Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 2:00 pm on 13 June 2024.
Clare Haughey
Scottish National Party
2:00,
13 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how it works with local authorities to promote road safety. (S6O-03568)
Fiona Hyslop
Scottish National Party
We are supporting our commitment to make Scotland’s roads safe for all with a record £36 million investment in road safety in 2024-25 to reduce casualties and risks on our roads. That includes the road safety improvement fund, which each local authority can access to improve road safety on their networks.
The Scottish Government collaborates with all local authorities via our local partnership forums, which are part of the governance structure of the road safety framework to 2030, and various other road safety forums. Those forums give us the capability to improve communication between local and national levels.
Road Safety Scotland has developed a full suite of learning and resources for three to 18-year-olds, which is available on its website.
Clare Haughey
Scottish National Party
I frequently hear from constituents who are concerned about speeding across my Rutherglen Constituency, including on Brownside Road in Cambuslang, which has seen numerous accidents over the years. However, more often than not, South Lanarkshire Council does not commit to implementing traffic calming measures.
Although prioritising areas for traffic calming is an operational matter for South Lanarkshire Council, can the Cabinet secretary outline further how the Government engages with local authorities to ensure that they are doing what they can to improve road safety for pedestrians and other drivers?
Fiona Hyslop
Scottish National Party
Through our road safety framework to 2030 we aim to protect our vulnerable road users and achieve safer road travel in Scotland.
As I said in my initial answer, we engage local authorities through the local partnership forums and other road safety groups. Through the road safety improvement fund, we provide financial support as well as road collision data to allow local authorities to deliver evidence-led road safety initiatives to target overrepresented modes and users in their respective areas.
We also provide financial support for local authorities to deliver the 20mph speed limits as part of the national strategy.
Foysol Choudhury
Labour
In May, I joined Living Streets, the United Kingdom charity for active travel that encourages children to walk through walk to school week.
Our roads are seen as too dangerous for many, with casualties on the roads increasing since 2020. Will the Cabinet secretary outline what measures the Scottish Government is taking to increase road safety and promote active travel, and will she assure me that projects for Transport Scotland’s road safety framework will be fully funded until 2030?
Fiona Hyslop
Scottish National Party
Road safety is a big concern of mine, which is why we have that record level of funding in the road safety and improvement budget. I think that, in his question, the member is referring to local roads. I am responsible for trunk roads and councils will be responsible for local roads. However, his point about active travel incorporating safety measures is well made. I will make sure that, as we take forward our active travel plans, road safety is embedded as part and parcel of what we deliver.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
