3. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential benefits of improving transport infrastructure in south-west Scotland. (S5O-04575)

The south-west Scotland transport study, which concluded in January, emphasised the importance of a connected, safe, resilient and high-quality strategic transport network for the region. It recommended that 23 interventions be taken forward for further detailed appraisal in the second strategic transport projects review. By their very nature, such studies assess the potential benefits and impacts of interventions.

Work has recently restarted on STPR2. We intend to take a phased approach to phase 1, which will be focused on recommendations that will lock in the transport benefits for individuals’ travel behaviours.

Three growth deals, worth in excess of £1.4 billion, surround the south-west. However, transport infrastructure in the south-west remains woefully short of what is needed to support the south-west economy. Cairnryan—the biggest port in Scotland and the third biggest in the United Kingdom—is under threat from poor connectivity via the A77, the A75 and the rail link, and Transport Scotland has warned that the Bellfield interchange in Kilmarnock already has more traffic than it was designed for before those growth deals even get under way.

The Scottish Government’s investment in the south-west—

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

Mr Whittle, I am sorry, but this goes for everybody. I asked for short questions, and although we have added an extra five minutes, I will be pressed to get everybody in, including supplementaries. Please shorten your question.

I appreciate that. I am nearly there, Presiding Officer.

Investment in the south-west sits at a mere 0.04 per cent of the investment over the past 10 years. When will the Scottish Government stop the empty rhetoric that goes all the way back to a promise made by the then First Minister, Alex Salmond, 10 years ago, stop ignoring the needs of the south-west and give us the same level of investment that is enjoyed in the rest of Scotland?

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

That was not a lesson in how to be brief. Can you give a reasonably short answer, Cabinet secretary?

As the member is aware, we have already carried out the south-west Scotland strategic transport corridor study, which has identified 23 options. Part of that includes improvements to both the A75 and the A77. I stress that that includes the A77, whereas yesterday the member’s party leader appeared to be looking for investment only in the A75 for some reason. However, I assure the member that we remain committed to ensuring that we take forward STPR2, which will see investment made in the A75 and the A77, unlike the proposal from his party leader.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

I will take two brief supplementaries.

If the Cabinet secretary wants, I will happily join him in a photograph of us holding a sign that says “Dual the A75 and the A77”.

The cabinet secretary said that STPR2 would be delayed. Can he confirm whether specific proposals on the A75 and the A77, or similar proposals on road upgrades, will be contained in phase 1, or will they be kicked into phase 2? That phase will take place way into 2021, and people are sick of waiting.

The member will recognise that staff who are undertaking that work have had to pivot towards dealing with issues related to the pandemic. I am sure that he will recognise that staff in Transport Scotland, local authorities and other public agencies are working extremely hard to deal with the pandemic. That has meant that some work has had to be paused, including some of the work that is associated with STPR2.

In order to make progress as quickly as possible, we are breaking the process down into two phases. The first part, early next year, will lock in some of the behavioural changes that we have seen in recent months to make sure that we build on those. The second part will come later in the year.

The member will recognise that staff are doing their very best to deal with issues related to the pandemic and, at the same time, to restart the STPR2 work, drive forward the process and drive improvement across Scotland, including in the south-west.

Has the Cabinet secretary been in discussion with the United Kingdom Government in relation to additional infrastructure requirements for the port of Cairnryan after 31 December this year?

We have had no direct ministerial engagement with the UK Government on Cairnryan, despite the fact that we have raised the matter with it and despite its recent announcements about the possibility of a customs point being introduced on the Northern Ireland side. The UK Government must seek to address the issue as quickly as possible, but we have not yet received any further assurance about the actions that it intends to take.