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-06684

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 21 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government which policies in the Ferries Plan 2013-22 will be replaced by policies in the Islands Connectivity Plan.

The Islands Connectivity Plan (ICP) will replace the Ferries Plan and will consider island connectivity more broadly, including having regard to connecting and onward travel. The ICP will develop objectives based on supporting delivery of the National Transport Strategy 2 and the National Islands Plan, and develop proposals to meet those objectives which represent public value.

The ICP will also include a long-term investment programme for new ferries and development at ports, that will aim to improve resilience, reliability, capacity and accessibility, while increasing standardisation, cutting emissions and meeting the needs of island communities whilst providing value for money.

In addition, the ICP will explore pathways to zero/low emission ferry transport and undertake a ferry fares policy review.

Question reference: S6O-00847

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on co-operative development in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-00818

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the remediation, including removal and replacement, of unsafe cladding on residential buildings in Scotland, as part of its response to the Grenfell tragedy.

Question reference: S6W-05572

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 07 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the extent to which Serco Caledonian Sleeper’s employment procedures are in line with its Fair Work Framework.

The existing Franchise Agreement between the Scottish Ministers and Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited predates the implementation of the Fair Work Framework.

However, the opportunity has been taken under the current amended contractual arrangements for the pandemic period (Emergency Measures Agreements) to specify that Caledonian Sleeper should deliver against a set of Staff Engagement and Wellbeing Targets.

As contractual arrangements for the pandemic period draw to a close, Caledonian Sleeper has committed to engaging with the Scottish Government in adopting the Fair Work Framework under updated contractual arrangements.

Question reference: S6W-05573

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 07 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the extent to which Serco Caledonian Sleeper’s treatment of its staff is consistent with the application of its Fair Work Framework.

Question reference: S6W-05838

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government over which period in 2019 the ticket sales data in ScotRail's consultation on ticket office closures relates to.

Abellio ScotRail advise they carried out analysis from ticket issue data for each of the current ScotRail ticket offices covering the seven-week period from 30 October to 17 December 2016 & 2019, regarded in the industry as the busiest period in the year.

It is important to note the data used for the review was from 2019 and represents a period not impacted by the Covid pandemic and the associated fall in customer numbers.

Question reference: S6W-05837

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it or Transport Scotland has made of passengers’ ability to purchase the best value ticket at times when ticket offices are proposed to be closed, in light of ScotRail's consultation on the matter.

Transport Scotland has not undertaken any assessment however Abellio ScotRail advise they have carried out a full review of ticket buying at all ticket offices which have remained largely the same since the 1990s. During this period there has been significant investment in the station environment. ScotRail has installed 355 ticket vending machines which accounts for 26 per cent of all ticket sales.

Increased usage and familiarity of the internet has opened up an entirely new retail channel, which in 2019 accounted for 18 per cent of all ticket sales. All train services have two members of staff on board - one driver and one ticket inspector. These factors have all contributed to a drop in ticket office usage over the past three decades. Abellio ScotRail has also made clear that customers will always receive the best value ticket regardless of how they chose to purchase.

Question reference: S6W-05830

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether its or Transport Scotland’s permission was required for Abellio ScotRail to consult on changes to its ticket office opening hours.

Question reference: S6W-05836

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it or Transport Scotland has made of which services will no longer be available to passengers at times when ticket offices are proposed to be closed, in light of ScotRail's consultation on the matter.

Transport Scotland has not undertaken any assessment however Abellio ScotRail has carried out an assessment of all ticket sales, passenger assistance, ticket buying facilities, waiting areas, toilets, passenger footfall, links to local schools, colleges and businesses for every station with a ticket office. In addition, Abellio ScotRail also reviewed any instances of anti-social behaviour to ensure the proposed changes do not reduce the customer experience.

Abellio ScotRail has also confirmed that no job loses would occur and any change to opening times would be redeployed in the local area to ensure customers were better supported by having staff more visible and on the frontline.

Question reference: S6W-05829

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its or Transport Scotland's officials had with representatives of Abellio ScotRail regarding its proposals to change ticket office opening hours, and on what dates these discussions took place.