Scotland's Transport Minister claims she's still waiting to hear from UK Government about funding for Dumfries and Galloway Road

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Scotland’s Transport Minister is still waiting to hear from her Westminster counterparts about possible funding for the A75.The need for improvements to the Euroroute was debated at the Scottish Parliament last Wednesday night.Reports from both the Scottish and UK Governments have acknowledged the need to upgrade the road.But when Galloway and West Dumfries MSP Finlay Carson asked Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth why she wasn’t welcoming the offer of investment from Westminster, she replied: “I don’t know how much money the UK Government are offering.

They haven’t written to me and I’m Scotland’s Transport Minister.“At the very least it’s discourteous.”The Scottish Government’s second strategic transport review (STPR2) recommended upgrading the A77 and A75, including a bypass for Crocketford and Springholm.

The UK Government’s union connectivity review also highlighted the need to upgrade the road, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announcing funding for a feasibility study – potentially as much as £5 million – in his autumn statement.Tory MSP Mr Carson, who had secured the members’ debate, told the chamber: “There are far too many people for which the term A75 brings back memories of tragedies of families and friends killed on what was once termed Scotland’s killer road.”He claimed there had been a lack of investment in the road, leading the region to become “regarded as ignored or the forgotten part of Scotland”, and described STPR2 as “really not worth waiting for”.He was pleased to hear that, despite an apparent reluctance from officials to get involved in the union connectivity review as transport is a devolved matter, Transport Scotland officials were now engaging with the UK Government with meetings planned this week.So