Watch: Transport secretary Mairi MacAllan raises doubts of a new A9 dualling deadline by the autumn
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The cabinet secretary for transport has refused to say whether the long-awaited autumn update on the A9 dualling will actually come with a timeline to complete the work.
Mairi MacAllan was appearing at the net zero, energy and transport committee which is convened by Highland MSP Edward Mountain who raised the issue of the promised update on the A9 dualling.
Her appearance comes just days after dualling and road safety campaigner Laura Hansler wrote to her saying “it is within your power and responsibility to progress this issue” warning the “‘cast iron commitment’ is in danger of rusting away”.
But Ms MacAllan pushed back against expectations that the autumn update – which many critics think comes too late – will even contain a new deadline for the completion of the dualling.
Mr Mountain sought to clarify a response asking: “So by the end of autumn and before the start of winter we will have the dualling programme for the whole of the A9 from Perth to Inverness.”
Ms MacAllan responded: “It's my intention with the backstop of autumn this year to set out next steps, on the dualling programme. And I should say that my principal objective here is the quickest, most successful procurements that I can possibly manage ensuring value for money. And all of those strands are currently occupying a lot of time across the transport team.”
He responded: “Cabinet Secretary, that one sentence: ‘It is my intention’ – are we or are we not going to have the programme with dates on when the A9 will be dualling from Perth to Inverness by the end of autumn?”
Ms MacAllan refused to say, answering: “I'm not going to pre-empt what I will tell parliament because there are still decisions to be made. There is still a great deal of work ongoing but I will set out with a backstop of autumn this year the next steps on the dualling programme.”
'No idea' or 'responsible government' on A96 dualling
The committee then moved on to the A96 dualling programme and the news was not much better there either.
The scheme is under review due to the Bute House agreement that brought the Greens into government with the SNP.
Now North East MSP Liam Kerr fears that it could be cancelled due to that review, which is expected to report over the summer.
asked if it was the government’s plan to dual the road between Inverness and Aberdeen, Ms MacAllan said: “Yes, that is still our plan” but she could not say when that would happen.
She said: “So work is ongoing all the time and I’ll maybe ask Alison to give you a technical update on it, on the Inverness to Nairn bypass and separately we're undertaking the corridor review and that work is ongoing and I don't have a date for when that will be completed.”
Challenged repeatedly if she “no idea when,” the cabinet secretary said: “Well, we are undertaking a review. As we set out in our programme for government.
"It is not a case of not having an idea, it's a case of being a responsible government and minister looking at all of the matters that we have to consider against our commitment to review the corridor as a whole.”
Green sword of Damocles
Mr Kerr afterwards took to Twitter to voice his frustration about the exchange saying that: "Judging by Cab sec’s responses, the Green sword of Damocles is still hanging over the promise to fully dual the A96.
"The dualling project is a life-saving undertaking which the SNP promised to honour. It is not a political point to be knocked about within the Bute House bubble."
