Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-03698

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support specialist neonatal intensive care units across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-29340

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its former senior (a) civil servants and (b) agency staff sought its approval in (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23 and (iii) 2023-24 to take up a position with another employer, also broken down by how many times this approval was granted.

Question reference: S6O-03669

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to implement Scotland’s National Transport Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-28501

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 1 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many contracts it has awarded to supported businesses in Scotland in each of the last five calendar years.

Supported Businesses make an important contribution to the Scottish economy. Not only through the goods and services they deliver, but also by providing meaningful employment, training, and social support for those who may otherwise be excluded from the workplace.

The following information is derived from the supported business suppliers included in Scottish national framework agreement for goods and services that was reserved for supported businesses. This framework was open to the whole of the public sector in Scotland, charities and third sector. The contract ran from 2018 to 2023.

A total of seventy-six contracts have been awarded to the supported businesses on this framework by the Scottish Government (including its agency organisations) over the last five calendar years.

Year	FY ‎ 2022-23	FY ‎ 2021-22	FY ‎ 2020-21	FY ‎ 2019-20	FY ‎ 2018-19	Five Year Total
Total number of contracts awarded to Supported Businesses	3	17	21	20	15	76

Question reference: S6W-28500

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 1 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many contracts have been awarded to supported businesses by public bodies in each of the last five calendar years.

Supported Businesses make an important contribution to the Scottish economy. Not only through the goods and services they deliver, but also by providing meaningful employment, training, and social support for those who may otherwise be excluded from the workplace.

The following information is derived from the supported business suppliers included in Scottish national framework agreement for goods and services that was reserved for supported businesses. This framework was open to the whole of the public sector in Scotland, charities and third sector. The contract ran from 2018 to 2023.

A total of 277 contracts have been awarded to the supported businesses on this framework by public bodies over the last five calendar years.

Year	FY ‎ 2022-23	FY ‎ 2021-22	FY 2020-21	FY 2019-20	FY 2018-19	Five Year Total
Total number of contracts awarded to Supported Businesses	43	54	56	66	58	277

Question reference: S6W-28282

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what additional steps are being taken in the coming months to increase awareness of the peak fares removal trial on ScotRail services.

Transport Scotland has written to a range of stakeholders to publicise the pilot as well as the ongoing public survey which will form an input into the final evaluation of the pilot.

In addition, ScotRail has ran an extensive marketing campaign across radio, TV, press and social media to highlight the potential pilot as well as regular social media posts which have reached a potential 15.8 million people.

Question reference: S6W-28388

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the (a) recipient, (b) value and (c) project status of each of the Piers and Harbours Grants that it has issued from the Infrastructure Investment Plan to date.

The Lochmaddy infrastructure project was led and delivered by the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar(CNES) and the offer of capital grant funding provided was £15,747,640.

The Tarbert (Harris) project was led and delivered by CMAL, the total spend by Transport Scotland was £19,240.552.75

The Uig (Skye) project is currently in construction and led by the Highland Council. The offer of capital grant funding provided is £39,058,246.

The Ardrossan Harbour Business Case & Cost Exercise is currently being progressed. Transport Scotland has to date provided capital grant funding to Peel Ports Group of £650,000 as part of the design, planning and procurement stages of this project’s development.

CMAL have project lead on a number of ongoing projects under the IIP. A total of £15,283,893.01 has been paid in respect of the works carried out. This spend covers the work on the Cumbrae Slipway, Gourock Harbour Development, Islay Vessel Enabling Works, Lochboisdale /Gasay Project Works and the Port Ellen Terminal Development.

All the information regarding spending on Vessels and Infrastructure can be found within the Section 70 reports published annually by Transport Scotland the most recent financial year updated 28th June 2024.

Question reference: S6W-28389

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much CMAL has spent, to date, from the budgets in the Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) for the procurement of new (a) vessels and (b) pier and harbour infrastructure.

Question reference: S6W-28391

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of any additional costs from Transport Scotland’s contracts for external consultancy services that will result from the 12-month extension to the current contract for Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services from 1 October 2024.

Question reference: S6W-28387

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the remaining annual funding levels are for the Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) to 2025-26, and what assessment it has made of the impact of inflation levels since 2021-22 on the total IIP budget.

The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to improving and modernising our ferry services and better meeting the needs of island residents, businesses and communities. The Infrastructure Investment Plan referenced capital investment of at least £580 million for ferries, port infrastructure, and related activities. In addition to the projects highlighted in the IIP, the Scottish Government has committed around £115 million for two new major vessels for the Little Minch routes. The draft Islands Connectivity Plan - Vessels and Port Plan provides further detail on the overall programme.

The total spend on ferries infrastructure, excluding Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa which are covered separately, between 2021-22 and 2025-26 is expected to be around £700 million, subject to approvals, funding, and relevant procurement processes. All capital projects are subject to inflation and costs and impacts are considered as part of the individual business case process.

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Chamber and committees