9. Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to promote the use of more environmentally friendly buses. (S3O-7718)
The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson):
The Scottish Government is keen to incentivise the use of environmentally friendly buses and we are currently considering changes to our bus policy to achieve that.
Michael Matheson: The minister will be aware that Scotland's biggest bus manufacturer, Alexander Dennis, is based in my constituency and employs some 1,000 workers. He will also know from my representations to him that Alexander Dennis is a world leader in hybrid bus technology. I welcome the consideration that the Government is giving to a scheme to promote the use of environmentally friendly buses, but can he tell us when he expects such a programme to be implemented? He will agree that such a programme will assist in ensuring that the Government's ambitious carbon reduction targets are met and that valuable employment is secured in my constituency.
Stewart Stevenson: The member may be interested to know that, within the past two hours, I have discussed that very subject with the Confederation of Passenger Transport. It forms part of our rebalancing of the bus service operators grant scheme to ensure that it has a more environmental focus. I absolutely respect the member's comments in relation to Alexander Dennis, in which he expressed a view that is widely held across the industry and in society. We are making best progress and hope to have something more material to say on the matter in the not-too-distant future.
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About Stewart Stevenson
Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - Bell Baxter - and studied Mathematics at the University of Aberdeen, graduating with a modest degree in 1969. That's also the year Sandra & I married. Her family comes from the North East.Thirty years later I retired from Bank of Scotland as Director of Technology Innovation and was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2001 as member for Banff & Buchan having first joined the SNP in 1961.
I then represented the new constituency of Banffshire & Buchan Coast Constituency in our Parliament. I retired as an MSP on 5th May 2021
I was also previously (2007-2010), Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change and (2011-2012), Minister for Environment and Climate Change.
I hold the honorary posts of President of the Scottish Association for Public Transport
and Vice-President of Railfuture UK.I am a Fellow of The Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, a Member at The Institution of Engineering and Technology, a Professional Member of the Association for Computing Machinery, a Member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists and an Associate Member of the Highland Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Association.
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