(S3O-7409) Cycling (2020 Target)

5. Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what investment it will make in the current financial year towards achieving the target of having 10 per cent of all journeys made by bicycle by 2020. (S3O-7409)

The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson):





The 10 per cent target in the "Cycling Action Plan for Scotland" is proposed as part of the consultation process. Scottish Government investment in cycling this year will be in the region of £18 million. If they wish, local authorities can add to that total from their own budgets.

Alison McInnes: European-style targets deserve European levels of funding. According to recent research by Spokes, funding for cycling has fallen even further behind since the Scottish National Party took over. Is the minister prepared to act on the suggestion, which Spokes made in its recent letter to John Swinney, that an additional allocation of £5 million, funded from underspends, should be made to Sustrans in the current financial year? Is the minister serious about achieving the 2020 target, or is that another slice of pie in the sky from the SNP?

Stewart Stevenson: I was happy to support bike week yesterday, and I am sure that other members will wish to do likewise. The support that the Government has given to cycling, through local authority funding, which is increasing and which now represents a greater share of Government spending than previously, and through direct subventions, is contributing to a significant increase in the proportion of journeys that are made by cycle. For example, in Moray 8 per cent of children cycle to school, which is eight times the national average. We know that we can achieve significant improvements within the existing spending framework. I hope that other council areas will tak tent of what has been achieved in Moray and follow its lead.