Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - A9 (Improvements)
4. Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what budgetary provision it will make for improvements to the A9 over the next five years. (S3O-7314)
The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson):
The current three-year budget settlement does not extend beyond 2010-11. The planned improvements to the A9 are set out in the Scottish motorway and trunk road programme and published on Transport Scotland's website.
Rhoda Grant: The minister is building overtaking lanes instead of stretches of dual carriageway—overtaking lanes that will have to be dug up when dual carriageways are built. That is a clear indication that the minister has no timescale for dualling the A9, and no money and no plans to do so. The Press and Journal reported that, when asked how long it would be before the A9 was dualled, the minister said, "I will be alive." Methuselah springs to mind, but—
The Presiding Officer: Question, please.
Rhoda Grant: In the interests of getting a clearer timescale, will the minister tell the chamber how long he expects to live?
Stewart Stevenson: I realise that I have created a hostage to my future good health in the somewhat off-the-cuff remark that I made that the A9 will be dualled within my lifetime, of which I am absolutely certain. I am, of course, equally certain that dualling the A9 would not have been done within my lifetime if it had been left to any previous transport minister. We are continuing to improve the A9 and to improve safety. Interestingly, the W2+1 sections that we are creating have a substantially better safety record than dual carriageways in some parts of the network.
We are extending the dual carriageway at Crubenmore. I was delighted to be at Carrbridge last week to open a £2.7 million upgrade and, at Bankfoot, there are £2.7 million of junction improvements. The strategic transport projects review has £1 billion of investment for Inverness and the north. That is unprecedented in anybody's lifetime.
Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): In light of concerns about safety on the A9, will the minister look at the Wellbeck Estate proposal for small-scale improvements at Berriedale that have the support of the freight transport companies in the far north? In addition, will he consider providing a route around Thurso's town centre to Scrabster harbour in preparation for the likely increase in container traffic?
Stewart Stevenson: I think that the member is aware that I have visited Berriedale. I am very aware of the issues in that regard. A number of options are available to us, and they are being considered.
Scrabster is a key port that faces the prospect of real economic success with the terrific expansion that we expect to see involving tidal power in the Pentland firth. I will engage further with the authorities at Scrabster as is necessary in the coming months and years.
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): There are a number of welcome improvement works to the A9, such as the upgrade of Bankfoot junction, although they were all inherited from the previous Administration. When will this Government bring forward new initiatives to improve the A9, in addition to those that are simply a hangover from the Labour/Liberal Democrat Executive?
Stewart Stevenson: Yes.
Murdo Fraser: When?
