Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government notes Transform Scotland’s report and its emphasis on the potential benefits relating to the use of travel by train by businesses. The Scottish Government’s Travel Strategy (2011-16) Annual Action Plan promotes the use of public transport and in particular, where reasonable, the use of rail for journeys from Scotland to London.

Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020 includes a commitment to “Encourage local authorities to consider 20 mph zones in all residential areas”, but also says that we will “encourage and support the use of intelligence-led road safety targeting.” Transport Scotland is therefore assisting City of Edinburgh Council with the evaluation of its 20 mph zone pilot scheme in South Central Edinburgh, which has designated all side streets, and some of the main routes in the area as 20 mph. The final report on the project is due to be completed in summer 2013, and Transport Scotland hopes to use this evidence to encourage local authorities across Scotland to consider wider use of 20 mph zones.

In 2011, the UK Government relaxed the signing requirements for 20 mph zones and some local authorities in Scotland have taken advantage of the relaxation to apply for authorisations to implement 20 mph zones without physical measures. We are now looking at ways in which the administrative process by which such orders are granted can be streamlined.

Scottish Ministers have attended EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meetings where plant health issues have been on the agenda. Through Scottish Government officials there has also been liaison with EU officials on the Review of the EU Plant Health Regime.

I participated in the two recent Cabinet Office Briefing Room meetings on Chalara and wrote to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about plant health on 5 November 2012. Scottish Government officials have regular, close engagement with UK officials through participation in UK plant health governance groups and have participated in the development of the Interim Chalara Control Plan, which was published on 6 December 2012 and includes retention of the current ban on the import and movement of ash plants, live trees and seeds into and within the British Isles pending review with the nursery and horticulture sectors in early spring 2013.

Initial work on Phytophthora ramorum by Forest Research involved extensive testing of host tree susceptibility to this disease. This indicated that our native oaks are of low susceptibility. Subsequent field observations throughout the UK have confirmed that even in the worst affected areas native oak has not had any significant level of infection. Those trees showing any sign of damage are very few in number and are thought to represent the tail end of this species’ overall susceptibility.

No further research on this subject is planned but ongoing aerial and ground-based surveys will continue to monitor disease progression across the range of tree species found in the UK.

Research into tree diseases is undertaken, on behalf of Forestry Commission Scotland and the other parts of the Forestry Commission, by Forest Research which has sites in Roslin, Midlothian and Farnham, Surrey.

Details of research programmes aimed at promoting environmentally acceptable measures to prevent and control damage to trees, including native trees, from pests and diseases can be found on the Forestry Commission website at: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestresearch.nsf/ByUnique/INFD-5STC8A.

Scottish Ministers are well aware of the benefits of cross-cutting policy work. Over the last two years, Ministers and Transport Scotland officials have had discussions with colleagues in health (including sport), environment and education to discuss how closer working relationships could benefit all of these individual policy areas. Such discussions will continue and will help to inform the refresh of the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland, due to be published in Spring 2013.

Individual project announcements will be made as and when funding becomes available.

This work is being carried out this year and a report will be sent to the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland Delivery Forum for consideration in early 2013.

We are committed to reaching the 10% vision for cycling journeys by 2020. We will do this by working in partnership with local authorities and other key stakeholders such as Sustrans, Cycling Scotland and local community groups. We will also encourage private sector buy-in through the Energy Saving Trust’s low carbon fund which provides loans for cycling facilities in the workplace and through the Healthy Working Lives initiative.