http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msps/currentmsps/Derek-Mackay-MSP.aspx
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
New Transport Minister
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Posted 9 years ago #
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Spokes CycleCampaign (@SpokesLothian)
22/11/2014 00:10
Ask your MSPs to speak to @DerekMackayMSP if you're not happy with #activetravel budget http://www.spokes.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/B120pall.reduced.pdf@TransformScot #spokesmtg
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Posted 9 years ago # -
Full list of ministers and what they are responsible for
http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/New-ministerial-line-up-unveiled-1285.aspx
Posted 9 years ago # -
Oh no. He sounds like even more of a petrol head than Broon.
Abandon all hope ye who enter into active travel campaigning...
Posted 9 years ago # -
"Abandon all hope ye who enter into active travel campaigning..."
Nope.
Just shift emphasis to other depts/ministers -
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport – Shona Robison MSP (Dundee City East)
Minister for Public Health – Maureen Watt MSP (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine)
Minister for Sport and Health Improvement – Jamie Hepburn MSP (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth)Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights – Alex Neil MSP (Airdrie and Shotts)
Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment – Marco Biagi MSP (Edinburgh Central)
Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training – Roseanna Cunningham MSP (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire)
Minister for Youth and Women’s Employment – Annabelle Ewing MSP (Mid Scotland and Fife)
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning - Angela Constance MSP (Almond Valley)
Minister for Children and Young People – Aileen Campbell MSP (Clydesdale)
Cabinet Secretary for Justice – Michael Matheson MSP (Falkirk West)
Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs – Paul Wheelhouse MSP (South Scotland)
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment – Richard Lochhead MSP (Moray)
Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform – Aileen McLeod MSP (South Scotland)
'Cycling/ActiveTravel isn't just (or mostly) about 'transport'.
Get 'the message' across to some of the people above - especially if one of them is your local MSP.
All *should* be at PoP.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Well, Nicola Sturgeon announced the legislative programme for the next 18 months this afternoon. This signals the new government's fresh approach, and in fairness, there is much to commend it, such as Land Reform, and other attempts to improve social justice. Most of these were already being progressed in the background.
On transport, no mention in the 98 page document* of active travel. Lots on roads and airports. One mention of cycling, which I repeat below (see if you can spot it):
"91. Investment continues in upgrading the A9 to dual carriageway, which will deliver economic growth through improvements to road safety and journey times as well as providing better links to pedestrian, cycling and public transport facilities, and will also improve access to the many tourism and recreation sites along the route of Scotland’s longest trunk road. The overall cost for this project is estimated to be £3 billion."
There you go, that's your lot until 2016!
Sigh.
* - The full 98 page Scottish Government Programme for Government 2014-15: http://goo.gl/sI6jWw
Posted 9 years ago # -
@crowriver
Thanks for wading through that for us. The land reform part is exciting - I'll contribute to the consultation once I've heard Andy Wightman talk on the 3rd in the RIC cafe on Leith Walk.
If Andy and co. can get the profoundly unsexy issue of land reform on the agenda, we can get active travel addressed too.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"
Investment continues in upgrading the A9 to dual carriageway, which will deliver economic growth through improvements to road safety and journey times
"
Like to see the evidence for that...
The "journey times" bit I understand (in conventional terms) 'amount of time saved = £x'. So all the drivers will use that time to boost the economy by doing (?). Alternatively the 'time saved' will be because of higher speeds, which will increase fuel consumption/costs, so...
"mprovements to road safety" obviously a good thing (if it turns out to be true - better roads, more traffic - not all of the journeys on the 'safer' road). Some savings to the NHS and insurance companies, fewer personal tragedies etc., but adding to the economy?
"The overall cost for this project is estimated to be £3 billion"
Clearly that will increase GDP, but so would spending the money on anything - some of which might be able to show a better 'return' financially and socially.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Posted 9 years ago #
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Looks like he's cramming for the inevitable examination by cycle campaigners: or "trial by fire" as we refer to it colloquially.
At least he's showing an interest. Can only be positive.
Posted 9 years ago # -
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Amey SE Trunk Roads (@SETrunkRoads)
27/11/2014 16:27
Transport Minister @DerekMackayMSP visited @trafficscotland today and met with our TRISS team. #winterinfohttp://pic.twitter.com/4hi1ef6GOr
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Posted 9 years ago # -
Derek Mackay shows his true colours. He wants the Scottish govt to have control over Air Passenger Duty (APD) so that they can reduce it (presumably to zero).
APD provides a valuable control in discouraging flying and reducing the greenhouse gases associated with it.
But hey, subsidising business is more important than actually having a planet to live on, right?
Posted 9 years ago # -
Presumably the idea is to revitalise Stoneybridge International Airport (AKA Prestwick) by making cheap flights more economically sustainable.
I know it's hard to believe this guy is worse than Keithy Broon, but it sure looks like it...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Some notes from a recent Transform meeting. Mr G. an environment and pro-APD campaigner, spoke:
Mr G. explained that historically, air fuel has not been taxed because of the complexity of doing so, except that now with modern electronic means it would be much easier. APD arose as, in effect, a proxy for fuel duty, and has proved reasonably successful.
Evidence indicates APD raises tax without any significant knock-on effects - it doesn't discourage air travel (contra the howls of protest from the airlines) as it forms a very small part of the overall costs of, eg a package holiday.
It is a 'progressive' tax, as lower-income families do far less flying than the better-off [some doubt over whether a socially 'good' tax is called progressive or regressive].
The air industry is the lightest-taxed of any travel mode despite being the worst polluter.
The UK has an overall limit of air-source carbon emissions (I think 37m tonnes of carbon) which has not yet been reached - hence Scottish Gov't pushing for measures to expand air travel. But if Heathrow gets 3rd runway, this will take up all the leeway. Paradoxically SG is pushing for this 3rd runway despite it would mean no more Scottish expansion.
Lower APD would put pressure on other modes to compete. Virgin Trains rep at the meeting said competing on UK-internal flights eg Glasgow- London is already difficult. It's expected that train companies will object to SG proposal to cut APD.
London is the only UK region to make a net gain from air tourism (ie more Brits fly out/spend more money abroad than comes in from tourist revenue).
APD (the only form of tax that's paid on air travel) currently raises about £2.8bn for Treasury, but environmental costs of air travel are estimated at £10-11bn. So APD should be increased.
When APD was cut in Northern Ireland there was no effect on inward investment, and some suspicion that the airline companies didn't pass on the savings.
Noise impact: the impact on local residents affects some airports much more than others. Heathrow is out and away the worst in Britain, affecting 725,000 people, which is 29% of the European total of people impacted by aircraft noise. Edinburgh gets off lightly (only 15,000, 0.5% of Euro pop'n affected) because airport not located close to city; Glasgow however is worse, 63,600; Manchester 94,000.
Main conclusion: air travel industry is greatly under-taxed. APD raises revenue with no side effects.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"it doesn't discourage air travel"
If that's correct, that's a problem. Where's the environmental benefit then?
The text is a bit contradictory as it then says lower APD puts pressure on the railways - so APD does actually change peoples' travel choices, in contradiction to the earlier statement?
Posted 7 years ago #
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