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It is the intention of the Scottish Government to publish redacted versions of the current Emergency Measures Agreements, in place from September to January 2021, on the Transport Scotland website in the coming weeks.

In order to maintain rail passenger service continuity throughout this period, the Scottish Government released significant funding of £250m which enabled Abellio ScotRail to maintain full employment of staff. The management fee associated with the earlier Emergency Measures Agreement with Abellio ScotRail included a performance element, ensuring focus on immediate service continuity for essential journeys. A similar approach was taken by the Department for Transport at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Scottish Government officials are continuing to investigate other opportunities to encourage low carbon and more sustainable farming and food production through the Agricultural Transformation Fund allocation for 2020-21. Parliament will of course be updated of any such proposals.

The Scottish Government has already provided around £250 million of additional financial support which has allowed Abellio ScotRail and Serco Caledonian Sleeper to maintain full employment for their staff despite the significant drop in passenger revenue during the pandemic, and substantial additional sums will be required in future.

The UK Government has not yet provided clarity about the future additional funding for the Scottish Government arising from UK transport spending. Any pay discussions between ScotRail and its staff will need to reflect the extremely challenging budgetary position and the ongoing budgetary uncertainty.

The global figure for all rolling stock costs during the EMA period until 20 September 2020 is £84.8m. Disaggregated information cannot be provided due to the commercial sensitivities for both Train Operating Companies as well as the Rolling Stock Companies involved.

Local authorities are responsible for distributing devices from the initial tranche of 24,485 chromebook devices, and for securing and distributing further devices and connectivity solutions from their grant allocations. We are working with local authorities to collate and assure information on how many devices have been ordered, received and distributed to learners, although indications are that up to 70,000 individuals will benefit from this investment.

As agreed with COSLA, funding allocations to each local authority were based on a distribution formula calculated on the basis of deprivation (70%) and rurality (30%).

Transport Scotland has held individual discussions with both parties and has encouraged both to engage meaningfully to have the matter resolved.

Caledonian Sleeper is bound by the Franchise Agreement to inform passengers in a timely manner of any potential changes to their timetabled travel.

Caledonian Sleeper advises it took the decision to announce on 29 September the cancellation of trains on 4 and 5 October to ensure that all passengers were fully informed ahead of the strike action, allowing them to make alternative plans for any travel or onward accommodation bookings.

Almost £24 million of this fund has been allocated to local authorities. We are considering how best to invest the remaining £1 million.