport Scotland with strategic direction and oversees partnership working on road maintenance activities and duties.

By the end of 2016-17, we will have spent over £8 billion on our Motorways and Trunk Road Network, including 23 completed major improvements projects such as the M80 Stepps to Haggs and the completion of the M74, and over 254 lane kilometres of trunk road.

Analysis of spend by year, since 2007-08 can be seen in the following table.

Figures from 2011-12 exclude Cost of Capital which was abolished. Cost of Capital Figures from 2007-08 to 2010-11 are £517.8 million, £546.5 million, £595.5 million and £649.1 million respectively. [1] Figures taken from respective January Scottish Budget Bills.

The area of land adjacent to the M74 between Moffat and Gretna which the Scottish Government owns is approximately 3.01 million square metres, that includes any area of land which, if found to be surplus to Scottish Government requirements, will be subject to disposal in accordance with appropriate procedures.

The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places statutory responsibility for local roads, including structures, improvements, maintenance and repair with local roads authorities. The Scottish Government has allocated over £10.3 billion to local government in 2016-17 and it is for individual councils to allocated funding based on local needs and priorities, including funding for road repairs.

In August 2016, Audit Scotland reported a significant variation in road condition among councils. For example, in 2014-15, the proportion of local roads in acceptable condition ranged from 44% in Argyll and Bute Council to 79% in Orkney Islands Council.

From a national perspective the Scottish Government continues to co-fund the Roads Collaboration Programme and uses that forum to actively engage with councils to explore opportunities for the sharing of services for road maintenance activities.

The Scottish Government continues to invest in the maintenance of the A76 trunk road. Investment over financial years 2014-15 and 2015-16 has totalled £5.76 million. This includes continued expenditure on landslip/embankment stability works which include ground investigation, geotechnical design and construction works. So far (from winter 2014) the Scottish Government has committed approximately £456,000 towards the delivery of improvement works to resolve these.

Transport Scotland meets regularly with Scotland Transerv to review the timetable for the completion of the works and is currently looking for opportunities to accelerate the programme for completion.

The Scottish Government has had discussions with the UK Government regarding the Scottish Minister’s aspirations in relation to the specification of cross-border rail franchises, including the Inter City East Coast, Inter City West Coast, TransPennine Express and CrossCountry Franchises.

Additionally, Transport Scotland officials engage directly with cross-border train operating companies to ensure that Scotland’s interests continue to be met over the course of the Franchise.

Most recently, in response to UK Government’s consultation on the future of the Inter City West Coast franchise, the Scottish Government made clear the aspiration for safe, fast, frequent, reliable, punctual services connecting Scotland to London and intermediate locations, with on-board facilities and fares that attract and retain passengers, underpinned by the strategic aims including enhanced connectivity between the main centres of business on each side of the Border served by this route for the mutual benefit of the Scottish and UK economy, and to maintain and if possible, improve the connectivity for intermediate communities, especially those where connectivity has worsened as a consequence of previous timetable changes.

Going Further- Scotland’s Accessible Travel Framework was published on 21 September 2016. Accessibility issues in urban and rural areas will be an important focus of work through the 10 year lifetime of the Framework.

The Scottish Government is investing in significant access improvements through Abellio ScotRail who have begun major refurbishment of trains operating on rural routes. Access improvements are also being delivered at stations across the country, and all new stations such as those opened on the Borders Railway are step free and fully accessible. Abellio ScotRail are required to provide a range of services dedicated to assisting disabled passengers to facilitate their travel.

The timetable for all single decker buses to be fully accessible was 1 January 2016, with double decker’s due by 1 January 2017 and coaches by 1 January 2020. Until these dates, fleet renewal and deployment is a discretionary operational matter for individual operators. Disability legislation is reserved to the UK Parliament, however the Scottish Government is committed to encouraging bus operators to meet these regulations within the timetable.