Good evening aspirants. Welcome to the Hindu news analysis by Shankar Ayes Academy for the day 19th of September 2021. So given below are the list of news articles that we will be discussing in today's discussion. And they are also provided with the page numbers of different editions. And also the link for the handwritten notes in PDF format as well as the time stamping is given below for the benefit of mobile phone viewers. So without wasting much time, let's get into our discussion. Now let us take up this article from the FAQ column. See we know that the government has rolled out plans to set up a bad bank. And we've also covered this issue quite a lot of times in our Hindu news analysis as well. So this article is just a kind of sum up of the issue. So on that line through this FAQ discussion, let us once again know about a bad bank, its working, its organizational structure and also the merits of this idea. The syllabus covered by this article is highlighted below for your reference. Now moving on to the discussion, see as we all are aware how banks are dealing with the problem of non-performing assets. See on a bank's balance sheet, the loans that are given to customers are listed as assets.  And when they stop making their payments, then the value of the loan assets will start to decline. And this is when an asset becomes non-performing in a bank. See this word non-performing signifies that the loan which is given out earns no interest or principal. So this said non-performing asset problem is currently faced by the Indian banks. So in order to combat this issue of non-performing assets, the government has mooted the idea of a bad bank. Now understand this at a basic level. So under this concept of bad banks, the banks will be selling their non-performing assets to the bad bank. And doing that will actually help in clearing the balance sheets of the bank. So this bad bank which is buying the non-performing assets from the banks is a kind of giant repository of non-performing assets. And this bad bank about which we are discussing now is being set up under a name. And that name is the National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited which is shortly known as NARCL. Now let us see how this particular bad bank is going to function. Remember this NARCL is being set up by lenders and not by the government and all. And note that about 51% of it is going to be owned by public sector banks. And this particular bad bank it proposes to take over the fully provisioned stressed assets of about 90,000 crore in the first phase. So when I say fully provisioned stressed assets, I mean those loans that are taken against an asset like that of house, land, gold etc. Note that the bad bank wants to cater to the big sized loans only. So the minimum size of each non-performing asset to be acquired will be 500 crore. The longer term goal for the NARCL is to help the non-performing assets which are worth 2 lakh crore. Now on learning about the functioning of this bad bank, see initially the NARCL would make a 15% cash payment to those banks based on the valuation. And then the rest would be given as security receipts to the bank. And these receipts in turn would be guaranteed by the government's 30,600 crore backstop facility. Now here you should have in mind the government is giving the NARCL around 30,600 crore so that the NARCL can promise to pay the bank based on this money. And also know that further in order to assist the working of the NARCL, another body is being set up and this body is being set up with both public and private banks together. And this body is called as the India Debt Resolution Company Limited. So this India Debt Resolution Company Limited would be managing the acquired assets that is this is the body that will try to resolve the loan situation. Now on coming to the merits of this move, the first and foremost this particular concept of bad bank will help in clearing or in cleaning up the balance sheet of a bank. And by that the bank which had a huge load of non-performing assets will be relieved of the responsibility of managing it. And in addition to this it will also help these banks in lending freely without being worrying about the non-performing assets. But however critics are of the view that if government is going to help banks then there are high chances that the banks won't lend responsibly. In the sense there are high chances for the banks to lend loans to whoever is asking without properly verifying whether the loan taker has got the potential or the adequate sources to be able to pay back the loans or not. And doing that can eventually lead to a new pile of non-performing assets. So this is all about the bank banks. So to have a quick recap in this discussion we saw about a bad bank a non-performing asset currently set up bad bank its structure, functioning, merits as well as the criticism. So with these ideas in mind now let's move on to the next news article. See this news article mentions about an invention that provides solution to two major problems which is currently faced by our environment. And these two problems are single use plastics and stubble burning. So first let us have a brief understanding about these two problems and then we will discuss about the said invention. The syllabus covered by this article is given here. As you know plastics are polymers and they are lightweight and are also moisture resistant material. And this tenancy enables them to be molded in a variety of ways and they find their applications in a wide variety of uses. Say like that of packaging films, shopping or garbage bags, then fluid containers, clothing, toys, household and industrial products and also building materials. So generally these plastics are synthetic polymers which are derived primarily from petrofosal feedstock which is also called as the petrochemicals. Or to tell it simply they are derived from petroleum hydrocarbons. So most of the time the plastics which we are using are synthetic polymers which are petroleum based polymers. So a major problem with these plastics is that at the end of its lifetime a plastic product or a plastic packaging is either recycled, incinerated, landfill, dumped in uncontrolled sites or littered in the environment. And this is where the exact problem starts because most of the plastics do not biodegrade and rather they photodegrade. Meaning they slowly break down into small fragments known as microplastics which makes it harmful to the environment. See during the manufacturing of plastic products various types of gases are released and thirdly if it is incinerated or if a plastic is destroyed by burning, then the burning generates toxic emissions such as carbon monoxide, chlorine, hydrochloric acid, acetaldehyde etc. which again is harmful. See the environmental problem is further multiplied majorly due to the use of single use plastics which is also called as disposable plastics. See these single use plastics includes those items which are intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. And especially these are the plastics which are commonly used for plastic packaging and it also includes items such as grocery bags, food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, cups and cutlery. See these single use plastics they end up in the environment and they majorly damage the environment as they are petroleum based polymers. But then it doesn't end there we of course have a solution for them and that is the natural based polymer which are called as biopolymers. See when the plastics are biopolymers they are called as biobased plastics and these biopolymers they basically come from renewable products such as carbohydrates, starch, cellulose, vegetable fats and oils, bacteria and also from other biological substances. See the invention we are talking today is also a biopolymer only and researchers have developed this particular biopolymer using non-edible oil and cellulose. See this cellulose has been extracted from agricultural stubble and it has got double benefits because it not only reduces the use of single use plastics but then it also does away with stubble burning. See as you know farmers especially in the northern part of India they burn the crop stubble before the next season and for those who don't know these stubbles are the leftover residue from the last harvest. And as we know this stubble burning creates a lot of air pollution because when the stubble is burnt it creates smoke and it also releases the carbon which is locked in the residue into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. So this can be prevented with the biobased plastic because the farmers can now sell these biobased stubble to the plastic manufacturing industries rather than burning it and that is why this invention has gained importance. Now let us further quickly see some important facts about this invention. See first of all as we know the biopolymer is developed using non-edible oil and cellulose which is extracted from agricultural stubble. Now here the non-edible oil which is used was a non-edible castor oil and it can be extracted from castor plants and these plants they generally grow easily even in arid land. So non-edible castor oil is easily available and renewable and adding to this it is also cost effective and apart from that it is also biodegradable so therefore eco-friendly as well. So most importantly castor oil is a promising source for developing several polymers say like that of polyurethanes, polyesters, polyamides and epoxy polymers etc. So such castor oil based polymers are also non-toxic so basically these polymers are moulded into sheets and these sheets have properties which are suitable for making bags, cutleries or even containers. So in this manner this particular newly invented biopolymer material is biodegradable, leak proof and it is also non-toxic and it is therefore termed as a substitute for the single use plastics. So these are some important points that we need to know from this article and now let us move on to the next news discussion. Now have a look at this news article say yesterday Arun Ravi who was the former governor of Nagaland sworn in as the governor of Tamil Nadu at the Rajbhaven. So this is what the news article here tells us. Now keeping that issue aside in this slide let us cover the static part of the governor since it plays an important role both in preliminary and mains exam point of view. So come let us move into our discussion. The syllabus relevant to this article is highlighted here for your reference. See the constitution of India envisages the same pattern of government in the states as that for the centre that is a parliamentary system. So part 6 of the constitution deals with the government in the states. So on that line articles from 153 to 167 in part 6 of the constitution deals with the state executive. So when you take the state executive it includes the governor, the chief minister, the council of ministers as well as the advocate general of the state. Have in mind here there is no office of vice governor in the state like that of the vice president at the centre. Remember the governor is the chief executive head of the state but then like the president he is also a nominal executive head or in other words a titular or a constitutional head. Now this is because the real executive in the state level is constituted by the council of ministers headed by the chief minister. So in other words the governor can exercise his powers and functions with the aid and advice of the council of ministers which is added by the chief minister at most cases except for matters in which he is required to act in his own discretion. Have in mind the governor also acts as an agent of the central government. So therefore the office of the governor has got a dual role that is it functions both as a nominal head of the state as well as an agent of the central government. So usually there is a governor for each state but then this was altered through the 7th constitutional amendment act of the year 1956 because this constitutional amendment facilitated the appointment of the same person as a governor for two or more states. See this governor is neither directly elected by the people nor is indirectly elected by a specially constituted electoral college as is the case with the president. But rather a governor is appointed by the president by warrant under his hand and seal. So in a way he is a nominee of the central government but remember the office of the governor of a state is not an employment under the central government and it is an independent constitutional office and it is not under the control of or subordinate to the central government. Now coming to the qualifications for a person to become a governor, see the constitution lays down only two qualifications for the appointment of a person as a governor. The first is that he or she should be a citizen of India and secondly the person should have completed the age of 35 years. So only these two qualifications are laid down in the constitution. But additionally two conventions have also been developed in this regard over the years and the first is that the person who is to be selected as the governor should be an outsider. That is the person should not belong to the state where he is appointed and this convention is brought in to prevent the person from getting involved into the local politics. Now secondly while appointing the governor the president is required to consult the chief minister of the concerned state and this is done to ensure the smooth functioning of the constitutional machinery. But however both these conventions have been violated in some of the cases. And apart from this the further conditions of the governor's office as mentioned in the article 158 of our Indian constitution is given below for your reference. So aspirants please go through it. Now moving on to the term of the office for a governor. See a governor holds office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters his office. But however this term of five years is subjected to the pleasure of the president. So in the sense the governor has got no security of his tenure and he or she can be removed at any time by the president. Remember there is no provision for impeaching the governor by the state legislature. And further he can resign at any time by addressing a resignation letter to the president. Even the president has got the powers to transfer a governor who is appointed to one state to another state for the rest of the term. And further even a governor whose term has expired may be reappointed in the same state or another state. And also have in mind a governor can hold office beyond his term of five years until his successor assumes charge. So these are some important points about the tenure of a governor. Now when talking about a governor's power and functions see a governor possesses executive, legislative, financial and judicial powers which is more or less comparable to that of the president of India. But however he has no diplomatic, military or emergency provisions like that of the president. So broadly the powers and functions of the governor includes the executive powers, the legislative powers, the financial powers and also the judicial powers. And apart from this some of the other important functions of a governor which is mentioned in the constitution are given below for your reference. So please glance through it. See one important thing that you need to have in mind about a governor is that the governor from time to time summons the house or each house of the legislature of the state to meet at such time and at such a place which he or she thinks fit. And the governor can also from time to time summon the house or either house to prorogue or dissolve the legislative assembly. And with this let us wind up this discussion about the governor and move on to see what the next news article has got to tell us. Now look at this news article. The news article is about the beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mandri Kisan Saman Nidhi scheme. So apparently in the state of Telangana the takers for this scheme are very less. But even then those who are a part of the scheme have been benefited well. So this is the basic crux of this news article. So in this context let us learn about the mentioned scheme. See the Pradhan Mandri Kisan Saman Nidhi is in short known as the PM Kisan scheme. Now here Pradhan Mandri as we know means prime minister and Kisan means farmer. And the word summon means something which is respectful or dignified and when you take Nidhi we all know that it means fund. So in short the PM Kisan denotes a scheme for the farmers providing a dignified fund for their welfare. Now this scheme was launched by the prime minister back in the year 2019. And remember that the scheme is an income support scheme for the farmers. And also it is 100% funded by the centre and is implemented by the ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare. Now talking about the provisions of the scheme. See under this scheme a cash benefit of around 6000 rupees per annum is paid to the respective beneficiaries in 3 installments. That is an amount of rupees 2000 is paid to the respective beneficiaries in each installment through the mode of direct benefit transfer. And then see the PM Kisan scheme is aimed at providing income support to the small and marginal farmer families who have a combined land holding or an ownership of up to 2 hectares which is approximately 5 acres. Now here one should keep in mind that according to the RBI's definition marginal farmer means a farmer who is cultivating an agricultural land as owner or as a tenant or even as a sharecropper of up to 1 hectare or 2.5 acres. And then when you take a small farmer the RBI defines a small farmer as a farmer who is cultivating an agricultural land as owner or tenant or even as a sharecropper of more than 1 hectare and up to 2 hectares that is up to 5 acres of land. But here it is not that case because according to this scheme a small and marginal farmer means a farmer who holds a land of up to 2 hectares and has got ownership to it. Now here you should note this carefully. See this scheme does not include the tenants or sharecroppers and it only includes the small land owners. And actually this is a critical shortcoming of this scheme. And then the term families under this scheme refers to a family which comprises of husband, wife and minor children. Apart from this another important feature of the scheme is that as I told earlier the fund will be directly transferred to the bank account of the beneficiaries by the direct benefit transfer method. And since the fund is transferred directly to the beneficiary account there are no chances of leakages and also the timely delivery of funds take place. And I am talking about the beneficiaries. See the beneficiaries will be identified by the respective state and administration of union territories. So by now we have a broad overview of PM Kisan scheme. Now let us see some benefits of this scheme. Firstly the scheme ensures an assured supplemented income to the vulnerable farmer families that is an amount of 2000 is being given to the farmers through three installments. Now secondly the scheme aims to fulfil the emergent needs of farmers before the harvest season because before the harvest season the farmers need money for employing labourers and other such reasons. So during such occasions when they are having money constraints there are high chances for them to borrow the money from the local money lenders who lend them money for high interest and this pushes them into a debt trap. So this scheme actually aims to break this vicious cycle. Now thirdly the scheme paves a way for farmers to earn and also to lend to respectable living in society and then it covers almost 12 crore small and marginal farmer families who are large in scale. And besides this it also helps in the recovery of poor farmer families from distress due to poverty. And for your further information the categories that are excluded under the scheme are given here. You need not memorise them but please roughly go through it. So this is all about the PM Kisan scheme and of course it is an important topic for the preliminary exam so please make sure you revise it and have the points clear in your mind. So now let us move on to the next news discussion. Now look at this news article. We have taken this article for our next discussion. So the news article basically mentions about a historic mausoleum called Safdarjung tomb. See recently the dome of this particular Safdarjung tomb has got damaged due to the growth of weeds. So what happens is as the weeds grow the dome is developing cracks around it and this situation is demanding urgent care from the archaeological survey of India. So this is the basic news here. Now in this context let us see some of the important facts about this said Safdarjung tomb. See the Safdarjung's tomb was built between the year 1753 to 54 as a mausoleum of Safdarjung who was viceroy of Awad under the Mughal Emperor Hamad Shah Bahadur. See the Safdarjung tomb is also referred to as the Safdarjung Ka Makbara and it is a garden tomb which is situated in the city of New Delhi and it is made up of marbles and sandstones. So basically this mausoleum was built by Safdarjung's son called by name Nawab Shujaud Daula and it remains as the last monumental garden tomb depicting the Mughal architectural style. Now when talking about its architecture as we already saw the mausoleum represent the last phase of the Mughal style of architecture. See the Safdarjung tomb was designed and it was constructed in line with the famous historical monument which is the Humayun's tomb. That is this mausoleum derives its inspiration from the Humayun's tomb and this is constructed on an elevated platform and it is surrounded by huge square garden on each side with a courtyard and a three domed mosque house inside the combat that is enclosed within a wall. And the stone is built of red and brownish yellow coloured sandstone and it is got a high terrace and is capped with a massive central dome. It has also got a two storied main entry gate which gives an excellent view to this monument. See the huge garden that is encompassing the mausoleum is designed in line with the conventional Charback garden style of the Mughals. That is this garden is segregated into four squares with food parts and water canals around them and each of this square is again divided into four smaller gardens and one of the water canals leads to an elegantly decorated gateway whereas the other leads to three pavilions namely the Jungli Mahal or the palace in the woods, the Badshah Pasant or the emperor's favourite and the Moti Mahal or pearl palace and these pavilions which according to historical data were once used as residences by the family of Safdarjung. So these are some important facts that this news article demands us to know and with this we are done with the article discussion for today. Now having done with the discussion of all the news articles for today, now let us move on to the next segment of our Shankar hinder news analysis which is going to be the practice question discussion. Now let us take up this question. Consider the following statements. Statement 1. Plastic can either be synthetic or bio-based. Statement 2. Synthetic polymers are petroleum based polymers. And statement 3. Only sugars from sugarcane and recycled food waste are used to make bio-based plastics. See the first statement is correct. See plastic can either be synthetic or bio-based. These synthetic plastics are derived from crude oil, natural gas or coal. Whereas bio-based plastics they come from renewable products such as carbohydrates, starch, vegetable fats and oils, bacteria and other biological substances. So that means it is possible to create plastic from sources other than oil. And note that crude oil is the principal source of carbon for modern plastic. But still an array of variants are manufactured from renewable materials also and these are made from renewable biomass such as lignin, cellulose and heme cellulose, terpenes, vegetable oils and vegetable fats and then carbohydrates, recycled food waste and bacteria. So from this we can say that the third statement is incorrect because bio-plastics can be made from the above. Now coming to the second one. So based on a discussion itself we can find that this statement is correct because as we saw synthetic polymers are petroleum based polymers. So here the right options will be option 1 and option 2 and option 3 is incorrect because it is not only made from sugarcane and recycled food waste. But rather the bio-plastic also made from materials like lignin, cellulose, heme cellulose, terpenes, bacteria etc. So the right answer here will be option B that is 1 and 2 only. Now let us take up this question. Now look at this question. Consider the following statements. Statement 1, the president of India can summon a session of the parliament at such place as he or she thinks it. Statement 2, the constitution of India provides for three sessions of the parliament in a year but it is not mandatory to conduct all the three sessions. Statement 3, there is no minimum number of days that the parliament is required to meet in a year. So we need to understand the correct statements. See as per article 85 clause 1 of the Indian constitution it empowers the president to summon each house of the parliament to meet at such time and such place as he or she thinks it. But then six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session. So that makes the first statement to be correct. Now coming to the second statement. So as I said earlier, the constitution empowers the president to summon each house of the parliament to meet at such time and place as he or she thinks it. But then six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session. So in other words, the parliament should meet at least twice a year and the constitution does not explicitly mention that three sessions of parliament should be conducted in a year and it is not a mandate to conduct all the three sessions. So hence the first statement is correct, but the second statement is incorrect or it is not correct. Now moving to the third statement. As it is given here, there is no minimum number of days that the parliament is required to meet in a year. So that makes the third statement to be correct. And since we need to identify only the correct statements, the right answer here will be one and three. Because the second statement is incorrect as it is nowhere mandated in the constitution to conduct three sessions. So therefore the correct answer is option. See now let's move on to the next question. Now let's take up this question about the PM Kisan scheme. See with reference to the PM Kisan scheme, which of the following statement is or are correct. Statement one, it aims to provide agricultural loans to all farmers. Statement two, it is 100% centrally funded scheme. And statement three, it is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture. Now here the statement one is wrong because the PM Kisan is providing income support to farmers and that only for a small and marginal farmer and not for all farmers. So that makes the first statement incorrect. And coming to the second and third statement based on our discussion itself, we can infer that both the statements given here are right. That is the PM Kisan is 100% centrally funded scheme. And it is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Since only the second and third options are right, the correct answer here will be option C. That is two and three. Now look at this question. Consider the following statements about Safdar Jun's tomb. Statement one, the tomb is built of red and brownish yellow colored sandstone. Statement two, it remains as the last monumental garden tomb, depicting the Mughal architectural style. And statement three, the huge garden encompassing the mausoleum is designed in line with the conventional Charba garden style of the Mughals. So we need to find correct options here. See from our discussion itself, we can infer that all the given statements here are correct. So that makes option D to be the correct answer. Because we discussed about all these statements in our news articles itself and they are all right about the Safdar Jun's tomb. So option D, that is one, two and three becomes right here. The practice main's question for today is given here. So those who are interested, please write your answers and post them in the comment section. So with this, we have come to the end of today's inter-news analysis. 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The next item of business is a member's business debate on motion 12304 in the name of Miles Briggs on improving Edinburgh city bypass. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put. Can I ask those members who wish to speak in the debate to press their request to speak buttons now? I call on Miles Briggs to open the debate. Mr Briggs, seven minutes are there abouts, please. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I want to thank colleagues from across the chamber for supporting my motion and allowing this debate to take place today. I wanted to start the debate this afternoon with a quote, and it's be warned that city bypass is a nightmare today, being on it for an hour so far. That was the palpable frustration being invented on Twitter yesterday by the Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy, Paul Wheelhouse MSP. I'm pleased to report that I spotted Mr Wheelhouse in the chamber yesterday, so I know that he has since managed to escape the congestion our bypass faces. Deputy Presiding Officer, I believe that the future of the A70 city bypass is important, not just to Edinburgh and the wider Lothian region, but to all of Scotland, and it's a key trunk road serving our capital city. Improving the bypass is an issue that I've been pressing the Scottish Government on since my election. It's something that I'll continue to do so. As a Lothian MSP, I continue on an almost daily basis to be contacted by frustrated constituents and business people who face frequent delays when using the bypass to commute or transport goods, especially but not exclusively at peak times or when there's been an accident on that route. Concerns have also been raised and voiced by the Federation of Small Business over many years here in Lothian. Many drivers tell me their experiences that the tailbacks and traffic jams are becoming more and more regular. Indeed, some drivers tell me they are choosing to drive through the city of Edinburgh rather than risk being stuck on the bypass, something that is obviously adding to the pressures on local roads within the capital itself. The Transport Information Company in Wrex in late 2016 identified the bypass as the most congested trunk road outside of London, with four of the UK's worst bottlenecks located on that route. It suggested that the westbound section near Dreghorn barracks was where drivers faced the worst delays and predicted that the bypass congestion would cost the economy as much as £2.8 billion by 2025. With Scotland's economy already facing such sluggish economic growth over the next five years, this is something that I think the whole Parliament must take extremely seriously and something that we cannot allow to occur. Transport model for Scotland uses 2014 as a base year for the total number of vehicles per day using the trunk road, and it indicated that 78,000 vehicles every day use the city bypass west of Dreghorn junction in 2014. It predicts that this will grow by an extra 10,000 vehicles to 88,000 by 2022 and a further 10,000 vehicles by 2032, with 102,000 vehicles using the bypass each day by 2037. In addition, the percentage of heavy goods vehicles using the bypass will also increase, so around 14,300 lorries and heavy goods vehicles will be using the route each day by 2037, compared with the current figure of 9,400. Constituents and businesses are rightly alarmed about the increased usage predictions and the capacity of the road that is already not being able to cope with the current volume of vehicles using it. The projected increase in vehicles may well be underestimating the number of extra vehicles that will use the route, as Edinburgh, mid, east and west Lothian continue to experience such fast-growing populations and new housing developments along the route, such as the bypass at Shorefair. Edinburgh, Lothian and Lothian are currently the only parts of the Scottish economy that are still growing, and we are now the powerhouse of the Scottish economy. For that growth to be sustained in the future, there must be that infrastructure investment to allow areas to continue to attract business and inward investment in key sectors such as life sciences, with Edinburgh's bioquarter, Queen Margaret University, and now the proposed film studio at Straton, which is located just off the bypass. Gridlock trunk roads create a bad impression for inward investors and those who want to visit our area. Edinburgh is the showcase for the whole country, and we need to have the modern and efficient transport infrastructure to deliver that. The minister will, I am sure, in his contribution at the end of the debate refer to the Scottish Government's investment at the Sheriff Hall roundabout, where the final plans for the much-needed grade separation and fly-over will be revealed sometime this year, and I hope that he will be able to give a firma timetable today on that. Introducing grade separation at this notorious bottleneck is of course very welcome, but this is only one action, and over many years we have been campaigning for further action and for more improvements. Almost a decade, people, commuters, have faced such backlogs, and they want to see real action across the whole bypass. However, it is vital that the Scottish Government receives that message from Lothian residents and businesses that, while Sheriff Hall will be an important improvement, it is only one part of what needs to be done in a far broader, long-term and co-ordinated programme of improvements to the bypass, which will ensure that traffic can be kept moving for the decades ahead. That means looking at innovative solutions, assessing whether extra lanes will be needed, looking at the possibility to use hard shoulders in some situations, and utilising technology so that the bypass could and should become a smart motorway. It also means looking at how genuine and effective public transport options, as an alternative to using cars, can be taken forward as well. I received complaints about bus services in West Lothian again on almost a regular basis, and it is clear that residents in that part of my region do not have the same confidence in their bus services and therefore do not use the public transport that is available to them. That is an issue that I think also needs to be seriously considered. The minister in response to written questions of mine has said that the Scottish Government is looking at further measures to improve traffic flow on the bypass and reduce congestion, but we have never seen any further information beyond that answer. I hope that today we will give us an opportunity to start that debate and look towards how we can improve our bypass. I hope, too, that the minister will also provide very clear assurances that the Scottish Government recognises the strategic importance of the city bypass and considers that improving it is actually a national transport priority and is fully committed in the future to ensuring that this trunk road is actually fit for purpose. What I like to see today and what I am calling for is the Scottish Government to take forward a feasibility study into widening the city bypass and new options to address this growing and unacceptable congestion. That is what Lothian residents and businesses that I represent deserve, and that is what I will continue to press the Scottish Government on. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Thank you very much, Mr Briggs. Open debate. I call Colin Beattie to be followed by Jamie Greene. Mr Beattie, please. Let me first thank Miles Briggs for bringing forward this important issue as a member's debate. The Edinburgh city bypass is the most used road in my constituency of Midlothian North and Musselborough. Whether it is used for commuting to work, family or even sports fans travelling to grounds to play or support their team, that means that any time of the day, during any day of the week, there are vehicles using this road, causing delays and queues. The people of Midlothian North and Musselborough meet the queues of traffic heading on to the bypass on the main roads around my constituency even before they are anywhere near the bypass. That causes more congestion and more air pollution around Midlothian and Musselborough. At this point, I would like to note that my colleague in the adjacent constituency of Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, is unable to take part in this debate, as she is in the chair. I would wish to put on record her continuing concerns, which she has raised frequently, regarding the proposals for the sheriff hall roundabout, which cyclists call the meat grinder. We would ask what measures will be put in place to give cyclists safe passage in the upgrade. On the early morning radio or traffic news, there are always reports of delays in the Edinburgh city bypass, with either an accident or just sheer volume of traffic. With that happening on a daily basis, it is a clear sign that a change needs to happen and is required to be done as soon as possible. One of the more drastic options that could be considered is the approach that was taken in Bangkok, where the main roads were double stacked, meaning that cars travelled in one direction on one level and the other direction above them. When making those changes, they also raised the level of the cross-city-like train track, so the train and the station that served them were suspended well above ground to make commutes quicker and allow trains to move faster. Following from that thought and continuing consideration of the changes that are required in the Edinburgh city bypass, I think that the real solution is that we need to more carefully examine our public transport services to see if there is any way to improve and extend those services and reduce the amount of cars that are using the bypass. Less cars quite simply mean less congestion. Public transport in Edinburgh and Scotland as a whole is at a very high standard, but there is always room for some improvement. To ease congestion on the city bypass, it may be worth considering extending the route of the Edinburgh city trams to include towns with higher populations, such as Musselborough and Dalkeith. That would give commuters a fast and direct link into Edinburgh without having to sit in traffic on the bypass. It may even be more cost-effective than building new roads, double stacked or not, and putting in place expensive flyovers that will only move traffic more swiftly into the next traffic jam. The bypass currently has two lanes in both directions and has had that configuration for the last 30 years since it was built. If we look at expanding the bypass, for instance, to three lanes, there would be an eye-watering cost of paying for landowners to give up land for allowing the extra lanes to be installed, plus, of course, the actual construction costs. That has taken away some of the scarce arable land currently situated at the side of the bypass and also threatened the already endangered green belt in Midlothian. As we look into making any of the changes required, I think that it is important that we consult with many different agencies, such as Lothian buses, ScotRail and border buses, as well as engaging our constituents that are most affected by the current issues on the bypass. I am pleased that the Government has announced that there is a flyover being installed at the Sheriffhall roundabout. It is often the scene of congestion and significant queuing, particularly as I experienced myself in morning and evening peak times. That will improve road safety and journey times for many people travelling in the bypass every day. More needs to be done to make improvements along the full stretch of the road. Another possible idea that could be introduced is a bypass bus. The bus would serve muscle bread to the guile along the bypass, stopping at the park and rides at Sheriffhall straighten, and then a final stop at Hermeson gate before finishing at the guile. That bus could help to reduce the amount of commuters taking their cars along the bypass and assist people reaching their destination easier without having to change buses. It would, of course, need discussion with many different bus companies and the Government officials who would need to look into that further. With a fast-growing population in Midlothian and Musselbarre, we have to take a serious look at the situation on the bypass and put in train the changes that are required as soon as possible so that the bypass can handle the volume of traffic that seems to be increasing so drastically every year. Presiding Officer, there is a problem in the Edinburgh city bypass, and with growing population and an increase in people using cars, it will only get worse. We have to take a sensible approach to this situation and look at all the ways in which we can improve the current situation on the bypass and help our constituents to travel safely and securely. I understand that, Mr Beattie, you have a constituency meeting. You have to leave the chair early. As I have given the reasons, that is powerfully acceptable. I call Jamie Greene to be followed by Colin Smyth. I do not know what to say now, because Miles Briggs has already outlined the problem and Colin Beattie has now outlined the solutions. I am stuck in the middle of perhaps repeating myself slightly. It is a very good opportunity to raise awareness of the issue in the chamber today. Edinburgh is our capital city. It is such a huge focus for businesses, for tourism and, as Miles Briggs said, for inward investment. It is so important that we get this right. The bypass at the moment is, where do you start? I do not know about other members, but the idea that I would leave here at decision time on Thursday and even attempt to go on the bypass is just a no-brainer. It is much better to leave earlier or wait a few hours in town, not that I ever leave early, minister. The reality is that many people are in the same situation. Many businesses, many commuters, many people who rely on this road, not just people who use it or enjoy using it, people who rely on this road are stuck in the situation day in, day out. As the member said on the radio, you hear reports of congestion almost by default as the first line of the script on the radio. The reality is that around nearly 80,000 vehicles a day are using this road, and that is going to increase by around 30 per cent in the next 10 years. It is actually quite a dire situation. We know that Edinburgh is Britain's second most congested city. Guess which one is third? Glasgow. I was surprised by that figure. It is not Birmingham or Manchester, as I would have expected it to be, given the volume of population. It is Edinburgh and Glasgow. As Miles Briggs said, in terms of bottlenecks, Edinburgh has listed four times, and that is not four different roads. It is the same road. It is the A720, a westbound in every single situation. That is before we even think about the situation on the A8 coming into Edinburgh, which is equally a mess. The cost of this is huge. It is costing drivers in the context of around 31 hours a year sitting in traffic on Edinburgh cities.  Public transport is an option, and modal shift is important. We, as a Parliament, spend a lot of time talking about how we achieve that shift to public transport. However, the reality is that some people have to spend time in their cars, their vans and their vehicles, and that is simply wasted time. It is costing the economy billions of pounds, nearly £3 billion a year in Edinburgh. I do not think that the answer is simply banning cars. I do not think that the answer is simply widening the road. I do not think that the answer is simply building a flyover or increasing the scale of the roundabout. I think that the answer is a bit of all of the above. I think that there needs to be a real joined-up approach to the measures that we have to take. We do need to look at improving the road. The traffic on the road has grown immensely since it was built. I think that it was built in 1980, the year I was born. It is not a huge surprise that the volumes have increased at the rate that they have. Yes, there needs to be some measures. I think that there should be a feasibility study into widening it, but it also needs to be part of a bigger conversation about how we address the decades to come when traffic volumes are increasing by the hundreds of thousands, but also the nature of what our roads do and what serves their purpose in the future. The idea that they could become smart roads, the idea that we could implement more dynamic lane management systems or variable speed limits or various uses of lines for buses, cars at different times of the day. I know that that happens to a small extent at the moment, but I really get the impression that we as a country across the west of Europe have not been particularly forward thinking in the way that other countries have been, as was demonstrated by the member in parts of Asia, for example. I will not repeat too much of the statistics that we already know about this, but given that the volumes are going to increase and given also that the population of Edinburgh and Midlothian is going to increase so dramatically, we have to have a sensible and frank discussion about how we future proof our transport network to meet the needs of tomorrow. I welcome any opportunity to debate Scotland's transport infrastructure, so I will therefore be grateful to Miles Briggs for tabling his motion on improving Edinburgh's city bypass. The bypass is unquestionably one of the most important trunk roads in Scotland, circling around the south side of Edinburgh, enabling access from one end of our capital to the other, but crucially also linking the city to key routes to the rest of Scotland and the north of England. There have been improvements, such as the Dalkeith bypass and Lane winding in its sheriff hall. It is fair to say that the A720 has remained largely unaltered since its construction in the 1980s. It has not really adapted to either Edinburgh's growing population or its rise in visitor numbers, impacting adversely on the economy of the city and Scotland as a whole. Recent studies imply that the bypass imparts are among the most congested stretches of trunk road anywhere in the UK. The Scottish Government's own figures suggest that that will get worse with an anticipated 20,000 more vehicles using the bypass per day within 20 years. As a result, there have been long-standing calls for major improvements, not least of course at sheriff hall, a place name that sends a shudder down the spine of any commuter into Edinburgh tuning into traffic news first thing in the morning. I hope therefore that when someone up the minister will update the chamber on what progress is being made in moving the planned upgrade at the sheriff hall junction forward from choice of preferred option to an actual timetable for construction and whether there is any option to bring that particular project forward. In doing so, I also hope that the minister will line us as Colin Beattie has requested what improved opportunities there will be for cyclists and indeed pedestrians as a result of the sheriff hall proposals, including whether road segregated cycle routes will be built into approach roads and all six axes of the junction as this is currently unclear. There have also been calls for the use of smart motorway technology, which Jamie Greene mentioned, to allow, for example, the hard shoulder to be used on the bypass at peak times. Again, I hope when someone up maybe the minister will update members on whether there has been any assessment of such a proposal, which would replicate, for example, the use of the smart motorway system on the M42 near Birmingham, both in the base of whether it would actually reduce congestion but also what any safety implications would be if such a scheme were considered. In addition, I know that in the past there have been proposals for an Edinburgh orbital bus route to help to take cars off the bypass. In 2012, feasibility studies were undertaken to ascertain how the route is running from the fourth road bridge to Queen Magg at University via the A720. I will take an intervention from Jamie Greene. I think that the member for taking an intervention makes some very valid points. We would accept that technology is going to play quite a big part of that. The idea that you can in real-time monitor traffic volumes, levels and directions and make instant decisions somewhere centrally to alter that flow could be very useful in Edinburgh. That is why it is important to assess such schemes and look at examples elsewhere in the UK. We of course have to look carefully at any safety implications of, for example, using the hard shoulder during peak times. However, those are options that have to be looked at, because we cannot simply build our way out of congestion. As I said in the past, there have been suggestions of an Edinburgh orbital bus route, and feasibility studies were undertaken. It would be helpful to know what exactly has happened to those particular proposals, because they seem to have been part somewhere since then. That is despite the fact that the increased public transport has to be at the heart of any solution to the current congestion on the bypass. When I travel to Edinburgh, I confess that I do everything that I possibly can to avoid bringing a car. I take the train from Lockerbie. Despite the fact that Lockerbie is only an hour away from Edinburgh on the train and an important commuter route, there is no direct early morning rail service from Lockerbie into Edinburgh. The transport secretary will be pleased or minister pleased to know, for once he is off the hook in that one, because the franchise rests with the UK Government. Maybe Miles Briggs can have a chat with the UK transport minister who handed out that franchise and get it changed. Better still, he could nationalise that particular route as the UK Government has a taste for that particular policy, as we have seen in the east coast's main line. Absolutely, but let us extend that. A key part of tackling congestion on the bypass must be to invest in alternatives to the car, such as a railway system in which passengers and, frankly, not profits are the priority. The border rail link, I have to say, has shown that, when you build railways, passengers will come. Instead of making people drive along the A1 and the A7 to Edinburgh and adding traffic to the bypass, let us extend that rail link to Carlyle through Langham and reach more passengers. Imagine how many cars we could take off at the bypass if, for example, we reopened the pennycook to Edinburgh Waverly rail link or we revived the Edinburgh South Suburban railway. We also need to invest in our bus network and, of course, properly regulate that network. Lothian buses in the city in particular are a good example of what our bus service can do and can be. Let us aim to replicate municipal bus ownership right across Scotland. I have to avoid decisions, such as the recent one from Conservative Front Borders Council to cut funding to the Dumfries to Edinburgh bus service, putting that very service at risk, which would no doubt add more cars to the Edinburgh bypass. Road improvements are badly needed on the bypass. I hope that we will see more than just the proposal at Sheriff's Hall, but we also have to accept that we will not be able to build our way out of congestion. Better buses, trains and improved active travel opportunities also need to be at the heart of any solution. I have been quite liberal, but I do not want to have to continue to debate with emotion without notice if necessary, so I will try to be neater with them with your speeches. Emma Harper, followed by Gordon Lindhurst and Ms Harper, please. I am pleased to speak in this afternoon's debate on improving Edinburgh's city bypass. I thank Miles Briggs for bringing this debate to chamber today. I also remind chamber that I am the parliamentary liaison officer for the rural economy and connectivity portfolio. I thank members for their contributions so far this afternoon. I agree with the wording in the motion that good transport links, including the trunk roads, are key to future economic development. Members have mentioned being stuck in traffic. Nabdie wants to be part of congestion or stuck in traffic or delays or part of lengthy tailbacks on any road, especially when we all have places to be, to get to work, to commute and we have business to attend to, or even as visitors or tourists to our country, the region and to our capital city. My previous experience in driving in Los Angeles is a five-lane dump on both sides on the four or five freeway network, but it sometimes took me two and a half hours to drive 18 miles to work. It meant that driving during the rush hour was avoided by me. Sometimes that road was known as a giant car park. On the rush hour lasted many hours. Obviously, I am not suggesting that everybody avoid the rush hour, it was just one way that I was able to achieve a 35-minute commute instead of two and a half hours, so I empathise with people who are stuck in traffic. The motion today is focusing on improving the A720 Edinburgh city's bypass. As an MSP for the South Scotland region, I am frequently on the bypass, depending on which northbound road I use to approach the capital on my way to Parliament. I am often quite familiar with the Sheriff's hall roundabout, although I avoid it. Six entrances and exits are quite challenging to navigate the lanes, and the roundabout is busy, especially at peak times, as the motion mentions. When reading the background from Transport Scotland regarding the Sheriff's hall roundabout improvements, I noted that there has been a consultation on various options starting with eight proposals, which was reduced to three. The agreed option, option B, was to introduce grade separation overpasses and underpasses. The junctions are typically quite space-intensive, complicated and costly, and that might be due to the need for large physical structures such as tunnels, ramps and bridges. The height can be obtrusive, and that, combined with large traffic volumes that grade-separated roads attract, tends to make them unpopular to nearby land owners and residents, hence the need to consult with road users, businesses and residents to ensure that infrastructure proposal is optimal. The proposed grade separation for Sheriff's hall roundabout will consist of two bridges so that bypass traffic is separated from local traffic. From reading the background documents, I note that there are some unique design challenges for this work. The area sits on top of historical mine workings and a geological fault with possible mineral seams, fault zones and mine shafts. Although mining has long ceased in the area, the work that needs to be carried out needs to take into account the ground conditions that are complicated. The border railway, which goes through the South Scotland region, is also very close to the Sheriff's hall roundabout, which is about 300 metres away. In the Scottish Government's programme for government, a commitment was made to review the national transport strategy and strategic transport progress review. That will be an examination of the strategic transport infrastructure interventions that will be required to support the delivery of the national economic strategy. It will continue to deliver a transport network that is fit for the 21st century and future economic development. It is interesting to note that everyone is lobbying the minister, and I am obviously one of them as well. He is quite well aware of the fact that the STPR2 in the South Scotland region is looking at the A75, 76 and 77. We all have infrastructure needs that we are asking for, especially when the roads to Cairnryan and the ferry port near Stranraer, which I warmly welcome the review of the roads in the South Scotland region. In conclusion, I welcome the progress that has been made by the Scottish Government with infrastructure improvement across Scotland. I look forward to hearing the comments from the minister regarding progress on the innovative long-term solutions that will keep traffic moving, especially on the Edinburgh city bypass. I appreciate that members—I want to give later members a fair crack of the whip, so I will require—I have members wishing to speak in today's debate. I am never minded to accept a motion under rule 8.14.3 to extend the debate by up to 30 minutes. It is up to 30 minutes. It is not going to be 30 minutes. I ask Miles Briggs if he would move that motion, please. Are you in agreement? No members having disagreed over extending this debate understanding our rule 8.14.3 in a call, Gordon Lindhurst, followed by Neil Findlayne. Deputy Presiding Officer, I am delighted that I now have much longer than the four minutes. I am only joking, of course. The dreaded radio traffic reports are a daily headache for the commuters of Edinburgh and Lothian. Edinburgh city bypass is a standing fixture of those, whether it is congestion at Hermeson gate heading east, a tailback at Dreghorn or Cews at Straiton. Of course, there are lengthy delays at the sheriff's hall roundabout, but a lot of this is almost not newsworthy for those who are familiar with those places. Indeed, one would have to be an uninformed visitor from the moon, perhaps, to be surprised at any of this, sadly. As a Lothian MSP, I am all too familiar with this arterial road and the A720 and how it is crucial to the service of transport links in this area and yet is such a stumbling block for getting anywhere. That has already been referred to by Miles Briggs and other colleagues across the chamber. It is not that surprising because the bypass was built in sections starting in 1980 and completed in 1989. I am not saying that Jamie Greene is old, having been born in 1980 when it started, but, of course, it is ancient in terms of transport and the increase in traffic that we have experienced in Scotland since the 1980s. It is not just the increase in use of cars or transport requirements but also the house building that has taken place. Indeed, there are new houses being built in Frogston, as I speak, and hundreds of new houses. The A720, as it is now, having been constructed at the time that it was, is no longer in a fit state for what is required. The Scottish Government has a number of urgent challenges, first and foremost to deliver the Sheriffhall grade road separation project, which has been referred to. We do not have draft orders published for that yet, but that means even longer queues, more frustration for drivers, for those who have no option but to go through there. We have already heard from Colin Smith about the lack of public transport links even for those who wish to use those. People have to use the A720 and they have to come this way into Edinburgh. Of course, there are other considerations about the Sheriffhall roundabout. There are a number of campaign groups, and I am thinking predominantly of the cycling lobby, who voice concerns about their safety. Of course, cyclists are some of those who are trying to use alternative means of getting to work. I have asked the minister previously, as he will know about this, and I look forward to updating Parliament on how cyclist safety is being incorporated into the favourite option for the Sheriffhall roundabout. There are a few other things that I would like to hear from the minister about. Are there further ideas in the pipeline for increasing capacity to other points in the A720, such as increasing the number of lanes, as has been suggested? Are there any other innovative solutions that might be available in this 21st century? Finally, perhaps, if Scotland is to beat other countries in phasing out petrol and diesel cars, has the minister given thought to how electrical vehicle charging points can be incorporated into road improvement works on or nearby trunk roads, such as the bypass, particularly in circumstances where commuters go on and off those roads at peak times and make that a very lengthy process? Will extra capacity be provided to make that an experience and a possibility? Those are considerations that impact not just on Lothian but the whole of Scotland. Deputy Presiding Officer, in concluding, the residents of Edinburgh and Lothian want to see improvement to their city bypass. Many of the concerns have been voiced today. I hope that those concerns have been heard and will be taken on board by the Government so that the minister can give us some clues as to how those points will be addressed in the near future. The bypass is, of course, the bane of many people's lives. Tens of thousands of people drive along it each day. Often it becomes one of the biggest traffic jams in the country. That loss of economic productivity, leisure time, family time, the pollution and the frustration and the all-round waste of time that has been stuck on that road is bad for the economy, for the environment, for the health of residents and the well-being and the sanity of drivers. The Lothian area is experienced in significant and has been for some time significant population growth. The demand for goods and services, housing, GP practices and other public services are there for all to see. The roads infrastructure, as it stands, is simply not fit for purpose to serve that growing area. That is the capital city. It is the economic hub of the region and the economic hub for the country. The bypass is an essential link to the south, to markets in the north-east and beyond into the south of England. To the west, to the central belt, Fife and on to the north, a key road for Scotland's economy and for those who work in it and produce the goods and the wealth that we enjoy. We need major investment and a comprehensive approach to tackling what is an absolutely chronic problem. There have been many technical solutions that have been proposed today that have found very interesting and others that have been proposed over the years. However, my appeal to the minister is to make that a national infrastructure priority now. We have had feasibility studies, we have had desktop studies, we have had all sorts of people look at this over the years, but we need action and we need progress. I would rather pull my teeth out with pliers, with no anaesthetic than drive the bypass each day, I have to. I am sure that the minister would volunteer for that. You might be in a queue. However, I have a choice. Many people have no option and have to endure that misery each day. I appeal to the minister to act with real haste in this and help to release my constituents from the misery of the daily commute that many of them have to undertake each day. I thank Miles Briggs for bringing it to the chamber. I thank all the members for their contributions, which have been extremely constructive in their approach. I will try my best to answer a number of the questions in one second. I think that they are worth emphasising one or two points on behalf of the Government, and that is, of course, our investment in major infrastructure since 2007, £20 billion in national infrastructure and transport infrastructure. Of course, the Queensbury crossing being part of that, the MAM73-74 motorway improvements recently, and, of course, the continued investment in Edinburgh Glasgow rail improvement projects. There is a lot of investment going into transport, but clearly the message from everybody around the chamber is that they want to see more of that and to completely understand that. It is worth just touching on a couple of themes and a couple of points that were mentioned. I think that a really good point that was made by Colin Smyth—I just quote him—was that you cannot build your way out of congestion. I think that that is very, very true. Indeed, you have to look at investing in public transport and I will touch upon that in a minute as well. As Jamie Greene and Colin Smyth, and a few others, I think, have said, are looking at technology as well. In November of last year, Transport Scotland published our future intelligent transport systems strategy. That is, of course, looking at how we can use technology in a smarter way, in a smarter motorway. It is absolutely a part of that, and it is very much a part of our thinking. How do we progress ITS and children's transport systems across our infrastructure? We are seeing some of that, of course, across the Queensbury crossing. The ideas that are mentioned here around looking at the A720 are absolutely given undertaking to see how we can look at smart and manage motorways and that technology on the A720 and report back to members on that. A few members mentioned, of course, the south-east-city region deal agreement, the heads of terms, signed. The investment in the sheriff's hall roundabout is worth saying, is not an insignificant investment, it is £120 million for that grade separation, it is quite hefty, but the other part of that that comes alongside that is just worth putting on the record as it is £20 million for improvements to public transport in West Edinburgh. That was again mentioned by a number of people around public transport, so £20 million on top of the £120 million, which has been invested and has been committed, I should say, for that. Let me try to address some of the issues that have been mentioned in relation to the sheriff's hall. If I can, a number of members have asked about cyclists. Indeed, I know that the Deputy Presiding Officer himself has asked me about that, and her position is a backbencher here and as constituency MSP as well. In terms of cyclists, it is fair to say that there was a vocal backlash from the cycling lobby to initial proposals that have been put forward. It was important for the Government, I said this at the time, that we listened to what the cycling lobby, who I have a very good relationship with, we brought them in and listened to them around what their concerns were. We have done that. We have spoken to spokes, to Sustrans, and they are very much part of our conversations and of our engagement. When those final proposals come forward, I would hope that it would be to the satisfaction of those who are cyclists—not just members of spokes and Sustrans but those who cycle perhaps routinely or leisurely as well. We are hearing what cyclists have to say very much about that. In terms of the other theme that was mentioned by a number of members, can you bring forward the construction of that project in particular? We have statutory obligations that we have to go through.  I would say that having challenged my own officials on a number of projects, if we do not go through those statutory processes or if we try to bypass them or shortcut them in any way, we would be susceptible potentially for our legal challenge. That would of course delay the project even further than that. However, I can give an absolute assurance that we will do everything that we can within our power to deliver the scheme as quickly as we possibly can. We expect to publish draft orders in 2019 for a formal comment. Now, because of the size of the scheme, there could be objections and, depending on those objections, there may be a need for a public local inquiry. I do not know, but we will have to wait to see. However, my point is that it is impossible for me to tell you an exact construction date if I do not know if there is going to be a public local inquiry or not. However, what I can do is give you an absolute assurance that there is no need for a delay and there is no intention for a delay. As Nicolle Finlay has requested me and others have requested, it is an infrastructure project of national importance, not just the A720, and I will come on to that in relation to the STPR2. I thought that a number of members have made some good points about reducing the number of cars. I thought that Jamie Greene spoke well that there is not one silver bullet or not one magic solution to this at all. We have to look at improving the A720 and the A4, plus other sections of the bypass, but we can also look at reducing the number of cars. That is something that we are doing in terms of investing in our railways. I think that the points that were made again by other members, such as Colin Smyth and Emma Harper. I think that other members did around buses and public transport. It is hugely important for us to continue to invest in those as well. I think that Gordon Lindhurst made very well around electric vehicles and the uptake of that. I will take away his suggestion on how we can include electric vehicle charging infrastructure on the A720. He knows our commitment for the A9 in that respect. We have to seriously ramp up our infrastructure on electric vehicles if we want to meet that 2032 target, which, of course, we have every intention of doing so, so I will take away that suggestion. On all that being said, and I should have said in relation to some of the suggestions made by Colin Smyth on railways and investing in perhaps future lines, this is a good time to be having that conversation. We are going into control period 6. There is, of course, a pot of funding available there to have discussions around future enhancements. At the point that was made by Miles Briggs on feasibility and widening, there is a lot of work going on at the moment with the Government from a variety of studies, such as the NTS review and, importantly, the strategic transport projects review, which will be the overarching document for infrastructure investment in the future. If he will not mind, I will take away his suggestion on feasibility and I will come back to him. I do not want to duplicate work if there are already a number of studies that are going to be of no point in doing some of that. The message is very clear from him and from every member who has spoken. It is one that I agree with entirely that this is a part of a trunk road network that is of national importance because of its location, because of the economy and, frankly, because of the sanity of people in order to try to commute on their everyday journeys. For our perspective, I will continue to keep Parliament updated and members updated that I have an interest in a lot of work going on. I thank everybody for their very helpful and constructive contributions. Thank you minister. That concludes the debate. Nice to spend this meeting until 2.30.


Hello, traders at CMC Markets. Welcome to a new update by RRG Research for Monday, the 11th of September. My name is Julius de Campanar and I am presenting to you from Amsterdam in the Netherlands and recording this video on Friday morning. So let's start with a look at the rotations of various world market indices. I have the weekly RRG on the left hand side and the daily RRG on the right hand side. And what I use to do or what I try to do is to see if I can find tails that are confirming each other. Because they usually give a little bit more confirmation, a little bit more trust in a potential trade. So when we look at these RRGs here, so this is the weekly. The ones that catch my eye for example are the Hang Seng and the Footsie to a lesser degree, the Stocks Index. These are all rotating upward and if you look on the right hand side of the graph, then you can see how Nifty, S&P, Nasdaq, Nikkei, New York Fang are all losing relative momentum. So it looks as if there is at least a momentum move going on on the weekly timeframe. They're not moving much on the RS ratio scale. If we move over to the daily RRG then we can find a little bit more detail for those moves. And two that really stand out are the Hang Seng, HSI and the Footsie. And they are confirming what's going on here on that weekly RRG. So I'm interested in looking at those charts. On the right hand side of the daily RRG I see the Nikkei moving into the leading quadrant after rotation through weakening. And it looks as if the Nifty 50 in India is just turning back up before hitting lagging. And when you see where those tails are on the weekly then you can see that Nifty is inside the leading quadrant but losing momentum. You can see that right here. And the Nikkei index is going through a weaker rotation, a weakening rotation, but you can see how the last week that seems to be leveling off. And there is a bit of room for the Nikkei to actually turn back up, which would definitely be possible with the daily tail pushing really hard into the leading quadrant. So the Nikkei and the Nifty I'd like to look at as well. Let's bring those rotations to their individual price charts. Let's start with the Hang Seng index. If you look here, you can see how the Hang Seng. And you can see that by the RS ratio line being long term below 100, like in a real relative downtrend. Had a little bit of hiccup then went down, but you can now see how the green RS momentum line is moving back up above 100. And that is getting in line with that rotation. So it looks as if there is a longer term rotation going on in favor of the Hang Seng index and we're comparing this to the MSCR world, by the way. From a price perspective, there is support around 17,500. I think there's resistance at the level of that last high, which is in the gap area, which is between 18,800 and 19,000. From a relative perspective, this index, this market seems to be picking up. If you look at the FTSE index in the UK, you can see a bit of similar pattern. Longer term relative downtrend on a performance, a little hiccup going down again, but you can see how the price stayed above that horizontal support area around 70 to 50. There are still lower highs coming in. That's a bit of a caveat, I would say. But if we manage to take out 7,500 to the upside in combination with the continuing improvement of relative strength, and then the Nica index better because it is already on the right hand side of the RRRG and it went through a weakening rotation. It's now starting to pick up, and you can see that here. You can see a clear difference between the charts of the HSI and the FTSE that we just looked at. Here you can see how the red RS ratio line is already above 100. That positions that tail on the right hand side of the graph. And you can see how a little dip in momentum occurred slightly below 100. That's the rotation through the weakening quadrant. And it's now going back up again, pushing both RRRG lines above 100 further into the leading quadrant. And if we look at the price chart, you can see how this is actually a pretty strong move off of that support area. And if we can take out, the first level is probably 33,500. And in here is let's say 33,750. That would definitely open up the way for more upside in the Japanese stock market. And then finally, for the world indexes, the Nifty 50, probably I'd argue the best of those four. If you look at the Router Strength line, you can see how this is still moving slightly lower. The RS ratio line is moving slightly lower, but the RS momentum has already put in a little low, a little bottom. It's starting to push up and that's causing that tail to sort of shave against that 100 level here in the RS ratio level on the right hand side of the graph inside the weakening quadrant. But when I combine that with the price chart, which is completing a small bottom formation after a nice run up, correction, bottom formation, and we're breaking out out of that bottom formation, that opens up the way for at least a further move towards the recent high, that's the old time high, around 20,000. But it also suggests that there is more upside under way for the Indian stock market, at least for the Nifty 50 in this case. Let's take a look at the New York Fang stocks. The weekly ROG on the left, daily on the right, and the one tail that immediately stands out, at least for me, is Google. On the weekly, it's moving strongly into the improving quadrant, strong heading, and almost crossing over into the leading quadrant. And if you look at the tail on the daily ROG, you can see that it is inside weakening and starting to curl back up. And we know that that is usually a pretty good sign. So that's a stock that I would like to keep an eye on. Then there's a few others that are worth looking at. If you look at NVIDIA, that's inside weakening on the weekly tail, and it's rotating out of leading, almost rotating out of leading on the daily ROG. So that suggests that there is a bit more weakness to come in NVIDIA. Kind of the same story goes for Tesla, with a long weekly tail moving down, just crossing over into the weakening quadrant. And on the daily, it's inside leading, but it's already starting to roll over. That's not very supportive. Obviously, we do need to watch Apple, because here you can see, and let me blow that up, how a big hidden Apple actually caused that rapid reverse, even on the weekly tail. So when it happens on the weekly tail, you can be sure that there was a significant move. And you can see how that happened on the daily over the last few days, right here, when that tail started to curl over and rotate down and pointing down again. We need to look at Apple as well. And then there's two stocks that, I mean, Snowflake is inside the lagging quadrant, but look at the tail, look at how that kind of the reverse of what Apple did. Snowflake rotated right back up. And if I look at the daily tail for Snowflake, it's actually gradually moving nicely towards the leading quadrant. So that suggests pretty good performance for Snowflake going forward while the daily and the weekly tails are actually lining up. And then there's one stock which looks really nice on the daily, that's Netflix, moving straight into the leading quadrant. If you look at the weekly, it's not all that good. But I'm going to look at the chart anyway, because I think it's an interesting chart with possibilities. So let's have a look at those individual charts. If we start with Google, then you can see how the daily is rolling over. And you can see how that, this is the improvement that we're seeing on that RRG that's magnifying such a move. And with the RRG well above the 100 level, it is very likely that we can get a low in here and get a rotation leading, weakening back to leading. And especially when you bring in the price chart where you can see that Google actually or Alphabet took out the previous high, made a new high and is now testing that previous high as support. So that is suggesting that a new rally off of that support level is now underway. If we look at Netflix, then the one that's intriguing me is this gradual improvement in terms of relative strength. That's a good thing. And especially when you combine that with the price pushing against overhead resistance, I'm going to use like say 450 as a trigger to reenter into Netflix because that is where a lot of overhead resistance is. It's in the gap area that we saw back in January 2022. So there's definitely a lot of supply in this area where we can take that out starting with, well, what would that be 450? That'd be a good first sign for further improvement in Netflix. This is a little bit more shorter term because the weekly tail is rolling over. But in the near term, especially when 450 can be taken out, that would be supportive for a further rise in Netflix. And Snowflake is the other one, which is a stock that has been in a relative downtrend for a long time. We had a few rotations, lagging, improving back to lagging. That's what's happening here when that RS ratio line remains below 100. And then the RS momentum line oscillates around it. But right now you saw the confirmation of both tails on the daily and the weekly ROGs. And when I combine that with what I see on the price chart is where I see higher lows coming in, a serious overhead resistance level around 160 and a really strong day yesterday. So if we can take out, let's say 160 or if you want to go for the extreme, let's say 162, combined with that strong relative strength, it probably opens up the way for a move to the 190 area. That's a nice gain and it could be the start of something bigger. We don't know that yet, you never know. But you've got to start somewhere. And the near term suggests that Snowflake is ready to take out 160 to the upside, put in a new rally, confirmed by relative strength over the New York Fang Index itself. And then on the more negative side of things, we have NVIDIA, obviously a stellar performer. Well, since when? Since October 2022, look at that move. And here is that this is the area of the old time high with that big gap that we saw. And we're now, we're slowing down. There's no doubt about it. This NVIDIA is slowing down. We try to break out to another new old time high. We manage that, but then we come, we're coming back below that breakout level, usually not the best thing. And we're now resting at support around 450. Not very strong, just a few bars here. But I'm going to use that as a trigger, especially when 450 can be taken out on the downside. I think that opens up the way for a further decline towards 404, 400. Let's say 400, 405 maybe. And especially the rollover of relative strength is suggesting that NVIDIA has now trouble keeping up with the New York Fang Index, with the other stocks in the New York Fang Index. So the combination of ROG lines rolling over, pushing NVIDIA into the weakening quadrant with a break below 450 is likely going to trigger a little bit more downside and weakness inside NVIDIA versus the New York Fang Index. And then finally, Apple, big name of course, a lot of news, big, big down day. And what you see here that there is actually quite a bit of damage done to this chart. We actually saw the break out of this channel with a big gap. We ended at support, that was nice, and we rallied off of that support. But then the recent high here around 190 was smack in the middle of that gap, at the top of that gap area, which is now resistance. We put in a lower high, and then we had that big move lower. And we're kind of holding up above 170, but look at the relative strength. The strength has been damaged. The chart has been damaged. So the near-term outlook for Apple, as far as I'm concerned, is not very strong. We could get a rally back up to 180, which is the top of the gap area that you see right here. But please watch out when Apple drops below 171, 50, 170 for sure, because that opens up a lot of downside potential for Apple. That would be in line with the weakness that we're currently seeing in the RRG lines and in the relative strength of Apple versus the New York Fang Index. And I'm going to leave it at this for this week. Thank you for watching this update by RRG Research, and I'm looking forward to seeing you again next week, same time, same place.


Hey, curl friends, I'm Bianca Renee, and you're watching Bianca Renee Today. And today I'm kicking off my Black History Month series where I'll be featuring black-owned brands all month long here on YouTube and on Instagram. We've actually already got things on and pop it on Instagram starting back on February 1st. So make sure you follow me at MsBianca Renee so you don't miss any more dope brands. But today, I'm gonna show you a new hair product that I know you're gonna love. So the brand that I'm featuring today is called Raw Intuition. This is a brand new small black-owned business and it's actually created by one of my friends, Kamar Brown. Kamar is someone that I went to college with. So fun fact, I went to Cal State Northridge. I was on the CSUN hip-hop team and we danced together and that's how we met. So she is now a celebrity hairstylist. She can do everything from weaves to braids to locks to crochet to twists. Like she could do all those amazing protective hairstyles that we wish we all could master. She has done hair for both Jenae Aiko and Jackie Aina. So I mean, if it's good enough for Jenae and Jackie, it's good enough for me. Speaking of Jackie, did you guys notice that I added her Forever Mood candles to my background? My candles are named Caked Up, Macha Business, Cuffing Season and Left On Red. And this one says you up. So I'm all about the names, the packaging. They're hilarious just like Jackie and they smell really good. So let's check out Forever Mood if you wanna support another black-owned business and at least follow Jackie on YouTube because she's the best. Now back to the product. This is the Raw Intuition Define Me Moisturizing Texture Foam. For curls, coils and waves, it tames frizz, defines and hydrates, it's non-flaking, has no sulfates, parabens, mineral oils, linolean or artificial colors. It also is silicone-free. So I told Kamara that's another big one. So she needs to add that to the label because we need to know that. But the hold on this, y'all are ready. If you followed me on Instagram, you already saw my first reaction, hence why we're here. So if you like the Dippity-Doo Girls Curls Jelly, if you like the Level 10 Strong Hold and Shower Style Fixer, you're one of my strong hold sisters. This one is also gonna be a must-have. Now I have had success using this on a refresh day and on day one hair, straight up the shower for my wash and goes. But Kamara has a very different hair texture than me. So I'm like type three curl, she's type four. And she uses this on her hair as well for twist outs to give you that good hold and definition. She also uses this to smooth down flyaways on protective styles. So it's a really great product that's very versatile. But let me show you exactly how I applied it to my hair today. So we have a little shake and let's do one, two, three pumps. The smell's kind of only there for a second and then it goes away. I'm not a huge fan of the smell. It actually kind of smells like medicine, but it doesn't linger. So with these results, I don't care. So it's like a very light, watery consistency. Gonna smooth it in there and scratch. It says that the fragrance is a peach essence. I do get a little hint of peach, but it's kind of like a peach medicine. But in my experience, once this dries, the scent is gone. Okay, I think we are all applied. I'm gonna let this air dry for as long as possible. And then I'll probably bust out the diffuser and we'll see the final results. And I'm back, freshly diffused and fluffed and the hold on this is amazing. But I will say that I have noticed when I use my Dyson diffuser, it really breaks the cast. So on a refresh day where I might not diffuse, I definitely see more hold if I just air dry. But since I did diffuse, it did break the cast. So even if you aren't really a fan of strong hold gel, the cast can be broken. So my curls aren't hard and crunchy, but they're really defined and I'm confident that this is going to last all week long. But I am gonna use a little bit more to even refresh tomorrow and I know my day to hair. So overall, I would say that this mousse can be what you want it to be. If you want that super hard strong hold cast all day, you should air dry and just do a minimal scrunching. If you don't like the hard cast, it could definitely be broken by diffusing or just by really scrunching it all out. And right now I have a nice soft flexible hold that's still giving me like a nice fluffy bounce to it. So depending on how much you use and how much you diffuse or scrunch after, you can find your level of desired hold. Let me do a full 360. Some products just make me like happy. Like a lot of products work on my hair, but not all of them bring me joy. So my curls are looking shiny, defined, and this is day one hair. If I can use a product on day one and be happy with my results, you're a keeper. So as many of you know, this year I've started the Switch It Up Challenge. So I'm challenging you to switch it up and maybe try a new brand that you've never used before. Maybe you've never used a foam before. This is definitely my strongest hold moose slash foam that I own. So shout out to Kamara Raw Intuition. You really did it with this one. This is your very first product and it's amazing. So I'm very proud of you. I really didn't wanna have to crush your dreams if I did not like it, but luckily I do.  So if you're looking to switch it up and try a brand new business that is black-owned, woman-owned, and a really bomb, it's only $14.99. This is a 5.3 ounce bottle. It's available only on her website right now, so I will link her website in the description box. And she gave me a promo code to be looking to save some money, use code Bianca. If you enjoyed this video and you're excited for my Black History Month series, make sure you give me a thumbs up and subscribe. I post new videos every week. You also can follow me on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter at MsBiancaRenae. I'll be posting different black-owned brands of my stories all month long. So don't, don't miss it. I'll see you guys next time. Thanks for watching BiancaRenae today.