N.I. Minister discusses transport links with Scotland

Transport Minister Conor Murphy MP, MLA today met with Stewart Stevenson MSP, the Scottish Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change.

Speaking after the meeting in Edinburgh Minister Murphy said: "Co-operation and communication at Ministerial level are important to maintaining and improving transport links between the North of Ireland and Scotland.

“The joint communiqué signed following the visit by Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, to the North of Ireland last year, contained a commitment to strengthening co-operation between our two devolved administrations. I therefore welcomed this opportunity to meet my Scottish Ministerial counterpart.

“The focus of our discussion today was on transport links across the North Channel. Good transportation routes beyond the sea ports in the South West of Scotland are vital to the North of Ireland. They are important not only for the economy in the efficient transport of freight and by facilitating tourism, but also for the great number of people visiting friends and relatives or travelling to sporting events. As we discussed today, they are also important for the economic regeneration of this part of Scotland.

“I welcomed today, the opportunity to hear of the Scottish Government’s plans to upgrade the road network out of these ports and to improve the rail service out of Stranraer. I was also reassured to hear of the long-term priority which the Scottish Government attaches to the transport link across the North Channel."

The Minister added: “I welcomed my Scottish Ministerial counterpart’s commitment to on-going liaison between our two administrations to improve the transport linkages between the North of Ireland and Scotland.”

Issues discussed in the meeting included the railway services from Stranraer, trunk road links from the Loch Ryan ports of Stranraer and Cairnryan, the A75 to Carlisle and the A77 to Ayr / Glasgow.

Funding to take freight off roads

A £250,000 grant to develop a rail facility to improve freight handling between Rannoch and Irvine will remove 180,000 lorry miles per year from Scotland's roads.

The Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) jointly awarded to UPM Tilhill and CSP Forestry will allow for the movement of 120,000 tonnes of timber by rail from Rannoch to Irvine over the next eight years, delivering real benefits for Scotland's environment.

Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said:

"I am delighted that UPM Tilhill and CSP Forestry are using Government funding to work together and switch so much heavy freight from road to rail.

"As a Government we are committed to getting more freight off Scotland's roads and onto rail and water. By taking more lorries off our roads this funding will help ease congestion and reduce damage to the environment. It will also benefit local tourism by removing timber lorries from the narrow scenic roads around Loch Rannoch and Loch Tummel.

"These projects make an important contribution towards achieving our ambitious target of reducing Scottish emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. This target is twice as ambitious as the UK target and signals Scotland's serious intent to lead the global effort to combat climate change.

"I would like to encourage more Scottish businesses to think about their freight priorities and how these impact upon the environment. If we want to tackle the effects of climate change, it is clear we all need to take action. The freight industry can play its part by taking advantage of this funding as moving more freight away from our roads will be good for the environment and greatly reduce congestion."

Peter Whitfield, Timber Operations Director, UPM Tilhill, said: "UPM Tilhill is pleased to have been awarded this grant. Enabling the transport of harvested timber by rail reduces the impact on local communities, and makes good use of the existing infrastructure.

"The Freight Facilities Grant enables both UPM Tilhill and our partners to carry out harvesting operations in a timely and sensitive way. The timber will be delivered to Scotland's newest CHP (combined heat and power) Plant at Caledonian Paper."

The joint award of Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) to UPM Tilhill and CSP Forestry is for £250,900. Awards of grant are £192,300 to CSP Forestry and £58,600 to UPM Tilhill.

The award to CSP Forestry is for mobile and handling equipment for the movement and loading of timber on to the train, and the grant to Tilhill is for the provision of a rail line-side loading facility.

UPM Tilhill has been contracted by the Forest Enterprise to manage the harvesting of the timber in the Barracks Block forest area at the western end of Loch Rannoch.

CSP Forestry Ltd are a small family-owned business who have been sub-contracted by UPM Tilhill to do the on-site hauling and loading work of the timber on to the trains.

The timber is to be transported by the rail freight operating company, Colas, to a timber processing facility at Irvine.

STEVENSON SUPPORTS CALL FOR FAIR PLAY ON EXCISE DUTY FOR WORKING OFF ROAD VEHICLES

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson today voiced his support for the SNP Motion at Westminster calling for fair play on Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). Under an SNP amendment introduced to the Finance Bills in the House of Commons the rate of VED for working vehicles, such as those used by farmers, gamekeepers and mountain rescue volunteers, would be pegged to the lowest rate.

Commenting on the SNP amendment Mr Stevenson said:

“The Treasury’s increase in vehicle excise duty on 4x4s directly and unduly hits rural areas where workers use four-wheel-drives out of necessity. Farmers, gamekeepers, and even mountain rescue volunteers, use four-wheel drives because they are practical for rough terrain and towing, not because of how they look when they do the school run.

“This amendment is about common sense for VED on working vehicles, and fair play for workers in rural areas who are already reeling from sky high fuel prices. While there is a real issue of raising duty on four wheeled vehicles that are used in an urban setting with no real need for the high emission emitting engines we need to protect those who use these vehicles out of necessity in their daily working environment.

“Our rural communities are all too often hit the hardest by Government Policy which fails to recognise the distinct nature of the rural economy. The SNP is more than aware that we need to alter government proposals to fit with the distinct nature of the rural economy. This amendment aims to do just that with respect to vehicle excise duty on four wheel drive vehicles and will help out our rural constituents in Banff & Buchan.”