Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for ��˿�� to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-05364

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 21 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it plans to reduce the number of miles travelled by car by 20%.

Question reference: S6W-05477

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 21 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how its estimate that applying no increase to rail fares, or applying an increase below the retail prices index, would cost between £6.5 million and £9.1 million was calculated.

As is normal practice, a number of projected scenarios using various estimated levels of ScotRail’s patronage and revenue were analysed in respect of different fares options.

Therefore, the range of £6.5m to £9.1m reflects the potential, estimated cost of a fares freeze across varying patronage and revenue scenarios. If a partial freeze was to be implemented there would be a proportionate reduction to those costs.

The cost of any fares freeze or below-RPI fares increase would also have a cumulative effect, recurring annually.

Question reference: S6W-05587

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 21 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what resilience measures it has implemented to sustain the transport network where staffing levels have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transport Scotland has worked closely with operating partners and stakeholders throughout the pandemic to ensure that transport services have been maintained for those who rely upon them. For example, under the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) scheme, transport operators were able can apply for an exemption to allow essential workers to volunteer to leave self-isolation and return to work in certain limited circumstances in order to allow vital services to continue.

Although this scheme has now closed following changes to the general population self isolation policy, we continue to work closely with the sector on maintaining service and network resilience. This includes working with CalMac and ScotRail to introduce temporary timetables to protect lifeline services and minimise Covid related cancellations as a result of staff absences arising from the recent surge in cases caused by the Omicron variant.

Question reference: S6W-05584

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 21 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual staffing numbers for Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd have been in each year since 2011, broken down by (a) full-time equivalent positions, (b) head count and (c) seasonal workers.

In response to the three questions regarding staffing number (a) Full-time equivalent (b) headcount (C) Seasonal workers at Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd I can confirm as follows.

BASELINE LIST - bodies	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd FTE (a)	13	14.53	17.5	21.8	20.8	22.4	25.6	27.6	28.6	33.08	37
Headcount (b)	13	15	18	22	21	23	26	28	29	34	39

In regards to question (C) they have confirmed that have never employed any seasonal workers.

CMAL, advise resource numbers have increased annually as additional roles and responsibilities have been taken on across this period. This has been in part due to covering the full Repair & Maintenance for the 26 ports and an increase to the fleet size to include all 5 lifeline service vessels for the Northern Isles.

Question reference: S6O-00660

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it will address the reported repair backlog in Scottish Fire and Rescue Service properties.

Question reference: S6F-00698

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 January 2022

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to ScotRail’s plans to cut ticket office opening hours at 120 stations and to close three ticket offices entirely.

Question reference: S6O-00650

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the allocation of funding in its Budget for 2022-23 will support local services in the West Scotland region.

Question reference: S6W-05359

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many green jobs are expected to be created by its Green Jobs Fund.

The Green Jobs Fund (GJF) is a five year, £100m capital fund offering support to businesses, and their supply chains, to help them better transition to a low carbon economy. In so doing, the GJF will support businesses to create green employment through investment in equipment and premises, and research and development.

During the Just Transition debate on motion S6M-02429, on 7 December 2021, I confirmed that so far, £12.3 million has been awarded through the Green Jobs Fund and this is expected to create and safeguard more than 850 green jobs. As future Green Jobs Fund awards are made, we will continue to update on the progress of the fund and the expected green jobs resulting from this.

Question reference: S6T-00385

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will explain its decision to increase peak and off-peak regulated rail fares by 3.8%.

Question reference: S6W-04642

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many appointments were held in each NHS board area from (a) 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 and (b) 1 April to 25 November 2021 for ophthalmology care in (i) an outpatient setting and (ii) day cases, also broken down by the specific eye condition, including cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.