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Keith Brown in pants inferno shocker!

(22 posts)
  • Started 10 years ago by Morningsider
  • Latest reply from chdot

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  1. Morningsider
    Member

    You know that £4.5m million of "...further funding to Cycling Scotland to further promote cycling in Scotland over the next two years. This is in addition to the £20m we announced last September towards cycling infrastructure."

    http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/news/minister-announces-further-funding-to-promote-cycling-in-scotland

    Well, it turns out "further" and "in addition" doesn't actually mean "new". This £4.5m is simply the standard Scottish Government annual funding allocation to Cycling Scotland for the next two years. There is no real annual increase, as Cycling Scotland gets around £2m a year already.

    I'm not sure if the mention of education and health budgets is simply a repeat of previous year's budget allocations or new money either. Whatever - they don't actually lead to any overall budget increase worth the name.

    I have had this confirmed by people in the know and am 100% confident that this is the case.

    Looking closely at the Transport Scotland press release, I now see how stupid I was to think this was new money - as it clearly never says this. However, I think I can't have been alone in assuming this from the tone of the release and subsequent media reports.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  2. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Well, let's not get angry, let's invite him back to explain himself in a year's time.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  3. chdot
    Admin

    "let's invite him back to explain himself in an year's time"

    Why wait that long???

    Posted 10 years ago #

  4. Roibeard
    Member

    I were right to be skeptical...

    Thanks for the legwork Morningsider - much appreciated as always!

    Robert

    Posted 10 years ago #

  5. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    "Why wait that long???"

    Keith is a minister in the Scottish Government. They have other matters on their minds until September. One year from now is, in my view, the minimum realistic timescale.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  6. crowriver
    Member

    I knew I was right about that. Unfortunately.

    Last week: "Isn't this just the standard funding allocation to Cycling Scotland, rather than 'new' money?"

    Posted 10 years ago #

  7. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    "I'm certain that Keith Brown said nothing of substance. I know why, but it's irritating nonetheless."

    So I claim precedence on spotting that the minister is a mountebank. In short, I were right about that twaddle.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  8. crowriver
    Member

    I think it is worth writing to the minister, and the MSPs who attended PoP, to highlight this sleight of hand. I'm pretty sure some of the other politicians welcomed this announcement as though it was "additional".

    Posted 10 years ago #

  9. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    At least we're important enough to get lied to. That is actually a step in the right direction.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  10. DdF
    Member

    "Looking closely at the Transport Scotland press release, I now see how stupid I was to think this was new money - as it clearly never says this. However, I think I can't have been alone in assuming this from the tone of the release and subsequent media reports."

    We have been saying this all along. For example see the funding comments here.

    The bulk of the cash almost certainly is not new money, but is announcing how some of the budget allocation for 'Sustainble and Active Travel' is to be used.

    However I do suspect that the unspecified amounts from Education and from Climate Change are 'new' in the sense that it is money from those budgets which has only now been allocated to cycling.

    On the former - of course it is spin, but to give the Minister his due(!!) it is just 'normal spin' not 'anti-cyclist spin.' They do exactly the same with most topics. e.g. the Budget includes funding for 'motorways and trunk roads' but then every few months the Minister announces funding for a specific road scheme - implying it is new money, whereas in fact it is just specifying how already-budgeted roads money is to be allocated.

    Incidentally, I don't think the press release mentions funding from the health budget - it is education and climate change funding, not education and health.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  11. Morningsider
    Member

    DdF - yes, climate change rather than health. My mistake - not that it is a huge amount mind. Here is the breakdown that Transport Scotland issued with its full media release:

    The Transport Scotland funding will be spread over two years:

    £1,881,295 in 2014-15 and £2,076,295 payable in 2015-16

    In addition to the funding above, Cycling Scotland will also receive £10,000 in 2013-14 and £50,000 in both 2014-15 and 2015-16 from Learning Directorate as part of the Ministerial cross portfolio work lead by Mr Brown. This is an additional £110,000 over three years and will be focused on the Bikeability Cycle Training and the Cycle Friendly Schools programme.

    EDIT: Missed a bit: Minister for Environment and Climate Change Paul Wheelhouse has also confirmed the allocation of £500k to Cycling Scotland. The money will be used as part of funding towards increasing bikeability trainers through developing summer cycling training camps for S5 and S6 pupils, supporting Cycle Friendly Campus pilot, Give Me Cycle Space campaign and additional bikes rides in Linlithgow, Edinburgh and Glasgow and as part of the Pedal for Scotland family.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  12. SRD
    Moderator

    so the only new money is the £110 000?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  13. crowriver
    Member

    Keith Brown may be "listening", but what does he think? I thought the interview on Reporting Scotland was revealing, where he said "You can never do enough". He said that in a tone, and with an exasperated expression that seemed to say: "These bloody cyclists. Here we are, raining money on them, and this is the thanks we get: a mass demo, again. Why aren't they happy with everything we're doing for them?"

    We're not happy. minister. We're not happy with crumbs from the transport budget and half hearted support. Not happy at all.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  14. chdot
    Admin

    "so the only new money is the £110 000?"

    Sounds like it!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  15. chdot
    Admin

    People might like to retweet -

    https://twitter.com/cyclingedin/status/460760045635256320

    Posted 10 years ago #

  16. crowriver
    Member

    110k over three years. Only 50k this year. CEC spent nearly that much on signage for cycle routes, for goodness' sake.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  17. Morningsider
    Member

    Oops - missed a bit. Here's the climate change stuff:

    Minister for Environment and Climate Change Paul Wheelhouse has also confirmed the allocation of £500k to Cycling Scotland. The money will be used as part of funding towards increasing bikeability trainers through developing summer cycling training camps for S5 and S6 pupils, supporting Cycle Friendly Campus pilot, Give Me Cycle Space campaign and additional bikes rides in Linlithgow, Edinburgh and Glasgow and as part of the Pedal for Scotland family.

    I can't confirm whether this is "extra" or "new" money - as Cycling Scotland may have previously received money from these departments. The press release makes no claims that this is "new" funding.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  18. DdF
    Member

    It sounds to me more like £500k new money.

    @morningsider says £110k from Education, but there is also money (probably 'new', unspecified amount) from climate change.

    Also @m.. says that the Transport Scotland money is £1,881,295 in 2014-15 and £2,076,295 payable in 2015-16, total very roughly £4m. That is almost certainly the 'not new' money, i.e. from the existing SSAT budget line.

    Since the total announcement was £4.5m that sounds as if it is made up of roughly £4m from SSAT, £0.1m from education and therefore £0.4m from Climate Change. Obviously this is speculation/deduction from the above known info.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  19. chdot
    Admin

    "summer cycling training camps for S5 and S6 pupils"

    ??

    Certainly doesn't seem to be money for delivering Bikeability in school time - which is what is necessary.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  20. DdF
    Member

    Thanks for @m.. further comment. So it is £0.5m from Climate. Well my £0.4m guesstimate/deduction was pretty close!

    So the chances are that the total of 'new' money from the £4.5m total is around £0.5-£0.6m, subject to the caveats mentioned by @m..

    As explained in my previous post, I do however feel that Keith Brown's press statement was 'normal spin' rather than 'anti-cyclist' spin!!

    Posted 10 years ago #

  21. crowriver
    Member

    Okay, I take that back. The minister has found some extra money, but it's not very much, and it's mainly for promotion/education/training rather than infrastructure.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  22. chdot
    Admin

    "practiced at the art of deception"

    http://songmeanings.com/m/songs/view/6294

    Posted 10 years ago #

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