8. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on plans to develop transport infrastructure in the South Scotland region, including in relation to an upgrade of the A75 and rail links from Ayr to Stranraer and Cairnryan. (S6O-02671)

The

Scottish Government is committed to the proposals for transport infrastructure improvements that are contained in the 45 strategic transport projects review 2 recommendations, which include improved and resilient connections to Stranraer and Cairnryan, among others. The Scottish Government is using all the levers that are at our disposal to maximise investment in those recommendations as effectively as possible during these challenging times.

Following the United Kingdom Government’s announcement of the availability of funding for initial appraisal work on pinchpoints on the A75, a business case was submitted to the Department for Transport in April 2023. I have received confirmation from the UK Government that it is supportive and I urge it to formalise that as soon as possible.

Long before my seven-plus years in this Parliament began, Scottish Government ministers were promising investment in the long overdue—and, some would say, forgotten—development of the A75, the A77 and rail links from Ayr to Stranraer. In 2010, Alex Salmond committed to significant transport infrastructure around the port of Cairnryan. Here we are, 13 years later, with a commitment from the UK Government to develop the A75 Euro route. Will the Scottish Government now focus on developing an A77 development plan, along with a plan for the wholly inadequate rail link from Ayr to Stranraer?

I say to the member that there has been considerable investment along the A77, as he well knows. He talked about the longer timeframe, but that has already happened, and investment can continue to happen.

It is not the Scottish Government’s responsibility that the UK Government decided on a union connectivity review. It demonstrated that, on the A75, most of the benefits would fall outside Scotland, because the A75 is the connection to Northern Ireland.

It is not my responsibility that the UK Government wants to do the Scottish transport appraisal guidance exercise. I am pleased that it has undertaken to do that. I just need formal recognition.

Work has been undertaken on the A75 and particularly the A77, with the Haggstone climbing lane, the new carriageway at Glen App, the Park End to Bennane project, the Symington and Bogend Toll project and the Maybole bypass. That bypass is a considerable improvement to the road. For the member not to recognise that does his constituents a disservice.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

With a similar reminder to my earlier one about the geographic focus of the original question, I call John Mason to ask a supplementary.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. I will try to be closer than Liam Kerr managed to be.

As well as the A77 and the A75, the Conservatives are demanding road improvements on the A9, the A96 and the A82, yet the Conservatives at Westminster have cut our capital budget by some 7 per cent. Can the Minister explain to the Conservatives that the finances have to add up and that we have to set priorities, or does she think that they do not understand the finance?

We are a responsible Government. The UK Government’s mini-budget under Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng, which is within living memory, caused financial havoc. For the Conservatives not to take responsibility for that and then to come to the chamber asking for investment right across our capital infrastructure at a time of a 7 per cent reduction in our budget and a time when construction inflation is outpacing other increases in costs is unrealistic, and it is why it would be extremely unrealistic to think that another Conservative Government will ever hold office either here or at Westminster.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

That concludes portfolio questions. Before we move to the next item of business, there will a brief pause to allow the front benches to change.