Chamber and committees

The public consultation analysis of the responses to the draft route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car km in Scotland by 2030 will be published alongside the final version of the route map in the coming months.

Transport Scotland and Network Rail officials have continued to discuss options for the North Hanover Street site. These discussions have concluded that Network Rail should come forward with a revised proposal, at an appropriate time, when the strategic value of the site can be realised.

a) For 2022-23, core funding for university research was increased to £299 million to maintain and strengthen Scotland’s excellent research base, with levels maintained for 2023-24. This funding is used for a range of purposes, including the provision of state of the art research facilities and lab equipment, and development opportunities for student and early career researchers who are the future of Scottish life sciences.

b) To ensure there are facilities available to support university spinouts the Scottish Government has invested in Research Pools, Innovation Centres and in the Alliance for Research Challenges. The aim is to create a critical mass of excellence, pulling together academic and industry expertise in areas of global importance, including Life Sciences.

In addition, investment through the City Region Deals is supporting a number of bespoke life sciences infrastructure projects including £10 million investment towards BioHub, an Aberdeen City Region Deal project. Located at the University of Aberdeen's Foresthill Health Campus, it will provide the support and physical infrastructure to help attract and retain life sciences spin outs in Scotland. As part of the Tay Cities Region Deal, Scottish Government agreed to provide £25 million towards facilities at the University, including £20.2 million towards an Innovation Hub to host and support spin-out and developing companies, including laboratory infrastructure.

As well as expert advice and help from our enterprise agencies to support business growth, through the Tech Scaler initiative we will provide intensive, structured commercial education to ‘start-up’ businesses in Scotland, to support them in growing and scaling-up to the full extent of their ambitions.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with UK Government counterparts at ministerial and official level on many matters concerning the space sector, including the subject of regulation. Most recently I wrote to the UK Space Agency and my counterpart at the former BEIS in February, following a meeting with them in January.

On 16 March 2023, I wrote to the Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority to ask what immediate actions are being taken to reassure government, industry and their customers and investors, that the UK regulator will not inhibit either our global competitiveness as a spacefaring nation nor our spaceports or satellite manufacturers commercial prospects.

The M8 Woodside Viaduct is a vital element of the motorway and road network serving Glasgow, the wider region and country, carrying approximately 150,000 vehicles per day. The decision to restrict traffic lanes on the viaducts was made for safety reasons by Transport Scotland’s Director of Roads, as reducing the live traffic loading on the structure was a key aspect to its management, continued use and repair.

Demolishing the structure was ruled out due to the economic, environmental and social impacts on businesses and communities served by the local and trunk road network, including the costs, durations and traffic volumes involved. The refurbishment option was considered to have less economic, social, traffic and environmental impacts. This decision was supported by stakeholders, who expressed significant concern over the impact of lane closures, let alone full closure of the viaduct.

The M8 Woodside Viaduct is a vital element of the motorway and road network serving Glasgow, the wider region and country, carrying approximately 150,000 vehicles per day. The viaducts are generally in good condition, with the exception of areas of the concrete supports. Permanent repairs for these areas will involve localised repairs and strengthening as well as drainage improvements and deck refurbishment. On completion, these works will have added many years of service to this structure and network.

Regular meetings continue with stakeholders, including emergency services and Glasgow City Council, on the project development and progress.

In terms of the wider use of the M8 through central Glasgow, Scottish Ministers strategic transport investment priorities were set out in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review published in December 2022. In line with the Sustainable Investment Hierarchy, we are focussed on the safety and reliability of the existing motorway network.

Any proposal to alter the role or function of the trunk road through Glasgow, is about the wider public realm and land-use within the city, therefore it is more appropriate that this work is proposed and led by the City Council. Transport Scotland will continue to engage constructively with local authorities where proposals or projects are considered to have a potential impact on transport assets and services owned and or provided by Scottish Ministers.

The design being taken forward on the East Kilbride Line would not prevent the route being dual tracked in future if required.

This is a complex repair of an expansive structure that is trafficked by approximately 150,000 vehicles on a daily basis. Although temporary works are well underway, the final design for the permanent repairs is yet to be completed, which will then inform the overall project cost estimate.

The latest phase (propping works of the structure) includes a trial repair which is programmed for Summer 2023. The findings from that trial are key to the next stages as they influence the options for the final design and hence the total costs.

Glasgow City Council published the City Centre Strategic Development Framework in late 2019. Transport Scotland detailed in its response dated January 2020, that plans to improve connections across Junction 15, indeed any plans which affect the motorway through Glasgow, would require specific engagement with Transport Scotland given the potential impact on the strategic road network.

Transport Scotland regularly meets Glasgow City Council across a number of forums. However, they have not recently been approached to have any specific discussions with Glasgow City Council on the rationalisation of M8 junction 15, Townhead interchange or in regard to this District Regeneration Framework more generally. Nonetheless, my officials are preparing a response to the Townhead District Regeneration Framework public consultation.

No date has been set for the electrification of the Maryhill railway line. However in line with the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan this route will be considered by Transport Scotland, who will, in turn, provide advice to Scottish Ministers for decision.

The Decarbonisation Action Plan commits to all passenger diesel trains being replaced; the order and programme in which that is done will depend on business cases and available budgets.