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8 October 2009

(S3O-8121) Active Travel (Funding)

1. Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how the draft budget for 2010-11 will support the aim of achieving a significant increase in walking and cycling compared with other transport modes. (S3O-8121)

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





In 2010-11, the draft budget will continue to support local authorities, Sustrans, Cycling Scotland, Living Streets and other delivery bodies to increase the numbers of people cycling and walking. For example, we will continue working in partnership with the seven smarter choices, smarter places communities in Scotland, which aim to increase active travel.

Patrick Harvie: For the past two years in a row, the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee has agreed unanimously on the need for a substantial increase in funding if more journeys in Scotland are to be undertaken by active means—walking and cycling—for climate change, health and a host of other reasons. However, we continually see reductions in funding for those modes of transport and the Government pouring money into road building projects. How is it to be remotely credible that the Government wants a substantial increase in cycling journeys—for example, under the cycling action plan—when, this year again, there is an overall reduction in the funding for active travel?

Stewart Stevenson: An interesting thing was illustrated when I was in Elgin on Sunday participating—to some limited extent—in a mass cycle ride to raise money for the Grampian Society for the Blind. Moray Council gets no more money than any other council but delivers four times as much cycling as others do. That illustrates that a change of approach may be required of Government, councils and many others to deliver improvements. Of course, we need to provide the funding—we have increased the active travel budget from £33 million to £35.7 million—but money alone is not enough: we need to think smarter and spend smarter.

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): What impact has the climate challenge fund had on encouraging modal shift? I draw the minister's attention to the awards of £283,000 given to Greener Leith's active Leith project, £182,000 to recyke-a-bike in Stirling and £47,000 to biketown Huntly to name a few. What effect do funds like those, which are not included in the active travel budget, have on the Government's wish to increase the number of people who cycle in Scotland?

Stewart Stevenson: Ms Somerville is correct to point to the benefits and impacts that derive from Government expenditure that is outside the active travel budget. The climate challenge fund draws together interests beyond Government in the decision-making process and ensures that the funds are targeted where they will be most effective. The progress that has been made so far is commendable indeed.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): I took the point about Moray that the minister made in his response to Patrick Harvie. It is unfortunate that the cuts in Moray include cuts to the active travel co-ordinators who have driven the increase in cycling so effectively.

I know that the minister has a high regard for the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Adonis, who announced last week that he would make £40 million available for, I think, up to eight cycling transport hubs at major stations. That will implement ideas that have been very well developed in Holland, where there are cycle parks at major stations so that people are encouraged to cycle to them. If there are budget consequentials from that announcement, I encourage the minister to consider an equivalent approach in Scotland—particularly in Scotland's major cities.

Stewart Stevenson: I get on very well with Andrew Adonis and respect much of the activity that he undertakes. He is certainly on the case.

On Scotland's stations, Attadale station has fewer than 100 passengers a year and, in common with every other station in Scotland, parking space for cycles—a Sheffield rack. Therefore, in some ways, we may be ahead of what is happening south of the border. Perhaps they are playing catch-up.

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