Chamber and committees

Scottish Planning Policy confirms that planning authorities should use their development plans to protect areas of peatland and only allow commercial extraction in very limited circumstances.

The Scottish Government has offered its support to the market-led initiatives to reduce the demand and use of peat in horticulture. This reflects that the peat sourced for horticultural use comes from a number of different countries and is a global challenge.

The Scottish Government is working closely with the UK Government on minimising the impact of this disease and learning lessons for the future.

As at 2 February 2015 there are 169 confirmed sites in Scotland: three nurseries, 63 wider environment sites and 103 new planting sites.

A comparison table for other parts of the UK is as follows.

However, from 2 February 2015, reporting will focus on the number of hectares (10x10km squares) in which this disease has been confirmed. Showing only the number of confirmed sites does not account for the possibility of nearby infections which have not yet been detected.

As at 2 February 2015, the number of new 10 kilometre grid squares with one or more Chalara infections in the wider environment was:

Detailed decisions on funding for active travel in 2015-16 have yet to be taken. The draft budget for 2015-16 included £25 million in the support for sustainable and active travel budget line. In addition, in his speech to Parliament on 4 February 2015 the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy announced that this would be increased by an additional £3.9 million to support investment in cycling and walking infrastructure, taking the total to £28.9 million.

Of this £10 million is revenue funding, of which £5 million will be for an extension to the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places programme, and £5 million is in the form of financial transactions.

In addition, Scottish Ministers will allocate £8 million to local authorities for cycling, walking and safer streets projects in 2015-16 as part of the local government settlement.

Decisions on the deployment of the £20.25 million capital funding available through the Future Transport Fund have yet to be taken. This will include an allocation for cycling and walking infrastructure projects.

Furthermore, the Scottish Government does not distinguish between investment in (b) cycling and (c) walking as investment in active travel will usually benefit both types of user.

Discussions with stakeholders and delivery partners about the allocation of budgets are currently on-going and announcements will be made in due course.

The refreshed Cycling Action Plan for Scotland, published in 2013, sets out 19 actions involving all partners, that will help us achieve the shared vision of 10% of everyday journeys by bike by 2020. In addition, local authorities are being encouraged and supported to prepare their own active travel plans and strategies identifying the infrastructure improvements and actions that are required locally to achieve progress towards the vision.

Programmes that will help achieve the 10% vision include:

Investment in cycling and walking infrastructure through the Community Links, the National Cycle Network and Safer Routes to Schools programmes supported by investment by local authorities utilising cycling, walking and safer streets funding;

A comprehensive programme of Bikeability Scotland cycle training for primary school pupils across Scotland;

Road safety campaigns such as ‘Give Me Cycle Space’, and guidance and encouragement to introduce 20 mph zones and speed limits;

A variety of measures aimed at encouraging people to walk and cycle for short journeys delivered through the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places programme and supported by campaigns such as ‘Not far, leave the car’;

Investment in new and enhanced cycle facilities at stations and on trains through the new Scotrail franchise; and the Active Travel Legacy programme.

The Cycling Action Plan for Scotland 2013 is a strategic document, and as such, does not mention specific rail lines. However, action 6 commits Transport Scotland to develop better integration with public transport through working in partnership with rail operators, including Network Rail and the Scotrail franchisee.

The document states that “Transport Scotland will require bidders for the next Scottish rail franchise, due to commence in April 2015, to build on past successes including, for example, linkages with the National Cycle Network and develop plans and proposals for actions to improve rail connections with other forms of transport, such as cycling.”

Sheltered cycle storage will be offered at all stations on the Borders route and a Cyclepoint at Edinburgh Waverley will be installed by Abellio Scotrail. More detailed information can be found at: http://www.bordersrailway.co.uk/. In addition, in the first three years of the next franchise period (from April 2015), Abellio ScotRail will provide an additional 3,500 cycle parking spaces across the rail network and will continue to carry cycles free of charge.

Abellio have confirmed that the current on train cycle policy of at least two cycle spaces per train will be preserved and this includes rail services to the Borders. In addition Abellio will ensure that all on-train staff involved are briefed on cycle capacity procedures and how to provide additional ad-hoc spaces where conditions allow.

Abellio’s overall strategy in the Netherlands has been to reduce the pressure on cycle spaces on board trains by investing in better storage facilities at stations and encouraging regular cyclists to either join their Bike & Go scheme for their onward journeys or maintain a second bike at their destination stations. Abellio intend to replicate this successful approach on ScotRail services.

The appropriate allocation of space within a train is always challenging as rolling stock has to run on a variety of routes and cater for passengers with differing requirements.

In trying to attract more passengers onto train services it is necessary to balance space for seating, cycle racks, toilets, luggage space, facilities for disabled travellers and pram users; and also to ensure safe and quick access on and off the train.

Abellio have confirmed that the current on train cycle policy of at least two cycle spaces per train will be preserved and this includes the planned Borders rail services.

Depending on the trains allocated to Borders services there may be more than two spaces available for passenger usage but this cannot be confirmed at this time. Abellio are working to finalise rolling stock which will be allocated to all services, including those serving Midlothian and the Scottish Borders.

The Scottish Government welcomes the Smith Commission’s view that the UK and Scottish governments should work together to explore a potential scheme to allow international students to remain in Scotland for a defined period of time after graduation and contribute to economic activity. Scottish Government and UK Government officials met last week to begin discussions to take this work forward.

The Transport Model for Scotland (TMfS) is a strategic model focussed on inter-urban movements and contains forecasts for car, bus and rail travel in five-year intervals from 2012 to 2037.

The forecast number of car driver trips per person in 2017 is 287.5.

The forecast number of rail passenger trips per person in 2017 is 19.8.

The forecast number of bus passenger trips per person in 2017 is 54.2.

The forecast number of car driver trips per person in 2037 is 329.8.

The forecast number of rail passenger trips per person in 2037 is 23.4.

The forecast number of bus passenger trips per person in 2037 is 51.2.

Observed trip rates published in Scottish Transport Statistics are not comparable. They include short trips not modelled in TMfS and only the main mode of travel.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the James Hutton Institute and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, acting on the advice of several mountain hare experts, have started work on field trialling a range of methods of assessing mountain hare numbers, to develop a better monitoring strategy and to improve the quality of the information used to assess population status and the sustainability of hare management measures. This programme of work is due to be completed in 2017.

Until this study is complete, and because of recent concerns about the status of mountain hares, SNH has developed a joint position statement on the subject of hare culling following consultation with key stakeholders representing moorland managers, namely Scottish Land & Estates and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust. The statement is evidence-based and argues that large scale culls of mountain hares to reduce tick loads, and thus to benefit grouse and other bird survival, are only effective when other tick-carrying animals are removed as well, or where they are absent. The intention is to work with estates to put in place effective but sustainable management of mountain hares. More information about the joint position statement can be found on the SNH website

http://snh.presscentre.com/News-Releases/SNH-GWCT-SL-E-position-on-large-scale-culls-of-mountain-hares-to-reduce-louping-ill-15f.aspx

In addition, a review of sustainable moorland management is currently being undertaken by a sub-group of experts from SNH’s Scientific Advisory Committee chaired by Professor Alan Werritty. This includes the management of mountain hares as one of a number of issues connected with sustainable moorland management practices. This review is due to be completed by March 2015.

Earlier in 2014, SNH was provided with additional hare count data, collected over many years in some cases. These quantitative data are potentially very useful, as previous evidence of local declines was largely based on anecdote. This information has been made available to the above SNH Scientific Advisory Committee sub-group as part of the review process.