Liam Kerr
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“Producing the same amount of electricity through ground-mounted solar—a technology that I stress I support and that must form part of our energy mix—requires many times more land. Most of us would agree that reducing emissions matters.”
“In the years since I first contributed to a debate in this Parliament on new nuclear power in Scotland, four of the six parties in the chamber have come to support the proposition that I put forward, in some form or other. In that, they are on the side of the majority of the public, which supports nuclear power.”
“No wonder: electric vehicles, heat pumps, hydrogen production, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and high-tech industries all require enormous amounts of reliable power. That means nuclear. However, we do not just need reliable power. We need local power.”
“In 2019, it even legislated for a 75 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, although it scrapped that target five years later because it could not meet it.”
“In fact, over the year, wind turbines operate only around 25 to 40 per cent of the time. The point is that we must be able to guarantee electricity when homes, businesses and hospitals need it.”
“For more than 65 years, the STV North news programme has done far more than simply report the news. As Maggie Chapman said, it has given a voice to rural and regional communities. It has reflected local priorities and provided scrutiny, balance and accountability at every level of Government and public life.”
The complete record
Every one of 538 lines we hold for Liam Kerr, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 9 of 11.
“Our universities are another source of untapped entrepreneurial potential. They are among Scotland’s greatest national assets—hubs of innovation, creativity and enterprise. However, despite their global reputation, we have yet to unlock their full economic potential. Sweden offers a compelling example: by placing universities at the heart of its economic model and investing heavily in research and development, it now ranks second in the global innovation index and leads in generating university spin-outs. Scotland needs to be just as ambitious. As a result, we are working closely with our universities on developing a new support package that will transform our ability to take innovative ideas from the lab bench to the business world by de-risking new technologies, accelerating commercialisation and attracting follow-on investment.”
“It is clear that deep-rooted societal barriers continue to limit women’s full and equal participation and “Pathways” describes that, correctly, as “a denial of opportunity on, literally, an industrial scale.” We have a duty to meet those challenges head on. Under the leadership of Ana Stewart, our newly appointed chief entrepreneur, we will invest up to £6 million in the report’s key recommendations, with a particular focus on pre- start support and associated early stage grant schemes. That will be a powerful package of interventions, which will create best-in-class programmes to help women start and scale businesses, offer targeted financial incentives to back the most promising ideas, and ensure that support is delivered flexibly in ways and at times that work best for them.”
“That is why the budget made provision for a record investment of £30 million to accelerate Scotland’s emergence as a leading start-up nation, and I want to take this opportunity to highlight some of the key programmes that the funding will support. I will begin with the implementation of “Pathways: A New Approach for Women in Entrepreneurship”, Ana Stewart and Mark Logan’s groundbreaking review of how we can support more women to start and scale businesses. Women remain significantly underrepresented in entrepreneurship; alarmingly, only 3.7 per cent of Scottish companies have an all-female founding team, and start-ups founded by women receive only 2 per cent of total investment capital.”
“A start-up can be launched from a cupboard, where there are no rates, while a large and perhaps less profitable business has to pay them. I do not think that Murdo Fraser is listening to me at the moment, but I might have found a point of consensus with him—we might agree on those points. The rates system is based on an older version of the economy, in which the size of properties was linked to profitability, and that is just not the case in our new, tech-driven environment. I see that the member has a quizzical look. I think that he agrees with my point—I was just giving him a little bit of ground there, in response to his question. Although it is right that we celebrate successes, we acknowledge that there is more to do if we are to match the performance of our best competitors.”
“Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention? Kate Forbes: I love a good debate, but I would like to finish my speech, too. I will take this intervention, however. Liam Kerr: I am grateful, and it will be very quick. Does the Government think that the way in which the current rates regime is structured militates against small businesses scaling up? Kate Forbes: No, because of the small business bonus scheme, which remains the most generous across the United Kingdom. Daniel Johnson: Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention on that point? Kate Forbes: I agree with Liam Kerr—and I have discussed this with Daniel Johnson in the past, too—that the rates system often does not take into account the fact that some of the most profitable businesses are the smaller ones.”
“I published a paper in February that goes into the exact details of what we are trying to achieve before the Holyrood elections next year, which I can send to Mr Kerr if he has not read it. In the short term, we have identified priority changes that we believe will impact positively on users and providers, and bridge the gap between the current system and the future one in line with our reform objectives and expected benefits. This is the first stage in a long journey towards a more strategic, focused and managed legal aid system, including a framework for decision making. We are keen to hear views from all those across the justice system, including Mr Kerr, on areas of reform and matters of prioritisation. Caledonian System 3.”
“One of the biggest hindrances to the efficient functioning of the civil court system is the lack of availability of legal aid solicitors. One woman seeking divorce using legal aid unsuccessfully approached 116 different law firms, while Women’s Aid Orkney reports that difficulty in securing legal aid has forced some women to stay in harmful relationships. The minister’s earlier script had a list of inputs, but what are the outputs that she commits to that will alleviate legal aid problems? Will they be achieved before the end of 2025? Siobhian Brown: As Mr Kerr might know, the Scottish Government recognises that reform is needed in the legal aid system.”
“In the areas for which the Scottish Government has responsibility, everything that we are doing— from the investment in the north-east that I mentioned to working consistently with offshore wind developers—will contribute to minimising the gap and addressing the real issues to which the two reports point.”
“Alasdair Allan: As I just said, some areas are within our responsibility, but some are matters for conversation between the two Governments and some are plainly reserved to the UK Government—the member is only too keen on that fact—and we must get adequate or helpful decisions from the UK Government on everything from the Acorn project to licensing and all manner of areas that are within the UK Government’s responsibility—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear the minister. Alasdair Allan: One of the messages that come through clearly from both reports that we are talking about today is that we need to avoid a gap in the coming on stream of offshore wind jobs and in addressing the issues that have been caused by the decline of the North Sea basin, as I mentioned.”
“A 2010 report found that offshore wind could create 28,000 jobs in Scotland by 2020, but, 15 years on, the latest figures show that fewer than 4,000 jobs have been created. Today’s RGU report, “Striking the Balance”, says that up to 400 North Sea oil and gas jobs could vanish every two weeks over the next five years. What precise steps is the minister taking to address the Government’s failure to create offshore wind jobs for oil and gas workers to transition to? What are the measurable outputs and when will they be delivered? Alasdair Allan: The member will not be too surprised to know that I do not accept every premise of that question—[Interruption.] Liam Kerr: It is a stat. The Presiding Officer: Let us hear the minister.”
“The other bids that we received were in very similar ball parks, so we are confident that we have obtained good value for money and that the cost reflects the market value. We will continue to work to ensure that KPMG’s work delivers improvements for people in the NHS Grampian area.”
“Neil Gray: We took steps to ensure that we responded to the situation, first by declaring a critical incident and then by providing NHS Grampian with support on its operational improvement plan to ensure that it was able to respond to the critical incident and to demonstrate that it had a plan that would ensure that such an incident would not happen again. I do not believe that such a plan has materialised to provide sufficient confidence on unscheduled care pathways in Grampian. We escalated the board in relation to its financial position in January. We have not had confidence that the additional support and scrutiny have borne the fruit that they should have. That is why, in short order—within months—we have escalated the board further to stage 4. KPMG was chosen to conduct the work after a competitive tender.”
“The disaster at NHS Grampian has not come out of nowhere. Brokerage has been provided to the board for the past two years, and there have been various stages of escalation over the past number of months. Indeed, a critical incident was declared as long ago as in November. Therefore, why has it taken until now for the cabinet secretary to engage KPMG? At what cost is KPMG being engaged? Will he commit to publishing KPMG’s report on receipt? What responsibility does the cabinet secretary bear for failing to get a handle on the situation before now?”
“To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that NHS Grampian is ranked the worst of all mainland national health service boards for ambulance delays. (S6O-04717)”
“To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that violence against teachers in schools in Aberdeen has risen by 25 per cent in the last year. (S6T-02545)”
“The fact is that there is too much to tell about the tall ships races returning to Aberdeen from 19 to 22 July, but I say to people who are watching that they can find out all about being a sail trainee, volunteering, the concerts, the stalls, the ships themselves, the event programme and how they can get involved, simply by visiting www.tallshipsaberdeen.com. I cannot wait to be one of the 400,000 visitors. 12:59”
“The projected 400,000 visitors will not only provide a welcome boost to our local economy; they will also showcase that Aberdeen is not merely a great energy city but a tourism hub for itself and the wider shire, with the attractions in the city. What a legacy that event could leave, which would be a fitting tribute to the 300 volunteers who have been recruited to support the event, 60 per cent of whom live in the city, around 60 per cent of whom are female and a quarter of whom are under 40.”
“The campaign to save the Aberdeen Arts Centre has also just launched, and viewers can help to support it in its time of need and save it by visiting www.aberdeenartscentre.com. It is fair to say that people do not realise quite how good Aberdeen is and how much there is there. The 2025 tall ships races in Aberdeen from 19 July will be an amazing event in and of itself, but it will also act to showcase the best of Aberdeen and the north-east. As we heard from Jackie Dunbar, almost 50 tall ships are coming. We are getting the Red Arrows, quayside concerts and a march. There will be 60 business and charity stalls in place at the north harbour and the north end of Union street, and there will be hundreds of opportunities for young people aged 15 to 25 to get on board through the Sail Training International sail trainee programme.”
“Much credit needs to be given to the host partners—Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen Inspired and Port of Aberdeen. We also need to acknowledge the support of VisitScotland and the funding of the United Kingdom Government, because we know that Aberdeen is a great place to live, work and visit. So many attractions already exist there, such as the maritime museum, which I mentioned earlier, and the art gallery, where visitors can see the “Monsters of the Deep: Science Fact or Fiction?” exhibition, which opened last weekend—note that it has extended hours during the tall ships races. There are the shows at the music hall in His Majesty’s Theatre. On that note, let people not forget that we had our own independent Belmont Cinema, which will rise again if viewers support it at www.belmontcinema.co.uk.”
“I was delighted that Kevin Stewart lodged a motion on welcoming the tall ships to Aberdeen. I thank Jackie Dunbar for stepping in. It was no surprise to me that Kevin did so, as, although he and I differ on some—perhaps many—political issues, what he and I share, along with the other north-east cross-party representatives who attended a briefing at the Aberdeen maritime museum in April and other north-east members who are here today, is a deep desire to do what is best for Aberdeen and the north-east. The return to Aberdeen of the tall ships races between 19 and 22 July—only eight weeks from now—for the first time in 28 years is definitely a great thing for us in the north-east. As Jackie Dunbar said, what an opportunity we have here.”
“Humza Yousaf, as First Minister, listened as Harbour Energy’s bosses pleaded with him to help ease the windfall tax before it did catastrophic damage, and were told no.”
“We need to cut through the misdirection and misinformation that lies at the heart of the Government amendment and the minister’s remarks today. The minister, rightly, lambasted the Labour Government for its short-sighted and ignorant hiking of the windfall tax. In yesterday’s P&J, she called for it to be scrapped, not least, she said, because it is “shaking business confidence”. However, no one in the north-east will forget that the most enthusiastic supporters of the windfall tax were the SNP. Gillian Martin: Will the member take an intervention? Liam Kerr: I will come back to the minister. Nicola Sturgeon said in September 2022 that the UK Government should introduce an enhanced windfall profits tax and remove the investment allowance.”
“I move amendment S6M-1725.3, to leave out from “regrets” to end and insert: “notes with deep concern the economic and employment impacts of the closure of the Grangemouth refinery and recent job losses at Harbour Energy in Aberdeen; further notes that the increase and extension of the UK Government’s Energy Profits Levy, by the previous and current UK administrations, has had a damaging effect on North Sea investment, including on the transition; believes that a just transition must support workers and that the transition to net zero must deliver tangible benefits for consumers, communities and the wider economy; argues that the voice of communities must be heard in this process; condemns the anti-climate rhetoric of the Conservative Party, which ignores the reality of the impacts of climate change, and calls on the UK Government to fully fund and support the Acorn/Scottish Cluster carbon capture project and demonstrate that, unlike the previous UK administration, it supports this vital scheme for jobs in Grangemouth and the north east of Scotland.” 16:48”
“It has abdicated responsibility and deliberately misled constituents about the fact that, when the Tories were in power, they did nothing to improve the regulations on community engagement and benefits, and they did nothing to make energy more affordable for households. The debate is short, but I very much look forward to hearing members’ contributions.”
“However, there is a limit to what we can do within our current powers. I continue to call on the UK Government to mandate benefits from onshore developments, which the Conservative Party would not do. I turn to the Conservative motion in my final seconds. It is quixotic. On the one hand, it accuses us of not doing enough to accelerate renewables growth, which is an accusation that I completely refute. At the same time, the motion rails against essential upgrades to transmission infrastructure that will take clean energy to homes and businesses. Yet again, the Tories have abdicated responsibility for their part in a transmission strategy that consecutive UK Governments developed.”
“Offshore wind is a significant opportunity to create high- quality, sustainable jobs and grow employment. Estimates suggest that the sector could support up to and even more than 54,000 jobs, depending which report you read. Communities across Scotland must share in the benefits of the renewables transition, and we are taking action to ensure that that happens. In a short debate such as this one, I do not have time to run through all the ways that we are doing that, but I will mention the £30 million-worth of benefits that have already been offered to Scottish communities, supported by our good practice principles. Today, the Deputy First Minister announced an £8 million fund to catalyse community energy in Scotland, which will empower communities to deliver their own renewable energy projects.”
“Will the minister take an intervention on project Acorn? Gillian Martin: I will. Liam Kerr: The previous Conservative Government put just over £40 million towards project Acorn. How much has the Scottish Government put towards it? Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government has pledged upwards of £80 million—[Interruption.] The recommendation from those in the Acorn project and the Scottish cluster is that they will need that money when they get track status. The money will be available to them at that point. However, where is the track status? That is what I mean by abandonment. It is nowhere. The project has been completely abandoned for the pork barrel politics of the newly elected MPs in the red wall. The move to renewable energy is existential for Scotland’s economy and energy sector.”
“In the immediate short term, we will simplify the judicare model by bringing regulations to Parliament this year. It is our intention to make changes to criminal, civil and children’s legal aid. We will make summary legal aid available for guilty pleas and cases continued without pleas in summary prosecution cases. A lot of work is set out in the discussion paper, but that is what we will be aiming to do in this parliamentary session. Police Scotland (Information Sharing) 8.”
“The minister cannot say that she was not warned. In a one-on-one meeting last year, the Law Society of Scotland warned her about the developing crisis in legal aid. I remind members that I am a member of the society. Last month, the Law Society of Scotland warned that the Government plans that we have just heard about fail to recognise the urgency of the situation and do not deliver on either the scale or the timeline that is needed. Given that, what are the minister’s projected outcomes from her plans, and when will they be actioned? Siobhian Brown: As I have said previously, we are unable to do legal aid reform in the current parliamentary session, but I am committed to making improvements that we can make in this session. The discussion paper sets out three key strands of work that we will undertake to improve and reform legal aid.”
“that we should oppose legalising assisted dying for terminally ill people until those wider problems are fixed. It is paternalistic and offensive to imply that reducing choices will resolve inequalities.” Denying dying Scots more choice will not enhance the lives of those with a disability; nor would it be acceptable for a person with a disability who meets the eligibility criteria under my bill to be denied the same choice as anyone else.”
“I have taken those concerns seriously from the outset and have done my best to engage. At this point, I pay tribute to Pam Duncan-Glancy for the time that she has spared me to discuss the issues. Fundamentally, we are arriving at different points, but I am enormously grateful for her insights. I know from family experience that many in the disability community face discrimination in a society that, too often, devalues them. Disability campaigners who wrote to MSPs last week agree, pointing out: “It is unacceptable that people with disabilities continue to face social stigma, inequalities ... and inadequate support, including at the end of life. These problems need urgent attention.” They go on to say: “However, it would be a mistake to conclude ...”
“Should a person wish to proceed, however, the medication would be prescribed by a pharmacist and delivered by a medical professional, who would check capacity and intent and remain present; it would then require to be self- administered by the individual. Although, clearly, there is overwhelming public support across Scotland for a change in the law, I have, throughout stage 1, engaged with and listened closely to those with concerns. For example, I have reflected on concerns on the minimum age threshold and am persuaded of the case for amending the bill at stage 2 to raise that to 18. Concerns have also been raised by some disability groups and campaigners about the impact that, they say, the bill would have on efforts to improve the rights and lives of those in the disability community.”
“An individual would have to be made aware of all the treatment options that were available to ensure that any decision was fully informed, and there would be time periods for reflection and consideration. Once an individual had been deemed eligible, there would be no requirement for them to act on the decision within a specific timeframe. Indeed, in jurisdictions around the world, we see that around a third of those who successfully apply for an assisted death do not ultimately end up using it. Often, it is enough to know that the option is there, should it be needed, allowing the dying person the peace of mind to get on with getting the most out of the rest of their life.”
“I am grateful to the member for bringing his bill forward and laying it out in detail, but many constituents have raised with me that the definition of terminal illness could be seen as being too broad or too vague. How does the member respond to that challenge? What might happen as the bill progresses? Liam McArthur: I thank Liam Kerr for that intervention. He is correct in that concerns have been raised about that definition in some quarters, although the evidence that was given to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee by the likes of the Royal College of General Practitioners and other medical bodies was more relaxed about the definition. However, there is an opportunity at stages 2 and 3 to further tighten it up or, indeed, to recognise where further clarity can be provided in secondary legislation.”
“What the Government has done is put forward a budget that has now been supported by the Parliament—although not by Mr Kerr or the Conservatives, so I do not quite know why he is complaining about anything financial to me. He was not willing to press the button to vote for the Government’s budget; he was just prepared to sit over there, complain, not suggest any alternatives and fail to support the delivery of finances to support our public services. That is a capitulation with regard to the responsibilities of a member of”
“The First Minister has recommitted the Government to a just transition and an industrial future for Scotland. What impact will last year’s £23.4 million cut to the net zero and energy budget have on achieving that? The First Minister: Mr Kerr will be familiar with the fact that the Government has to live within the resources that are available to it. We have had to deal with the significant pressure in the past two financial years of hyperinflation arising from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has fuelled public sector pay deals to levels that were not conceived of when we were setting the Government’s budget. Therefore, we have had to make changes.”
“We accept that there is much more to do with regard to solemn cases, while bearing in mind that we are seeing increasing numbers of reports of serious sexual offences, which might well result in increasing numbers of prosecutions, and that there is every indication that our courts, particularly our solemn courts, will continue to be busy.”
“In 2023-24, the median time from offence to verdict for non-historical sexual offences, including rape and sexual assault, was more than three years. Victim Support Scotland is clear that long court delays make victims less likely to report crimes. What precisely has the cabinet secretary done to reduce the timescales since those figures came out, and when will victims see results? Angela Constance: Victims are seeing results in overall delays and in the court backlog right now. I do, of course, accept that the time taken for solemn cases to reach conclusion is too long. The court backlog caused by Covid has been significantly reduced, by more than 50 per cent, and the number of outstanding scheduled trials is now less than 20,000 when, at its peak, it was 42,000.”
“Some of the developments that have been referred to—in particular, by Fergus Ewing—as well as other court decisions, have meant that we need to have another look at our energy strategy.”
“The draft energy strategy, with its disastrous presumption against oil and gas developments proceeding, was released more than two years ago. Last year, Aberdeen lost around 18,000 jobs, due in part to the uncertainty that was created. This year, BP, Apache, Hunting Energy Services and Chevron have announced further job losses. I ask the minister for a straight answer to a straight question. When will the finalised energy strategy be published, and will that presumption be removed? Gillian Martin: I have answered that question from Liam Kerr and from his colleagues over quite some time. I am still working on the energy strategy in the light of some of the developments that have taken place over the past year.”
“The Press and Journal has reported as part of its trapped by RAAC campaign that the crisis in Aberdeen caused by the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete is leading to unremitting and inescapable negative health consequences for homeowners. My solution, which is to use the unspent £20 million housing fund promised to Aberdeen by the Government in 2016, is being widely reported today. Does the First Minister support that, and will he commit his Government to doing everything that it can to help the Torry homeowners?”
“Members might recall that the stated aim of the SNP’s LEZs was to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. When I asked the council when it would be measuring the air quality in the LEZ so that, presumably, it could show the intended reduction in emissions and justify its draconian measures and the appalling economic and social impacts, I was told that there is no published information, nor is there any data comparing emission reductions—if any—in the LEZ with increases in emissions from diverted traffic through additional miles travelled by vehicles. The council has introduced an LEZ, but it has no idea whether it has achieved any emission reductions.”
“Furthermore, many constituents and businesses have raised with me concerns about the impact on Union Street and Aberdeen city centre, with reports of reduced footfall as a result of people choosing alternative shopping options or just not going into town. My authority for that is reports that I have got my hands on from traders in towns surrounding Aberdeen, which suggest that their footfall and businesses rocketed after the introduction of the LEZ and the bus gates. One councillor in the shire said: “Of course it’s massively helping our ... hospitality and retail outlets which are seeing a marked lift in business”. However, when I asked Aberdeen City Council what research it was doing on the impact of LEZs on footfall, spend and consumer choices, it said— you guessed it—that it is not collating that data.”
“Many people from across Scotland have contacted me to raise concerns about the regressive social impacts of LEZs, suggesting that they disproportionately impact those in lower- income households, who are more likely to have older cars, to have jobs that require their physical presence and to travel to and from work at times or places where public transport is less frequent or indeed absent. The minister proudly said that there are LEZs throughout Europe, but he failed to mention Madrid’s LEZ, which a court annulled last year because its economic consequences disproportionately impacted low-income residents. However, the response to a freedom of information request to Aberdeen City Council, whose postcodes were generating record numbers of fines, showed that no such analysis was being done.”
“It has been said that the epitome of the SNP’s war on Scottish motorists is the low-emission zone, and the exemplar of the folly of those schemes is the Aberdeen LEZ. In force since June 2024, it swiftly claimed the record for resulting in the most fines issued in a month, with more than 6,000 slapped on north-east motorists. It was a significant contributor to statistics showing that the Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee LEZs collectively resulted in the issuing of 58,000 fines for drivers, which were worth more than £6.3 million, in the first six months of operation of the schemes.”
“Jim Fairlie: —and the code of practice for co- ordination of road works. Presiding Officer, I will finish my remarks there. I move amendment S6M-17362.4, to leave out from first “calls” to end and insert: “believes that language used out of context to maximise political traction and which fails to consider the sensitivities of such language is reckless, given wider global considerations; further believes that demonising car users is unhelpful to rural communities in particular, which, as a result of a deregulated bus market, often have no alternative to using a car; acknowledges, however, that Scotland needs to reduce carbon emissions from transport, especially from car use; welcomes that Scotland has reached its target of 6,000 public EV charge points two years early through a combination of Scottish Government funding, delivery by local authorities and private sector investment, with approximately 24,000 to be delivered by 2030 through continued Scottish Government funding and increasing private sector investment; recognises that supporting EV car use contributes to Scotland’s connectivity, and further recognises the value that connectivity has in helping to support the economy, education, social mobility and leisure across Scotland; notes that connectivity is being enhanced by free bus travel for over two million people in Scotland, which provides alternatives to car usage for those that can make the switch; respects the responsibilities of local authorities for local road provision and maintenance, and some local bus services, and that they will be able to have more control through transport legislation, which puts more power into the hands of local transport authorities; is concerned at the ongoing impact of UK Conservative administrations’ deregulation of bus services in the 1980s and 1990s; recognises the need for safe, clean and, importantly, reliable punctual bus services, which can be improved through bus infrastructure, and that improvements can be made in public health by creating low emission zones, as has been done in over 40 areas across Europe, but does have concerns that the punctuality of bus services can be hampered by road works; welcomes the Scottish Government’s approach through engaging collaboratively with the Scottish Road Works Commissioner, who oversees road works, with roads authorities, which have responsibility for coordination of works, and with the road works industry, which is responsible for duration and quality of works, to find reasonable solutions to help in this area; agrees that further investigation is needed of the role that those undertaking the works play in the quality of road surfaces after works have been completed; further agrees to await the results of the National Speed Management Review consultation, noting that an estimated 10mph reduction in the national speed limit on single carriageway roads can reduce deaths by 23% and serious casualties by 18%, and that there is a need to make Scotland’s roads safer to cut the number of people being injured and killed on the roads, and welcomes the roll-out of 20mph limits across all local authorities on roads determined by them.” 15:35”
“The Scottish Government welcomes the independent role of the Scottish road works commissioner. However, we have concerns that the punctuality of bus services is being hampered by road works. I have met the road commissioner to discuss the concerns that have been raised by bus operators. I have also met the bus operators and I am meeting local authorities. I intend to continue that collective conversation so that we can find solutions. I will continue to engage collaboratively with the Scottish road works commissioner and the road works industry to find reasonable solutions to help in that area, which include incorporating bus data into the Scottish road works register and providing more consideration of bus services— The Deputy Presiding Officer: Minister, I ask you to bring your remarks to a close and to move your amendment, please.”
“Although I have noted the historical decline in buses, they still account for the vast majority of public transport journeys, with around 334 million journeys made annually. Responsibilities for local road provision and some local bus services lie with local transport authorities, which will be able to have more control through transport legislation that puts more power into their hands. The low-emission zones that Sue Webber mentioned are key to improving air quality, protecting public health and encouraging more sustainable transport options, and they have been implemented in more than 320 cities across Europe. In Glasgow, where a low-emission zone has been in place since 2023, air quality benefits are already being accrued, as the average nitrogen dioxide levels in the zone are down by approximately 20 per cent compared with 2022.”
“I recognise that supporting electric car use contributes to Scotland’s connectivity, which benefits the economy, education, social mobility and leisure right across Scotland. We support meeting environmental challenges with regard to emissions. There is also a role for the United Kingdom Government, which could reduce the VAT rates that are paid on public charging points to 5 per cent to help to support an equitable and just transition for those who cannot charge electric vehicles at home. Bus connectivity is being further enhanced by free bus travel for more than 2 million people in Scotland, which provides an alternative for those who can make the switch to public transport.”
“Will the minister take an intervention? Jim Fairlie: Let me finish the point that I am making. Scotland reached its target of 6,000 public EV charge points two years early through a combination of Scottish Government funding, local authority delivery and private sector investment. Approximately 24,000 additional public charge points will be delivered by 2030 through continued Scottish Government funding and increasing private sector investment. Liam Kerr: Does the minister regret the failure of all the ministers who came before him to set out a costed delivery plan and milestones to reduce car use by 20 per cent by 2030, and will he set that out? Jim Fairlie: It is not a case of regretting what other ministers have done. I am standing here today as the minister who is contributing to the debate that has been brought before us.”