Written Question · S4W-12852 · Session 4
Whether (a) the dualling works on the A9, (b) A96 improvement works, (c) Edinburgh and Glasgow to Aberdeen rail improvement works and (d) E…
The question
To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) the dualling works on the A9, (b) A96 improvement works, (c) Edinburgh and Glasgow to Aberdeen rail improvement works and (d) Edinburgh and Glasgow to Inverness rail improvement works have been accelerated in the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2011: Updated Programme Pipeline (January 2013) compared with the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2011 as a result of the £394 million in additional capital resources allocated in the 2012 Autumn Statement.
The answer
The Scottish Government wrote to the Chancellor ahead of the Autumn Statement on 5 December calling on the UK Government to provide an immediate targeted boost to capital investment to protect the recovery in the short term and provide the infrastructure necessary to facilitate long term economic growth.
The Scottish Government therefore welcomed that the Chancellor finally heeded Scotland’s calls to boost capital spending, and that an additional £394 million in capital funding has been allocated over the three years, we note however that this was accompanied by reductions in our resource budget, and the capital budget is still being cut by 26 per cent in real terms over the period of the UK Spending Review.
The Scottish Government announced on 19 December 2012 that a £205 million package of construction and maintenance projects will be taken forward, allocating the additional capital consequentials for 2012-13 and 2013-14 arising from the Autumn Statement 2012. This package focused on smaller, “Shovel Ready” projects that could start work by the end of 2013-14, in order to boost jobs and economic activity. The Infrastructure Investment Plan pipeline includes larger projects, with a capital value over £20 million to be delivered over the period through to 2030. These larger projects require significant planning and preparation, and were unlikely to be able to be accelerated sufficiently to deliver by the end of 2013-14. Further information on the shovel ready projects that are being taken forward can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2012/12/jobs192012. A total of £21.2 million was allocated to transport projects over the period 2012-13 – 2014-15.
We also announced that we would not at this stage allocate the additional funds available for 2014-15. The Chancellor is planning a UK Spending Review in the first half of 2013, and this may impact on the overall budget available to the Scottish Government in 2014-15. We wish to reflect on the outcome of the UK Spending Review before allocating the additional capital consequentials for that year, and will make further announcements in due course.
The table below gives additional information about the progress being made with the projects specifically highlighted.
Dualling works on the A9
The Scottish Government announced a commitment to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness by 2025 as part of the IIP announcement in December 2011. There are 80 miles of single carriageway to be dualled
Work is now well underway and progressing on strategic engineering and environmental assessments. Ministers have announced two schemes that will be brought forward for earlier completion
- A9 Kincraig to Dalraddy will start construction in 2015-16 and A9 Luncarty to Birnam will start construction in 2017. A series of corridor wide exhibitions were held in December 2012 to inform the public of the Scottish Government’s plans for dualling and the process and challenges involved.
A96 improvement works
The Scottish Government has made a commitment to complete the dualling of the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen by 2030.
The A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen is nearly 100 miles long and consists mostly of single carriageway and climbing lanes in places. Dualling the remaining 84 miles of this important road between Scotland's two northern most cities is a significant undertaking which will require careful, in-depth planning and design to ensure that we deliver the right scheme to help tackle congestion and provide better journey time reliability and road safety for motorists.
Transport Scotland has undertaken a series of workshops with key agencies to discuss how the dualling work might be phased and share experience of the route and the benefits dualling will bring. This work will culminate in a strategy for dualling the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen with the objective completing the full dualling by 2030.
A96 Inshes to Nairn
Following the Scottish
The Scottish Government therefore welcomed that the Chancellor finally heeded Scotland’s calls to boost capital spending, and that an additional £394 million in capital funding has been allocated over the three years, we note however that this was accompanied by reductions in our resource budget, and the capital budget is still being cut by 26 per cent in real terms over the period of the UK Spending Review.
The Scottish Government announced on 19 December 2012 that a £205 million package of construction and maintenance projects will be taken forward, allocating the additional capital consequentials for 2012-13 and 2013-14 arising from the Autumn Statement 2012. This package focused on smaller, “Shovel Ready” projects that could start work by the end of 2013-14, in order to boost jobs and economic activity. The Infrastructure Investment Plan pipeline includes larger projects, with a capital value over £20 million to be delivered over the period through to 2030. These larger projects require significant planning and preparation, and were unlikely to be able to be accelerated sufficiently to deliver by the end of 2013-14. Further information on the shovel ready projects that are being taken forward can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2012/12/jobs192012. A total of £21.2 million was allocated to transport projects over the period 2012-13 – 2014-15.
We also announced that we would not at this stage allocate the additional funds available for 2014-15. The Chancellor is planning a UK Spending Review in the first half of 2013, and this may impact on the overall budget available to the Scottish Government in 2014-15. We wish to reflect on the outcome of the UK Spending Review before allocating the additional capital consequentials for that year, and will make further announcements in due course.
The table below gives additional information about the progress being made with the projects specifically highlighted.
Dualling works on the A9
The Scottish Government announced a commitment to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness by 2025 as part of the IIP announcement in December 2011. There are 80 miles of single carriageway to be dualled
Work is now well underway and progressing on strategic engineering and environmental assessments. Ministers have announced two schemes that will be brought forward for earlier completion
- A9 Kincraig to Dalraddy will start construction in 2015-16 and A9 Luncarty to Birnam will start construction in 2017. A series of corridor wide exhibitions were held in December 2012 to inform the public of the Scottish Government’s plans for dualling and the process and challenges involved.
A96 improvement works
The Scottish Government has made a commitment to complete the dualling of the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen by 2030.
The A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen is nearly 100 miles long and consists mostly of single carriageway and climbing lanes in places. Dualling the remaining 84 miles of this important road between Scotland's two northern most cities is a significant undertaking which will require careful, in-depth planning and design to ensure that we deliver the right scheme to help tackle congestion and provide better journey time reliability and road safety for motorists.
Transport Scotland has undertaken a series of workshops with key agencies to discuss how the dualling work might be phased and share experience of the route and the benefits dualling will bring. This work will culminate in a strategy for dualling the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen with the objective completing the full dualling by 2030.
A96 Inshes to Nairn
Following the Scottish
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S4W-12852 by reference.