Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - Clyde Fastlink
6. Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken by ministers to progress the Clyde fastlink public transport project. (S3O-2539)The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson):
The Clyde fastlink project is being considered within the strategic transport projects review.
Pauline McNeill: Phase 1 of the Clyde fastlink would provide a vital link between Glasgow city centre and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, which is a venue for the Commonwealth games in 2014, and which will be the location of the press and international broadcasting centre. For that reason, does the minister agree that the fastlink project should be supported financially within this spending review? Does he agree that this is not just about the Commonwealth games, but that the fastlink would be a vital link for people in my constituency who live along the north of the Clyde in new communities, and that it would link up two major hospitals, not to mention other important venues? When will money be made available for fastlink? When can we expect to hear when it will be available?
Stewart Stevenson: We are proceeding at best pace with the strategic transport projects review that we inherited from the previous Administration. We think that that is a sound way forward. We are making progress, and we have identified a series of clusters and corridors in which we are looking at transport needs.
I expect to undertake a series of engagements with communities throughout Scotland to discuss which particular needs we should reflect in the final outcomes. I expect that to happen over the summer recess.
