Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) – Minutes of Quarterly Board Meeting - 30 January 2024

Attendees

  • Linda Bamford, MACS Convener (LB)
  • Simon Watkins, MACS Vice-Convener & Rail Lead (SW)
  • Anne MacLeod, MACS Ferries & Aviation Lead (AM)
  • Elliot Cooper, MACS Planning & Strategy Lead (EP)
  • Graham Dunn, MACS Bus & Community Transport Co-Lead (GD) (1100-1215)
  • Lesley Macinnes, MACS Bus & Community Transport Co-Lead (LM)
  • Lynn Pilkington, MACS Planning & Strategy Lead (LP)
  • Susan Fulton, MACS Roads, Infrastructure & Active Travel Lead (SF)
  • Catherine Barile, MACS Member (CB)
  • Joanne Devitt, MACS Member (JD)
  • Lynsey Shovlin, MACS Member (LS)
  • Michael Tornow, MACS Member (MT)
  • Naghat Ahmed, MACS Member (NA)
  • Nariese Whyte, MACS Member (NW)
  • Zara Todd, MACS Member (ZT)
  • Bethany Sharp, Transport Scotland Head of Stakeholder Engagement (BS)
  • David Keltie-Armstrong, MACS Head of Secretariat (DKA)
  • Mary Anne Keegan, MACS Secretariat Policy & Support Officer (Minutes) (MAK)

Purpose of meeting

  • Legislative Board Meeting where the Committee will discuss the draft work plan produced from the breakout group discussion at the Scoping Day and after feedback from the Minister for Transport, with aim to sign off for submission to the Minister.

Discussion Points:

1. Welcome Apologies and Housekeeping

  • LB welcomed everyone to the meeting confirmed all in attendance. She outlined the specifics of Board meetings; the legislative requirement, that they occur quarterly, the minutes should be with the Committee within 10 working days and that the January Board meeting is different in that its purpose is to get sign off on the draft work plan.
  • LB congratulated NA on winning the Scottish Asian Business Awards in the Civil Service/Third Sector category. These awards celebrate the achievements of Scottish Asian professionals.
  • LB also congratulated ZT on being appointed Chair of the City of Edinburgh Council’s new Accessibility Commission.

2. Approval of minutes, matters arising and update on action points from previous meeting

  • SF asked for an update on the progress of previous actions 3 and 6. BS informed that she is picking up with the Low Carbon Economy team on the issues.

Action Point 1: Sponsor to get an update from the relevant teams on both of SF’s points in relation to EV (electric vehicle) charging points and who is going to be carrying out EqIAs (Equality Impact Assessments) in relation to the Active Travel Fund.

Action Point 2: Sponsor to follow up on concerns raised about the continued rollout of ‘floating bus stops and the appetite to see an EqIA be carried out in relation to these with the relevant team.

  • LB commented that a meeting with the Fair Fares Review team (previously action 8) would be best after the findings are published.

Action Point 3: Secretariat to set up a meeting with AM and the Fair Fares Review team

  • All other actions from the October 2023 Board Meeting were agreed as complete.
  • The Committee approved the minutes from the previous Board meeting.

3. Board Meeting Times

  • LB acknowledged that feedback from the Scoping Day indicated a desire amongst the Committee to change the times of Board meetings to help members better manage their time.
  • LB reached a decision to amend the current times of Board meetings (1100-1400 with 30 minutes break) and implement a new timing of 0930-1230 with two 15 minutes breaks.

This decision was made with the caveat that any hybrid meetings (potentially a development day or scoping day) would have a timing of 1000-1300 to allow time for commuting.

The Board also agreed that the four Board meetings would continue by MS Teams.

4. Discussion on Draft Work Plan for 2024-2025

  • DKA set the wider context around the draft work plan and initiated a discussion amongst the Committee on if they are:
  • comfortable that the themes respond to the Ministers asks and what was focused on at the Scoping Day,
  • feel that given MACS remit and capacity, that the themes align with Ministerial Priorities and Programme for Government,
  • and their opinions on ‘Committee Champions and Special Advisors’.
  • ZT and LP discussed the considerable distinction between ‘disability awareness training’ and ‘disability equality training’ and wished for the difference to be reflected in the language used in the workplan.

LB and DKA assured that the language in the workplan would be amended to reflect discussion. 

Action Point 4: Language in the workplan on ‘Disability Awareness’ to be amended.

  • GD suggested that ‘Special Advisors’ give updates to the Committee on their subject areas.
  • LB explained the rationale behind ‘Committee Champions and Special Advisors’ and that it would not mean all work surrounding these areas would fall to them, but instead as a way initial signpost to inform what and how new pieces of work could be taken forward. DKA further affirmed that the role would serve as a first point of contact for their named area.
  • EC, ZT and MT asked for a distinguishment in the work plan between digital inclusion and accessibility and inclusive communications.

Action Point 5: Distinguishment to be made in the work plan between digital inclusion and accessibility and inclusive communications.

  • LB identified the need to update references in the workplan from ‘Active Travel Delivery Plan’ to ‘Active Travel Transformation Fund and Projects’.

Action Point 6: References in the workplan to ‘Active Travel Delivery Plan’ to be updated to ‘Active Travel Transformation Fund and Projects’.

  • AM indicated that she would like ferries and concessionary travel to be included under one of the key themes of the workplan, ‘Innovation and technology supporting accessible public transport system.’

Action Point 7: Ferries and concessionary travel to be included under one of the key themes of the workplan, ‘Innovation and technology supporting accessible public transport system.’

  • Discussions concluded that around air travel and community transport should be removed from ‘Committee Champions and Special Advisors’, as these fall within existing workstreams.

Action Point 8:  Air travel and community transport be removed from ‘Committee Champions’ and ‘Special Advisors’.

  • The Committee confirmed that they were comfortable that the themes respond to the Ministers asks and what was focused on at the Scoping Day. They felt that given MACS remit and capacity, the themes aligned with Ministerial Priorities and Programme for Government, with Committee being content in principle with ‘Committee Champions and Special Advisors’.

5. Discussion on Workstream Titles, Committee Champions and Special Advisors

  • LB informed that the new workstream titles intend to better reflect the policy areas they seek to influence.
  • JD asked for clarity on the new titles of the workstreams she is involved in. It was conformed that the new title for “Bus, Taxis and Community Transport” would be “Public and Community Transport.
  • The Committee confirmed that they are content with the workstream titles, ‘Committee Champions’ and ‘Special Advisors’ outlined in the workplan.

6. Workstream Leads Update

  • SW informed that £350m of funding intended for the HS2 project will now go to Access for All, likely leading to significant improvements in rail accessibility.
  • AM informed that the ICP Strategic Approach and the Vessels and Ports Plan will be released soon for public consultation.
  • LB confirmed with the Committee that they are content to change the name of the ‘Quarterly Workstream Newsletters’ to ‘Quarterly Workstream Update Reports’.

Action Point 9: Name of the ‘Quarterly Workstream Newsletters’ to be changed to ‘Quarterly Workstream Update Reports’

  • In relation to the Sponsor Team Update, LB asked for a follow up with the team working on the Pavement Parking Ban for a meeting.

Action Point 10: Secretariat/Sponsor follow up with the team working on the Pavement Parking Ban for a meeting.

  • SW asked when the Fair Fares Review report will be published, BS informed that it is imminent and any further information received will be shared with the Committee.

7. Secretariat Update

  • DKA updated the Committee on the Secretariat’s upcoming priorities, including submitting the workplan to ministers; workstream discussions on the year ahead with leads, which included setting up calls with relevant policy officials; drafting of the annual report; supporting as needed on the framework review and the recruitment process for the Committee’s next Convener; working with Transport Scotland Communications colleagues on raising awareness of MACS.

8. Any Other Business

  • LB identified the need for the Secretariat to send out diary placeholders for both Development Days and redistribute the meeting schedules for 2024 and 2025.

Action Point 11: Secretariat to send out diary placeholders for both Development Days and redistribute the meeting schedules for 2024 and 2025.

  • LB asked that pages 3, 4 and 5 of the workplan be translated to Easy Read, noting that pages 1 and 2 were already available in Easy Read.

Action Point 12: Pages 3, 4 and 5 of the workplan to be translated to Easy Read when finalised.

9. Close

  • LB closed the meeting and thanked the Committee for signing off the draft workplan for 2024-2025.

Actions

Some actions not verbally agreed were requested in the chat function. These have been added to the summary of actions:

Status: Being progressed 

Action: 1. Sponsor to get an update from the relevant teams on both of SF’s points in relation to EV (electric vehicle) charging points and who is going to be carrying out EqIAs (Equality Impact Assessments) in relation to the Active Travel Fund

Owner: BS

Status: Being progressed

Action: 2. Sponsor to follow up on concerns raised about the continued rollout of ‘floating bus stops and the appetite to see an EqIA be carried out in relation to these with the relevant team

Owner: BS

Status: Being progressed

Action: 3. Secretariat to set up a meeting with AM and the Fair Fares Review team

Owner: MAK

Status: N/A

Action: 4. Language in the workplan on ‘Disability Awareness’ to be amended.

Owner: DKA

Status: N/A

Action: 5. Distinguishment to be made in the work plan between digital inclusion and accessibility and inclusive communications.

Owner: DKA

Status: N/A

Action: 6. References in the workplan to ‘Active Travel Delivery Plan’ to be updated to ‘Active Travel Transformation Fund and Projects’.

Owner: DKA

Status: N/A

Action: 7. Ferries and concessionary travel to be included under one of the key themes of the workplan, ‘Innovation and technology supporting accessible public transport system.’

Owner: DKA

Status: N/A

Action: 8. Air travel and community transport be removed from ‘Committee Champions’ and ‘Special Advisors’.

Owner: DKA

Status: N/A

Action: 9. Name of the ‘Quarterly Workstream Newsletters’ to be changed to ‘Quarterly Workstream Update Reports’.

Owner: MAK

Status: N/A

Action: 10. Secretariat/Sponsor follow up with the team working on the Pavement Parking Ban for a meeting.

Owner: BS/DKA/MAK

Status: N/A

Action: 11. Secretariat to send out diary placeholders for both Development Days and redistribute the meeting schedules for 2024 and 2025.

Owner: MAK

Status: N/A

Action: 12. Pages 3, 4 and 5 of the workplan to be translated to Easy Read when finalised

Owner: MAK

Actions from chat

1. Slides from DKA presentation to be sent around all in attendance. 

Owner: DKA

2. AM to be sent a copy of MACS Reports and recommendations from MACS two roundtable discussions on Transport to Health and Social Care

Full Board to be sent a copy of the SG Transport to Healthcare Delivery Plan once available.

Owner: MAK