Spending Review: Executive Plans a 'Climate-wrecking' Charter
Wed., September 29, 2004. 00:00.
The spending review announcement today by Finance Minister Andy Kerr, with
ongoing commitments to major road building projects and promotion of ever-more
air travel, will see Scotland become a global embarrassment in efforts to tackle
climate change, said Greens.
Despite some welcome measures to fund some long awaited public transport
initiatives like the Stirling, Alloa-Kincardine line and extending the
concessionary travel scheme, the benefits of these say Green MSPs, will be
undermined by the Executive's refusal to face up to growing traffic levels. The
Greens dismiss the Executive's claim to be spending 70% of transport spending on
public transport as 'sleight of hand accountancy', as the continual spending on
new major roads like the £1bn M74 extension are likely to become PFI projects
that will drain the public purse for decades.
Chris Ballance MSP, Green Speaker on Transport, said: 'This is directionless.
Scotland's transport is a mess and this budget does precious little to sort it
out. There is no real transport strategy to tackle climate change or growing
traffic levels. There may be more money going into public transport at long
last, but it is still not enough to counter the cash going in the opposite
direction. The resources to make a real difference to congestion and climate
change are being stolen by madcap projects like the M74 and the Aberdeen Bypass
and the promotion of ever more air travel through the doubling of the Route
Development Fund.'
Road traffic levels are going up year on year and aviation is a major growing
source of climate change pollution. Scotland's climate pollution levels have
actually gone UP since 1990 when the rest of the UK's has gone down by 5%. The
Executive today doubled the budget for the Air Route Development Fund.
Mark Ballard MSP, Green Speaker on Finance, said: 'The use of PFI to fund
major projects allows the Executive to hide the real figures - a £30 million
per year payment for the M74 may not feature prominently in an annual budget,
but spread those payments over 30 years, and it becomes clear that many other
local, sustainable transport schemes must lose out. The actual commitment being
made today is to between 500 million and a billion pounds on building a five
mile motorway - add that into the percentages and the pretence is revealed.
We are mortgaging ourselves out of any chance of a sustainable transport
policy.'
'Rather than waste money on the M74 and the Aberdeen Bypass, why are we not
talking about the Glasgow or Aberdeen cross rail? Instead of spending countless
millions on grandiose airport rail links, how about prioritising the upgrade of
Waverley station?'
For more information call 0790 99 33 074
Contact the Scottish Greens' press team on 07909 933 074.