M8 journeys cut by 20 minutes

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has officially opened the £500 million M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project, saving motorists up to 20 minutes on journey times.

The project, including the new seven mile stretch of the M8 motorway, aims to tackle congestion problems in central Scotland and is the first part of a combined £1.7 billion investment by Transport Scotland in the roads network.

New analysis by Transport Scotland shows journey times are significantly improved, with vehicles now travelling along the M8 at an average speed of almost 70mph, even during the busiest periods.

The journey time savings have been assessed as contributing more than £1bn to Scotland’s economy, improving the connections for businesses between Edinburgh and Glasgow and beyond.

Improved road safety through the reduction of traffic on local roads, is set to result in a predicted reduction of more than 100 accidents per year, and accident savings of more than £118m over a 30 year period.

Speaking at the Maxim Business Park at Eurocentral, the First Minister said:

“This new length of motorway has completed the M8 link between Glasgow and Edinburgh and Scotland’s previously most congested junction.

“The M8 is a vital link in the central belt and this newly completed section will help connect people to business, leisure and education opportunities and also creates a better environment for companies to do business.

“Businesses are already reporting a journey time saving of up to 20 minutes travel between Scotland’s biggest cities and a similar saving for those using Raith junction. These improvements and additional road capacity will ensure our economy has room to grow.

“With the completion of this project, and three others others – the Queensferry crossing, the first section of the A9 dualling and the Aberdeen bypass – by next spring, more than 250km of new roads will have been completed in the last 10 years – representing a total investment in construction of £2.81 billion.”

During construction, the project provided training and employment to more than 8000 workers, who contributed more than 6.5m hours of work to deliver these improvements.

It also project provided a minimum of 30 graduate and apprenticeship positions during the three year construction period, with a further 20 construction jobs each year aimed at the long-term unemployed. The project is also expected to provide sustainable long-term employment opportunities for approximately 60 full-time staff during the operation and maintenance of these routes over a 30 year period.

Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said:

“Connectivity between Scotland’s two biggest cities is vitally important for trade so we warmly welcome the completion of this major infrastructure project.

“The M8 M73 M74 road network is also a key link for people commuting to Glasgow, with shorter journey times a real benefit to businesses and the economy.

“Congratulations to Transport Scotland and its partners for delivering such an extensive project which will have a huge, lasting impact for travel across the country and beyond.”

Background
Work on the project started in February 2014 and all roads on the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project were opened to traffic in Spring 2017 as planned.

Project numbers:
• 6.5 million man hours worked
• 8,000+ people worked on site at various stages over the three years
• 418,000 trees & shrubs being planted as part of the project
• 95% of on-site waste recycled
• 16km of combined foot/cycle-ways built or upgraded
• 43 new structures including 15 new road bridges and 2 railway bridges
• 25km carriageway upgraded/built during construction
• 2,500,000m2 new road pavement laid
• 3,500,000m3 of cut
• 2,500,000m3 of fill
• 100km drainage

Further infrastructure projects set to complete include the Queensferry Crossing, AWPR & Balmedie to Tipperty and A9 Dualling Kincraig to Dalraddy.

This project marks the start of a year of infrastructure delivery across Scotland. By spring 2018, the total length of new and upgraded roads delivered in Scotland over a twelve month period will be 175km, including more than 61km of motorway and 75km of dual-carriageway. In addition, more than 54km of cycle routes and footpaths will have been completed.

Article Source: https://news.gov.scot/news/m8-journeys-cut-by-20-minutes

Scottish Government to recommend consent is rejected.

Speaking after today’s meeting with UK First Secretary of State Damian Green on the issue of the repatriation of powers following Brexit – which was also attended by Deputy First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Secretary David Mundell – Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe Michael Russell said:

“Today was a useful opportunity for an exchange of views between ourselves and the UK Government on Brexit and the repatriation of powers it will involve.

“But following today’s meeting we remain absolutely clear that, as things stand, we will not recommend to the Scottish Parliament that it gives its consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill.

“The bill as currently drafted is impractical and unworkable. It is a blatant power grab which would take existing competence over a wide range of devolved policy areas, including aspects of things like agriculture and fishing, away from Holyrood, giving them instead to Westminster and Whitehall.

“That means that unless there are serious and significant changes to the proposed legislation, the strong likelihood is that the Scottish Parliament will vote against the repeal bill.

“To be clear, that would not block Brexit and we have never claimed to have a veto over EU withdrawal.

“But UK Ministers should still be in no doubt – to override a vote of the Scottish Parliament and impose the EU Withdrawal Bill on Scotland would be an extraordinary and unprecedented step to take.

“What is now needed is a recognition from the UK Government that the bill as drafted cannot proceed. It should be changed to take account of the very serious concerns expressed by the Scottish and Welsh Governments.

“The current proposals are a direct threat to the devolution settlement which the people of Scotland overwhelmingly voted for in 1997.

“As we have made clear, we are not opposed in principle to UK-wide frameworks in certain areas – but this must be on the basis of agreement among equals, not imposed by Westminster.”

Article Source: https://news.gov.scot/news/brexit-bill-talks

Scot Gov News: Hundreds of schools to benefit.

More than £45 million will be provided to primary and secondary schools in 2017/18 to help close the poverty-related attainment gap, Deputy First Minister John Swinney announced today.

Nine local authorities and an additional 72 individual schools have been allocated funding from the Scottish Attainment Challenge, for education initiatives and projects targeting Scotland’s most deprived children.

Mr Swinney made the announcement during a visit to Newark Primary School Holiday Club in Port Glasgow where a range of opportunities for families to learn and play together over the school holidays has been made possible by previous Scottish Attainment Challenge funding. He said:

“Improving the education and life chances of our children and young people is the defining mission of this government. Central to this is the Scottish Attainment Challenge, which is providing £750 million during the course of this Parliament to tackle the poverty-related attainment gap by supporting hundreds of schools develop approaches to improve literacy, numeracy and health and well-being.

“During my visit to Newark Primary School I was able to see first-hand the very real benefit this funding is having on children and young people, their families and the wider community. Today’s announcement ensures local authorities and individual schools where the need is greatest have substantial additional funding for the coming year to tailor their plans based on their own circumstances.

“This work, along with the introduction of Pupil Equity Funding, forms the backbone of our focus to target resources where they are needed the most whilst also empowering schools to ultimately improve the life chances of all of children and young people in Scotland.”

Inverclyde Council Leader Councillor Stephen McCabe said:

“We have been able to more than double the provision of lunch clubs across Inverclyde this summer and hundreds of families have been enjoying the range of activities and lunches on offer.

“We recognise that key to closing the attainment gap is the involvement of parents and families in a child’s education – from attending parents’ evenings, parent councils and home learning – so that teaching in the classroom can be supported in the home.

“Families spending time together over the summer in a fun, relaxed and informal setting is a great way to start that process and also an opportunity for us to let people know about other resources and added support we have available to them.

“Inverclyde is performing very well when it comes to education and our £270 million investment in new and refurbished schools alongside the excellent work being undertaken as part of the Scottish Attainment Challenge to reduce the attainment gap linked to deprivation is playing a major part in that success.”

Article Source: https://news.gov.scot/news/gbp-45-million-to-close-attainment-gap

Scottish Parliament urged to back move to protect devolved powers.

Members of the Scottish Parliament must come together to ensure that Parliament retains its hard-fought for ability to make laws in devolved areas, Minister for UK Negotiations of Scotland’s Place in Europe Michael Russell said today.

Following publication of the EU Withdrawal Bill, Mr Russell has written to all MSPs to explain the implications of the Bill and to set out the Scottish Government’s position.

Mr Russell said that Scotland risks having to fight for powers that should rightfully belong to the Scottish Parliament, since the UK Government’s EU (Withdrawal) Bill contains no promise to protect these.

The UK Government acknowledges that the Bill requires the legislative consent of the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly of Wales, but without an explicit guarantee in the bill of powers going directly to devolved administrations, both governments have indicated that they will not recommend that consent be given.

Despite lifting the restriction on the UK requiring compliance with EU law, the Bill does the following to devolution:
•imposes new restrictions on the Scottish Parliament and Government
•provides Scottish Ministers with only limited powers to make corrections to EU law in devolved areas
•reserves to the UK Government alone control of the scope and extent of any UK-wide frameworks required to replace EU laws

Michael Russell, Minister for Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe, said:

“Scotland will stand the best chance of keeping control of its devolved powers if the Scottish Government can act with the full backing of our national Parliament.

“The First Minister has already called on Members of the Scottish Parliament to join us now, with no equivocation, to back demands for the democratically elected Scottish Government to be at the table in the UK’s Brexit negotiating strategy. But we also need to make a stand against the UK Government retaining powers that rightfully should come to Scotland once repatriated from the EU.

“Scotland has been able to make its own decisions on Health, Justice, Education and many more since 1999 and we simply ask for a promise from the UK Government, to be written in the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, that Scotland – along with Wales and Northern Ireland – receive the powers that are justly theirs.”

Text of Mr Russell’s letter to MSPs below:

EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) BILL

Today the UK Government introduced the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill to the House of Commons.

This is a complicated and significant piece of legislation. It has fundamental implications not only for the UK’s membership of the EU, but also for the powers and role of the Scottish Parliament. I am therefore writing to all Members to draw it to your attention.

The published version of the bill can be found via the following link: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2017-2019/0005/18005.pdf

The Bill does four main things. Firstly, it repeals the European Communities Act 1972. Secondly, it saves and incorporates EU law into domestic law as it exists on exit day, which it refers to as “retained EU law”. Thirdly, the bill gives UK Ministers powers in reserved and devolved areas to correct deficiencies in retained EU law arising as a result of withdrawal, prevent or remedy breaches in any international agreements arising from withdrawal and implement the withdrawal agreement. The Bill also gives Ministers from the devolved administrations their own versions of these three powers, although those are subject to a number of detailed restrictions. Finally, the bill imposes a new constraint on all of the devolution settlements which prevents the devolved administrations from modifying retained EU law, in policy areas that are otherwise devolved, unless what they are doing is in line with pre-existing EU law.

The Scottish Government has serious concerns about the bill in a number of areas.

Firstly, and most fundamentally, the competence restrictions imposed by the bill are asymmetrical. The bill lifts from the UK Government and Parliament the requirement to comply with EU law, but does the opposite for the devolved legislatures by imposing a new set of strict restrictions – restrictions which make no sense in the context of the UK leaving the EU.

To put it simply, in reserved areas that are currently subject to EU law, the UK parliament regains the ability to legislate without restriction. In devolved areas, the Scottish Parliament does not – it will only be able to do so in future if the UK government grants permission by Order in Council.

The result of those asymmetrical competence restrictions, will be to leave the ultimate decisions on UK-wide frameworks on matters that are otherwise devolved to the UK Government and Parliament. While the Scottish Government recognises that common frameworks to replace EU laws across the UK may be needed in some areas, the competence in matters that are otherwise devolved should revert to the Scottish Parliament, enabling the scope and content of any UK-wide frameworks to be agreed between the UK Government and the devolved administrations, rather than imposed.

We are also concerned that the scheme in the bill for correcting devolved law is unlikely to be workable in its current form. It creates a complex division of decision-making responsibility that does not reflect the reality of devolution. In particular, it empowers UK Ministers to make changes in devolved policy areas without ANY involvement of either the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliament. This includes policy areas, such as the Scottish justice system, where the Scottish Parliament has primary responsibility.

We have made clear to the UK Government that we are prepared to work with it to ensure that there is coherence and stability for both Scotland and the rest of the UK on the day the UK withdraws from the EU. We will take forward discussion of the bill and the UK Government’s proposals for implementation on that basis. However, we have also made clear that, in light of the concerns set out above, the Scottish Government would not be able to support the bill as it currently stands.

The Scottish Government’s concerns are shared by the Welsh Government. Members may wish to note that a joint statement was made by the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales setting out the position of the two governments on the bill.

https://news.gov.scot/news/eu-bill-doesnt-reflect-reality-of-devolution

Scot Gov News: Transport Minister, Humza Yousaf on-site today.

Minister for Transport and the Islands Humza Yousaf has today marked the start of a £31.2 million project to construct a bypass at Dalry.

Mr Yousaf was on-site to break ground on the new bypass which will be built to the east of the North Ayrshire town.

The project will involve the construction of a four kilometre bypass as well as two new roundabouts, at Hillend and Highfield, and a viaduct to carry the new road over the River Garnock and the Glasgow to Ayr railway line. Works will also be required to connect the new Bypass to the existing A737 Trunk Road east of Highfield.

Transport Scotland appointed contractor Farrans Roadbridge Joint Venture in May to construct the bypass.

Upon completion the bypass will encourage improved economic and employment opportunities through better journey time reliability for motorists and businesses along the length of the A737. In addition, the Dalry Bypass will help separate local and strategic traffic, leading to improved safety for both rural road users and communities.

Mr Yousaf said:

“I am delighted to be here at Dalry today, to mark the start of the first of two major investments on the A737 to improve this key route in the southwest of Scotland.

“Delivery of the scheme will help strengthen the economy for the local communities by providing improved journey times as well reducing the demand placed upon the current road by long-distance road users.

“The Scottish Government is committed to having a safer and more efficient transport network and the start of work today is another step forward to delivering this for the people of Scotland.”

Brian Snow, Project Manager, Farrans Roadbridge said:

“Farrans Roadbridge are delighted to have been selected as the contractor to complete the A737 Dalry Bypass and look forward to a successful partnership with Transport Scotland during the construction period.”

Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2019.

For further information please visit https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/a737-dalry-bypass/

https://news.gov.scot/news/work-begins-on-gbp-31-2-million-a737-upgrade

Responding to the introduction of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon and First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones have today issued the below joint statement.

“This week began with the Prime Minister calling for a constructive and collaborative approach from those outside Whitehall to help get Brexit right. Today’s publication of The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill is the first test as to whether the UK Government is serious about such an approach. It is a test it has failed utterly.

“We have repeatedly tried to engage with the UK Government on these matters, and have put forward constructive proposals about how we can deliver an outcome which will protect the interests of all the nations in the UK, safeguard our economies and respect devolution.

“Regrettably, the Bill does not do this. Instead, it is a naked power-grab, an attack on the founding principles of devolution and could destabilise our economies.

“Our two governments – and the UK government – agree we need a functioning set of laws across the UK after withdrawal from the EU. We also recognise that common frameworks to replace EU laws across the UK may be needed in some areas. But the way to achieve these aims is through negotiation and agreement, not imposition. It must be done in a way which respects the hard-won devolution settlements.

“The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill does not return powers from the EU to the devolved administrations, as promised. It returns them solely to the UK Government and Parliament, and imposes new restrictions on the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales.

“On that basis, the Scottish and Welsh Governments cannot recommend that legislative consent is given to the Bill as it currently stands.

“The Bill lifts from the UK Government and Parliament the requirement to comply with EU law, but does the opposite for the devolved legislatures: it imposes a new set of strict restrictions. These new restrictions make no sense in the context of the UK leaving the EU.

“We have explained these points to the UK Government and have set out what we consider to be a constructive way forward in the spirit of co-operation, based on the involvement of, and respect for, devolved institutions.

“Unfortunately, the conversation has been entirely one-sided. We remain open to these discussions, and look forward to coming to an agreed solution between the governments of these islands.”

Article Source: https://news.gov.scot/news/eu-withdrawal-bill