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: S5W-31146

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been created by the (a) electrification programme, (b) manufacturing of rolling stock and (c) advanced technologies referred to in its Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan.

Question reference: S5W-31145

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to publish an updated timeline for the implementation of its Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan, and whether this will set out when electrification work will (a) begin and (b) be completed on each line.

Question reference: S5W-31198

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the revised timescale is for the (a) National Transport Strategy (NTS2) Delivery Plan and (b) Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), and whether it will be published before the end of the parliamentary session.

Both the National Transport Strategy (NTS2) Delivery Plan and second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) were paused in response to the COVID-19 emergency. However, we remain committed to working with partners to publish a NTS2 Delivery Plan and to take forward the STPR2, albeit in revised timescales, to take account of the Covid-19 impacts in shaping our future transport system. Work has recently recommenced on both.

Regarding point (a) the first annual NTS2 Delivery Plan will be published online by the end of 2020. The Plan will set out the actions being taken forward by the Scottish Government to deliver the Strategy’s vision, priorities and outcomes for our transport system. The Delivery Plan will complement the actions to be outlined in the transport chapter of the Climate Change Plan update, which is due to be laid in Parliament in December 2020.

With regard to (b), we now intend to take a phased approach to STPR2, with phase 1 reporting in the original planned timescale, which will be within this parliamentary term. This will focus on recommendations which “lock in”, in transport terms, the benefits and travel behaviours of individuals and provide a step change in investment which supports the priorities and outcomes of the National Transport Strategy.

We currently envisage that Phase 2, which will complete the review, will report later in 2021.

Question reference: S5W-31187

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is covering the Abellio ScotRail rolling stock lease costs under the terms of the Emergency Measures Agreement (EMA) and, if so, how much it has spent on this in the first six months of the EMA.

Question reference: S5W-31188

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what management fee is due to be paid to Abellio ScotRail at the end of its six-month Emergency Measures Agreement.

Question reference: S5W-31334

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 27 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an updated budget, broken down to Level 4 for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, with information on all changes made since March 2020.

Question reference: S5O-04538

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the cost of the COVID-19 response and recovery measures for local government on the delivery of other council services.

Question reference: S5W-30900

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much support it has provided to the bus industry during COVID-19, broken down by (a) type and (b) purpose of funding; whether any of this funding was subject to meeting conditions, and, if so, whether it will publish a full account of what conditions were placed on such funding.

To date, the Scottish Government has provided, or announced funding totalling £32.9 million of capital and £196.8 million of resource during the COVID-19 period to the bus industry through a number of programmes which are detailed in the following tables. Where available, the conditions placed on these funding streams are set out and the links provided.

Funding provided

Name	Type: Resource / Capital	Purpose	Conditions
National Concessionary Travel Scheme	Resource - £39.4 million paid between 2 March and 27 July 2020	Reimbursing bus operators for journeys made under the National Concessionary Travel Scheme (NCTS) for older and disabled people and the Young People's Scheme for eligible holders of the Young Scot National Entitlement Card.	The conditions and reimbursement terms for the older and disabled people's scheme are in the legislation establishing it, in particular the National Bus Travel Concession Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons (Scotland) Order 2006 (as amended) and the National Bus Travel Concession Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons (Eligible Persons and Eligible Services) (Scotland) Order 2006. The Young People's Scheme is a non-statutory arrangement in which participating bus operators give eligible young people 1/3 off single fares and are reimbursed the difference. More details are at
Covid-19 Support Grant (CSG)	Resource - £41.6 million paid between 2 March and 27 July 2020	Maintaining operators' funding at the levels forecast before Covid-19 for National Concessionary Travel Scheme (NCTS) and Bus Service Operators' Grant (BSOG) in order to maintain essential bus services and support the future viability of bus operators.	Information on CSG is published at Participating bus operators sign up to conditions through grant agreements or public service contracts.
Covid-19 Support Grant - Restart (CSG-R)	Resource - £52.8 million paid between 22 June and 27 July 2020	Additional funding to support the remobilisation of buses and increased service levels with physical distancing measures in place.	Information on CSG-R is published at Participating bus operators sign up to conditions through public service contracts.
Low Carbon Economy funding - Research and Development funding to Alexander Dennis Limited	Capital - £5.0 million expedited during COVID-19 period of an overall £10.0 million grant awarded by Scottish Enterprise (funded by Transport Scotland) in 2019.	Supporting a £29 million ADL investment over 2 years centred on new technologies (including hydrogen), next generation battery powered vehicles; and high capacity, fast-loading vehicles.	Subject to the normal Scottish Enterprise terms and conditions. The details of the grant were placed in the EU Transparency Register.
Low Carbon Economy funding - Research and Development funding to Alexander Dennis Limited	Capital - £73,000 grant from Scottish Enterprise (funded by Transport Scotland)	Supporting the development and testing of retrofitted on-bus equipment and passenger protection from Covid-19 infection, in turn to enable the carriage of more passengers on buses whilst physical distancing guidance in place.	Subject to the normal Scottish Enterprise terms and conditions.

Funding Announced

Name	Type: Resource / Capital	Purpose	Conditions
Bus Priority Rapid Development Fund (BPRDF)	Capital - £10.0 million in the financial year 2020-21	To enable local authorities and the bus industry to implement temporary bus priority measures	The criteria are published at
Bus Emissions Abatement Retrofit (BEAR) Scheme Phase 3	Capital - £8.857 million in the financial year 2020-21	Support bus operators to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions of existing fleet vehicles through the installation of accredited retrofit technology.	Conditions for obtaining funding are published at and
Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS)	Capital - £9.0 million in the financial year 2020-21	To increase the number of ultra-low emission buses on local registered bus services.	The criteria are published at
Covid-19 Support Grant - Restart (CSG-R)	Resource - up to £63.0 million available between 17 August and 8 November 2020	To continue support for bus operators with maintaining bus services from 17 August until 8 November with physical distancing measures in place.	Information on CSG-R as provided in the table above.

Question reference: S5W-30973

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the impact of the COVID-19 social distancing measures. what action it is taking to ensure that blind and partially-sighted people feel confident that they are able to receive the support they require when in public spaces, and how it will promote awareness among the public that the measures do not prohibit them being guided.

In order that blind and partially-sighted people, and others that require guide support when out and about, can feel confident that they are able to receive the support they require, Scottish Government officials have worked with Public Health Scotland to develop guidance for those who provide guide support.

This guidance is available to the public on the Scottish Government website at and has been shared across Scottish Government policy areas and with Sight Loss Sector organisations and Sensory Impairment Leads across the country, for local dissemination to their stakeholders.

In addition, Scottish Government has shared this guidance on twitter and other social media, to further raise public awareness.

Question reference: S5W-31085

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30494 by Fiona Hyslop on 9 July 2020, by what date it will publish its updated report on the cost and programme for vessels 801 and 802.

Further to the answer to S5W-29020 on 21 May 2020, S5W-29558 on 9 June 2020 and S5W-30494 and in line with the easing of lockdown restrictions and a phased restart of work at the yard the updated report will be completed when a full and thorough assessment of the impact of COVID-19 has been carried out. The finalised report will be published thereafter.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at