5. To ask the Scottish Government what upgrades are planned for the A75. (S5O-00852)

Since 2008, the Scottish Government has invested more than £50 million in six road improvement projects along the A75.

As set out in the programme for government, the forthcoming review of the strategic transport projects review will assess recommendations for strategic transport infrastructure priorities in Dumfries and Galloway, including the A75 corridor, and in the rest of Scotland.

As Finlay Carson knows, I recently visited Springholm and Crocketford, where I held positive discussions with residents and businesses on further traffic management measures.

I thank the Minister for that response, and I also thank him, on the record, for taking the time last week to come to Springholm and Crocketford in my Constituency to hear at first hand the concerns of the residents who face the daily nightmare of huge numbers of lorries travelling to and from the ferry port at Cairnryan. I also welcome his commitment to improving traffic-calming measures, although I am sure that having visited the route and recognised that action must be taken, he will see that traffic calming is simply not enough to solve the problem.

Given that the draft national transport strategy review is not expected until next year, with the strategic transport projects review unlikely to follow until some time in 2019, will the minister acknowledge the immediacy of the problem and commit to an accelerated process to bring forward the desperately needed bypasses for Springholm and Crocketford? Will he also explore how the Government can mitigate the huge burden of road upgrades on rural businesses that are adjacent to the A75 when seeking planning permission to expand?

When I met residents and businesses, I found their views to be mixed. One or two of the shops said that they are not in favour of a bypass because it would take traffic away from them. However, we should bear it in mind that some residents are very much in favour of a bypass.

I have to point out that the measure is a long-term ambition. As Finlay Carson rightly pointed out, there is a process that we must go through, which includes the national transport strategy review and the review of the strategic transport projects review. For the time being, however, we will look to introduce as quickly as possible the reverse-discrimination lights that we want at Springholm, plus some measures that we have said we will explore at Crocketford. I hope that that gives the member some reassurance.

I should also say that we had a good Dumfries and Galloway transport summit, which had been called for and was organised by my colleague Joan McAlpine. There are on-going actions that Finlay Carson and the public can keep on top of and see progress on.

Does the Government agree that it is vital for appropriate projects for the A75 and other roads to be identified locally and put to the review of the STPR for consideration? Furthermore, does the Minister acknowledge that prioritising the stretch of the A75 between Dumfries and Gretna would bring greatest economic benefit to the area?

I will be brief. Joan McAlpine makes a very good point. I thank her again for calling for the transport summit, which the Deputy First Minister chaired and I attended, and I say to her that we are open minded about suggestions that come through the review of the STPR. I also confirm that the stretch of road that she mentioned will be given consideration in the review of the STPR.

With regard to projects being brought forward for the A75, the Minister will be aware that when in 2009 the local transport agency, the south west of Scotland transport partnership, undertook an appraisal, under the Scottish transport appraisal guidance, of possible road improvements in Dumfries and Galloway, the option of dualling the A75 between Gretna and Dumfries was assessed but was deemed, at that time, not to be cost effective under the assessment criteria. Does the minister recognise the need to review those criteria to ensure that the significant economic benefits to Dumfries and Galloway of dualling the A75 are properly recognised? That is, of course, an issue that was raised at the transport summit to which the minister referred.

I do not think that it is necessary to review the criteria, although I am more than happy to listen to Colin Smyth’s suggestions in that respect. As he will understand, there are competing priorities across the country. Wherever I travel, there are people who—understandably—want improvements in their local area and constituencies, and we are always looking to be as accommodating as possible. However, all that must be seen within the financial constraints that we are under. If the member has specific suggestions that he would like me to look at again with regard to the STPR refresh, I am open minded.