2nd Report, 2008 (Session 3)

Annual Report 2007-08

Remit and membership

Remit:

To consider and report on matters relating to transport, infrastructure and climate change falling within the remit of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth.

Membership:

Rob Gibson
Charlie Gordon
Patrick Harvie (Convener)
Alex Johnstone
Alison McInnes
Cathy Peattie (Deputy Convener)
Shirley-Anne Somerville
David Stewart

Committee Clerking Team:

Clerk to the Committee
Steve Farrell

Senior Assistant Clerk
Alastair Macfie

Assistant Clerk
Clare O'Neill

Committee Assistant
Sophie Ellison

Annual Report 2007-08

The Committee reports to the Parliament as follows—

Introduction

1. This report covers the work of the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee during the parliamentary year 9 May 2007 to 8 May 2008.

2. During the year, the Committee’s work programme included a major inquiry into ferry services in Scotland and scrutiny of the first Bill introduced in the new parliamentary session, the Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Bill.

Inquiries and reports

Ferry services in Scotland
3. In November 2007, the Committee launched an inquiry into ferry services in Scotland. The Committee issued a call for views on issues including:

• ferry routes;
• frequency and timetabling of services;
• capacity;
• integration with other transport modes;
• competition.

4. The Committee received over 400 responses to its call for views and online survey. During the period of this report the Committee held 5 evidence sessions including external meetings in Oban and Shetland. The Committee plans to hold a further 2 evidence sessions and expects to report at the end of June 2008, in time to feed into the Government’s planned review of ferry services in Scotland.

Budget process
5. Although the timescale for the budget scrutiny process was compressed this year, the Committee took evidence from a number of key stakeholders and from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on the 2008-09 transport budget. The Committee also received written evidence from Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs), COSLA, the Freight Transport Association and the Scottish Association for Public Transport. In its report to the Finance Committee, the majority¹ of the Committee welcomed the Government’s commitment to proceed with the set of major transport projects inherited from the previous administration with the exception of the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link scheme for which a revised scheme has been proposed.

6. The Committee heard from several witnesses who raised concerns about the future funding of RTPs and the removal of a dedicated budget line from Government to finance the capital projects of RTPs. The Committee recommended that the Scottish Government reflect on how the new arrangements will work in practice and, in advance of the publication of the next Scottish budget, provide a statement to the Committee on how each RTP has been funded and delivered on its objectives in the last year.

7. In its report on the budget, the Committee noted its regret that the Government had been unable to identify the total amount of investment directed to projects that will reduce Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions in the budget documentation. It recommended that subsequent budgets be presented with the fullest possible details of how expenditure across all portfolios will contribute to the reduction of emissions.

Other evidence sessions

8. The Committee held a number of other evidence sessions. These included hearing from Scottish Water and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland on their annual reports. The Committee also took evidence from the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change on a number of issues ranging from the Scottish Government’s priorities for transport, the extension of the First ScotRail franchise and the consultation on the planned climate change bill.

9. In its work programme, the Committee also agreed to monitor closely the development of the replacement Forth crossing and took evidence from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on the Government’s choice of a cable-stayed bridge.

Legislation

10. The Committee undertook Stage 1 and Stage 2 scrutiny of the Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Bill. The primary objective of the Bill was the removal of the remaining tolls from the Forth and Tay road bridges.

11. The Committee issued a call for evidence on the Bill and heard from a number of witnesses during its Stage 1 scrutiny. Among the issues considered by the Committee were the impact of removing the bridge tolls on the environment and on traffic movements and congestion on the bridges. The Committee also considered the Government’s key argument on equity for the people of Fife.

12. The Committee recommended that the Scottish Government should explain the steps that it intends to take to decrease emissions across Scotland taking into account the increases likely to result from the removal of tolls.

13. The majority² of the Committee agreed that the equity argument was a persuasive one and the continuation of tolls on the Forth and Tay Bridges was no longer justified.

Subordinate legislation

14. The Committee considered 18 Scottish statutory instruments, 5 of which were subject to affirmative procedure. No motions to annul were lodged in respect of the negative instruments and the Committee recommended that the Parliament approve all of the affirmative instruments.

UK Legislation

15. The UK Climate Change Bill was introduced in the House of Lords in November 2007 and a legislative consent memorandum (LCM) was lodged and referred to the Committee. The Committee issued a call for evidence on the LCM and took evidence from the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change. In reporting to the Parliament, the Committee recommended that the Scottish Government should engage with the UK Government on an ongoing basis to ensure that Scottish interests are represented as the policy develops.

Petitions

16. Three petitions were referred to the Committee over the course of the parliamentary year: PE894 on the provision of rail services between Inverness, Thurso and Wick, PE1035 on the Dunoon to Gourock ferry service and PE1064 on the replacement Forth crossing. It was agreed that, in light of the decision by the Scottish Government to proceed with a replacement Forth crossing, that PE1064 should be closed. PE894 and PE1035 remain open.

Innovation

17. As part of its ferry services in Scotland inquiry, the Committee held 2 external meetings in Oban and Shetland. The Committee also undertook fact-finding visits to Mallaig, Gourock and Dunoon, and Arran and held video conferences with Tiree, Barra/Uist and Lewis. As ferries are a vital national transport link, the Committee felt it was important to hear the views of ferry users across Scotland and allow members of the public to see first hand the Committee’s inquiry in action.

18. The Committee also produced a leaflet in both English and Gaelic publicising its call for views, which was distributed to ferry users via ferry operators and partner libraries throughout Scotland. An online survey was also developed to provide an alternative method by which members of the public could feed their views into the Committee’s inquiry.

19. The Committee undertook a fact finding visit to London and Brussels, travelling by sustainable transport, to gather information in preparation for the forthcoming Scottish climate change bill. The activity on climate change at both UK and EU level presented an ideal opportunity to meet with MPs and MEPs to develop the committee’s awareness of legislative and policy developments in advance of the introduction of legislation in Scotland. This visit allowed the Committee to gain a good understanding of this activity and the implications that it may have in terms of the legislative proposals in Scotland. Given the global challenge of climate change, the Committee was keen to establish close links with legislatures in the rest of the UK and Europe to demonstrate international co-operation in this area.

Equalities

20. The Committee ensured that all of its work takes into account equalities issues. In the course of its inquiry into ferry services in Scotland, the Committee took evidence from Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) and the issues raised at that meeting informed future evidence sessions. The Committee also questioned witnesses on equalities issues during its scrutiny of the transport budget.

21. In March 2008, the Committee wrote to the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, the Secretary of State for Transport, MACS and various rail organisations following a joint approach to the Committee made by Royal Blind, Forfarshire Society for the Blind and the Scottish National Federation for the Welfare for the Blind regarding the accessibility of buttons on the toilets of rail rolling stock. Responses received indicated that from July 2008, a European- wide standard for train accessibility will require door controls to be positioned in a consistent manner.

Meetings

22. During the parliamentary year (9 May 2007 to 8 May 2008), the Committee met 23 times. Of these meetings, 2 were wholly in private and 8 were partly in private. The majority of the items taken in private were to consider draft reports.

23. One committee meeting was held in Oban and another meeting was held in Shetland; all others were held in Edinburgh.

Footnotes: