 The first item of business this afternoon is portfolio questions and the portfolio today is transport net zero and just transition. I would remind members that if they wish to seek to ask a supplementary, they should press the request of speak button during the relevant question or enter the letters RTS in the chat function if online. Question number one, I call Collette Stevenson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Earlier this month, the minister confirmed a very welcome investment of around £140 million in the East Kilbride rail enhancement. Sorry, Ms Stevenson, could I ask you to resume your seat a second? I think the question that needs to be asked is per the question on the business bulletin, which is your question, your principal question at question one, starting with to ask the Scottish Government. Thank you. I apologise, Presiding Officer, for my mistake. To ask Scottish Government when it was last met with Network Rail and what was discussed. I attended a meeting on Tuesday of this week to discuss the forthcoming peak fairs removal pilot network rail was represented at the meeting. My officials at Transport Scotland have regular discussions with Network Rail on a full range of subjects concerning the operation maintenance renewal and enhancement of the Scottish Railway network. Most recently, for example, officials met with Network Rail yesterday to attend the Scotland Railway business briefing attended by Andrew Haines and Alex Hines. Today, officials are meeting with Network Rail and South Ayrshire Council to discuss Ayr station. Collette Stevenson. I'll start again. Earlier this month, the minister confirmed a very welcome investment of around £140 million in the East Kilbride rail enhancement project. I was pleased to hear that we will have new stations at East Kilbride and Heir Myers, as well as an extension to the double tracking. Can the minister outline the other benefits of the enhancements to my constituents in East Kilbride, as well as for the environment? Electrification of this route will enable quieter, more reliable greener electric trains. It will transform the customer experience and contribute to the Scottish Government's decarbonisation commitments. The extension of the infrastructure at Heir Myers will improve operational resilience and flexibility of service, and the new station buildings at East Kilbride and Heir Myers will make rail services more accessible and, hopefully, attractive. The transport interchange at Heir Myers will provide users choices on how they travel to and from the station, including sustainable modes, which in turn will deliver environmental benefits. The Scottish Government announced many years ago now 200 million of spend to decrease journey times between Aberdeen and the central belt by 20 minutes by 2026. So, can I ask the minister, was this discussed with Network Rail, and can the minister provide an update on how much of this 200 million has been spent to date, and when passengers in the north-east will start to see improvements to the journey times? I'm glad that the member is so supportive of the decarbonisation plans to make sure that we have electrification, which can obviously improve journey times, among other things. Quite clearly, as I set out, the subject of my most recent discussion with Network Rail was the Monday launch of the peak fare removal pilot, which I know that many people are looking forward to. If there's any further detail that I can provide from what was, obviously, some time ago commitment in terms of spend, we've had a number of budgets, et cetera, since then. Of course, he'll be well aware that the problems that have been caused in the UK economy and budget by his party, among other issues, have led to real constraints on spend for infrastructure. As outlined by the Auditor General only today, that puts big pressures on our spend, but that commitment for electrification still stands. Network Rail has previously been open to discussing a potential upgrade of the southern suburb line. A train-trom solution would see vehicle running on the suburban line and transferring to street running to achieve convenience, more direct access to the city centre. Can the minister advise what discussion the Scottish Government have had with Network Rail regarding this train-trom solution and if it will consider running physically to study on the proposal? I can't tell you to hand what the latest discussions between Network Rail and Transport Scotland have been on this particular issue. I know that it's something that many people in Edinburgh think would be a sensible way forward. Clearly, SBIR 2 set out what the priorities would be in terms of looking at future opportunities. Obviously, if you look at the situation in Glasgow, where the metro would be trying to enhance a multimodal approach and using Light Rail and other issues that are referred to as an Edinburgh project, you can see where the benefits might lay. There are lots of priorities and lots of interests, but if there is anything that I can follow up in writing about in recent discussions, I will let the member know. Question 2, Graham Simpson. To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce a nationwide multimodal smart card. I am pleased to announce that we are issuing letters imminently to appoint members to our newly formed National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board. Following acceptance by members, this unique form will consist of passenger, operator and public body representation to advise me and bring a collaborative approach to ensure consistency for the customer and industry. It will build on the smart activity to date, including the already established, widely accepted, multimodal smart card platform used both by commercial and concessionary smart tickets on rail, bus, subway, tram and ferry by the 2 million smart cards in circulation across Scotland. I thank the minister for that answer. The Scottish Government has been talking about having a national smart card for well over a decade and nothing has happened. When Humzae Yousaf was transport minister in 2016, he published a report that said, the passenger is the end-user of smart ticketing and it is critical that they see benefits in a consistent experience across Scotland from multimodal smart ticketing while nothing has happened. The minister has just announced yet another talking shop. Why has it not happened? I go back to my original question. When are we going to see it? I am not sure that the member listened to my initial answer. There has been significant progress to date on smart ticketing. That includes smart ticketing being available using the 2 million smart cards in circulation for both concession and commercial tickets. In terms of our bus operators, they are operating 98 per cent contactless. We know on rail that the use of mobile in terms of mobile ticketing has expanded. I really do not think that the industry advisors who form part of this national smart ticketing advisory board will take kindly to the description that the member has just made of them. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To travel from Onts, the most northerly island in Chetland to Edinburgh, using only public transport, you need multiple bus and inter-island ferry tickets, a further ticket to North Link for North Link ferries to Aberdeen, only then to buy a rail ticket on the mainland for onward travel. The fair fairs review has been promised for some time. Will we see an outline in that review with solutions to those barriers for flexible travel, such as the integrated smart cards that have been promised for some time? The member makes an important point about the fairs fair review, which is as much about accessibility as it is about affordability and consistency matters. I do not know the detail on Chetland in particular, but I can give her an indication that when I visited Transport Scotland, only this week work was taking place to integrate exactly the same forms of transport ticketing that she just described in digital form for Orkney. I will try to find out and give the member information about Chetland in particular. Why was it possible, during COP26, for the delegates attending COP26 to have that functionality, and yet ordinary Scots cannot, even all this time later? I had a meeting with Strathplied passenger transport very recently, and the proposals of what they can do and their plans are very well developed, and that is something that I would be very keen to support. In terms of enhancing the existing smart technology that is used by many, many people, including 2 million smart cards, the specific project in Strathplied, will address the points that the member is making. To ask the Scottish Government how it is progressing its integrated transport plan for Fort William to reduce congestion and increase resilience and reliability on the Tronch road network. The proposed integrated transport plan is a recommendation that is emerged from SPR2 and Transport Scotland. It has started early preparatory planning and governance work to support its development. I recently had the pleasure of visiting Fort William during which I had several discussions with stakeholders and transport, including on the proposed plan. The Scottish Government and Transport Scotland will work with our active partners in Fort William 2040 to ensure that the future of the town is considered in a place-based way that benefits the entire town, its people, businesses and visitors. I know that the local community in Fort William hugely appreciated the minister's visit over the summer. She'll know from that visit that the 82 is a primary route not just for locals but for anybody travelling from south to north along the west coast. During the summer in particular, although throughout the year, it can take more than an hour to travel a mile. That has a massive impact, of course, on business haulage, on emergency services and on people getting about Fort William for their daily business. Does she have any ideas of how Transport Scotland can progress a permanent long-term solution to this challenge? The points that the member raises were clearly articulated to me when I made my visit to Fort William in the summer. I recognise the importance of the 82 through Fort William and the western highlands and the importance of that. I recognise the challenges, particularly during tourism season, the additional traffic places on the local community. The continued impact of congestion and reliability has led to the proposals for a bypass to be revisited as part of SBR2 and clearly some form of bypass. Bear in mind the constraints that do exist in the project and it formed part of that thinking for the Fort William 2014 master plan development. 4. Russell Findlay To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the introduction of road traffic congestion and children's schemes. The Transport Scotland Act of 2001 established the discretionary power for local authorities to implement road user charging schemes on the basis that they are best placed to determine whether a scheme supports objectives in their local transport strategy. We welcome local authorities commitment to local measures that support delivery of a 20 per cent reduction in car kilometres, including City of Edinburgh and Glasgow City Council's commitment to a 30 per cent car kilometre reduction. We will work with local authorities to support equitable measures, encouraging active travel and greater investment in public transport for a fair and greener transport system. 4. Russell Findlay We know that SNP councillors are plotting a congestion charge that will hammer hardworking people who need their cars to do their jobs. Many have already been penalised by the punitive early aid scheme, which has also hit shops and nightlife. The city's chamber of commerce is clear that this is only happening because SNP ministers are cutting cash to councils. 5. Will the money taken from the pockets of waterists for any congestion charge be used to urgently repair dangerous roads and invest in public transport? Russell Findlay's characterisation of the opportunity for reduced congestion, greater air quality and more space for walking, wheeling and cycling is quite extraordinary and inflammatory, I suggest. As I set out in my initial answer, the powers for introducing road user charging schemes already rest with local authorities. They have done since 2001. However, as I said, I welcome encouraging signs from Glasgow and Edinburgh City councils that they are committed to car kilometre reduction because of the opportunities that it creates that I narrated at the beginning of my answer for better spaces to live, work and spend time. The minister should look more closely at what the deputy leader of the SNP in Glasgow has said. He has made it very clear that this is about raising money from people who live in areas outside Glasgow rather than trying to tackle congestion. Is that the best way to try and take people with us when we are trying to tackle climate change? Just on the specifics of that point, in response to a written answer from Pauline McNeill, just the other day I understand that it will have landed with her, I was clear that the Scottish Government has had discussions with Glasgow City Council in the context of those local measures to support delivery of a 20 per cent car kilometre reduction, but the Scottish Government has not had discussions with the council regarding any specific congestion charging schemes, including charging drivers that are not resident in Glasgow. Councils are accountable to their local communities and have the ability to decide whether they should implement measures such as local congestion charging or not. To ask the Scottish Government for its response to the Robert Gordon University's report powering up the workforce. Robert Gordon University's report shows Scotland's enormous energy potential and that we possess... I'm sorry, could the cabinet secretary please? Yes, of course. Yes, sorry, Ms Nicolle. I've just actually, my attention has been drawn to the fact whilst I was looking at another issue, that the question that you asked Ms Nicolle is not the question that appears on the business bulletin. Ms Nicolle would need to read out the question that actually she has asked per the business bulletin, so perhaps one of her colleagues could helpfully provide her with that. I have my apologies now. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with stakeholders in the north-east to discuss its just transition strategy. I have the pleasure of spending a great deal of time in the north-east in this role. Most recently I was there on 15 September, two Fridays ago. Among a number of visits that I undertook were to those who are currently in receipt of funding from the Scottish Government via the Just Transition Fund. That included helping to launch the energy transition skills hub with North East College in the energy transition zone. They are in receipt of £4.5 million of the Just Transition Fund, which will help 1,000 people into energy transition jobs over the next five years. I also had the opportunity to visit Camp Hill School, where I learned about their mortal market project, which is helping young people and children with complex needs to develop skills for the transition. I am really pleased that we were able to support them financially as well. Thank the cabinet secretary for her response. Given the Rosebank project has been given to go ahead and, while the oil and gas industry continues to make a significant contribution to our economy, it is clear that we must balance our future energy needs with our climate obligations, critically ensuring a fair and just transition to net zero for our workforce. The report, published by the Robert Gordon University, outlined that the numbers employed offshore could rise from over £150,000 in 2023 to £225,000 by 2030, with new renewable jobs outnumbering oil and gas rolls if a successful transition is achieved. What action is the Scottish Government taking to ensure that we don't lose this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, particularly in the face of the UK Government's decision to... Thank you, Mr Coe. You're over your time, cabinet secretary. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The development this week with regards to Rosebank confirmed a number of concerns that the Scottish Government has had for a long time, principally related to the size of the field, the fact that it's primarily oil, the fact that that oil is due to principally be exported and therefore cannot contribute to national energy security, which, alongside climate concerns, I understand to be a very important issue. Robert Gordon University's report shows enormous energy potential and that Scotland possesses the natural resources and the skills that are required to lead the global energy transition. I mentioned the £4.5 million that were invested into the energy transition skills hub and the thousand people who it will train over the coming years. We've also invested £11 million on a skills passport, £5 million for an energy skills passport, which will support the transition of skills and jobs across offshore energy sectors and £1 million skills accelerator delivering pilot training courses in the area. After Rosebank was given the go-ahead yesterday, Sir Ian Wood, with over 60 years' experience and a track record of business success, said that it would accelerate a just transition to net zero and sustain thousands of jobs. Serial corrector of the record over energy stats and career politician Humza Yousaf, on the other hand, said that Rosebank would slow the pace of the transition. Whose analysis should the people of Scotland give more weight to? Let me be very clear that it is a stretch to suggest that fields the size of Rosebank, primarily oil as they are, primarily for export as that oil is, could possibly be contributing to the transition. Members, we need to hear the cabinet secretary's response. We have never advocated, this Government has never advocated the switching off of the taps in the North Sea overnight. That would be the wrong thing to do for our workers and for the investment that is needed to drive the transition to net zero. Investing in new oil fields like Rosebank is not the answer either. We must invest in a managed and fair transition, putting people, industry and workers in the northeast first. The offshore training passport was due to be launched by the end of this month, but with just two days to go, we are hearing reports that progress has stalled. Does the minister believe that the passport will go live in the next two days? If not, why not? The development of the Apeto offshore passport is an exceptionally complex piece of work, the complexities of which Mercedes Villalba has consistently failed to recognise. However, progress continues to be made. A review of standards mapping for the passport project is currently under way with outputs to be considered by the project review group. Just for the record, that is comprised of representatives from industry, trade body and trade unions, and it will do that when it reconvenes later next month. We will have further clarity on delivery timescales for the passport when this very important part of the process has concluded. To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any recommendations from the independent reporter to consider any outstanding objections to the development of the A720 Sheriff Hall roundabout in light of the public local inquiry, which took place at the beginning of February 2023. The Scottish Government has not yet received any recommendations from the independent reporter regarding the A720 Sheriff Hall roundabout following that public inquiry, held between 31 January and 8 February 2023. I am disappointed to hear that. I think that people across Edinburgh and the Lothians in the south of Scotland will really be wanting to see when those will be given to ministers and how fast we can see that progress, because we need the A720 Sheriff Hall roundabout to be upgraded. It is now five years since it was included in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland city regional deal. Can I ask the minister if she would agree to meet with me and campaigners at the junction at the earliest opportunity to really see the real need for this to be progressed and the junction upgraded as soon as possible? We assure the member that we remain committed to delivering the grade separation of Sheriff Hall roundabout as part of the commitment to the Edinburgh and South East Scotland city regional deal. As with all trunk road projects, a public local inquiry is the appropriate forum for consideration of outstanding objections. I think that the member is aware that there is a considerable number of objections, and I am sure that he would respect the time that the independent reporter has to take to consider that. In terms of his invitation, I think that it will be appropriate to see the report first and then obviously take the opportunity as appropriate following the publication of that report. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a stag appraisal of the proposed improvements to the A82 between Tarbot and Inveranan. I can advise that, following Audit Scotland's investigation in November 2022, it confirmed that a stag compliant assessment has already been completed in line with appropriate guidance. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to carry out a reappraisal of the preferred improvement option, as that would unnecessarily repeat completed work, resulting in considerable delay and additional costs that would not provide any value to the Scottish taxpayer. I can confirm that the Scottish Government remains committed to improving the A82 between Tarbot and Inveranan and will continue to push forward with the necessary detailed design and assessment work. I thank the minister for that response, but an approximation of a stag appraisal is not a full stag appraisal and that has yet to been carried out. There has been little consultation with key local groups and it is not appropriate to treat this as a standard road widening exercise given the sensitivity of the unique qualities of the landscape in Scotland's first national park. There is an alternative inland proposal that actually has not been properly considered and given that a full stag has not taken place, will the minister commit to giving it full appraisal, looking at the alternative solution, so that we can get the best possible to upgrade the A82 between Tarbot and Inveranan? I appreciate the concerns that are raised that people have different views. What I think is probably problematic is for Jackie Baillie to disagree with Audit Scotland's recognition and its investigation in November 2022, and he confirmed that a stag compliant assessment had been made. I think that we have already heard in this question session how important the A82 is, particularly for access to the West Highlands. Indeed, when I was in Fort William, it was not just the local issues around the A82 that was being raised with me. It was also clearly the improvements that were needed at Tarbot and Inveranan. We take that very seriously, but we recognise that it is important that we get value for the public purse, so that we should not repeat work and that the progress, as I have outlined, should take place. To ask the Scottish Government what road safety improvement works have been planned for the A96 near Huntley? Transport Scotland's operating company, AMAY, is undertaking road safety improvements at the A920 staggered junction on the A96. Resurfacing of the junction was completed in September 2023, which included the installation of LED solar-powered road studs to improve visibility of the junction to approaching drivers. Road signs and vehicle restraint systems will shortly be improved with the provision of two electronic signs to warn drivers when vehicles are turning at the junction. That is programmed for completion by October 2023. I thank the minister for that answer. Doing any action is better than nothing, but implementing a few signs and repainting the road seems to be doing it on the cheap. The A96 is the north-east's most dangerous road, with nearly 300 collisions over the last seven years. Just a fortnight ago, another two people were hospitalised after an accident near Huntley. A local petition to install a roundabout to replace for junctions has received more than 850 signatures. Can the minister confirm what it will take for this SNP Government to take action and commit to upgrading this dangerous road in full? In terms of our commitment, the First Minister set that out in the programme for government in terms of that level of improvement. I would not diminish improvements as they are taking place. I think that it is very important for members to support improvements in the local areas where they do take place. In terms of the A96, there is an on-going review as he well knows, and in terms of our commitment, we will take that forward with the publication of the review and as outlined by the First Minister only today at First Mrs Questions. Thank you minister. That concludes portfolio questions on transport, net zero and just transition. There will be a very brief pause before we move on to the next item of business, to allow front bench teams to change position should they are required to do so. Thank you.