Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-03603

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to tackle long ambulance turnaround times.

Question reference: S6W-27686

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the average reduction in journey times has been on each of the national train routes across Scotland in each year since 2016.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.

The Scottish Government’s High Level Output Specification (HLOS) strategy requires Network Rail to take full advantage of maintenance and renewal works and timetable development processes to enable ScotRail to achieve improved journey times. It is also a requirement of the ScotRail Policy Compendium and Grant Agreement that ScotRail works with Network Rail to deliver a high performing railway, with competitive journey times.

Office of Rail and Road's Annual Assessment of Network Rail, which is published on its website, provides information on average national journey time for year 2022-23:

, which the member might find of interest.

Question reference: S6W-27642

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on the (a) uptake and (b) outcomes of support from the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme in each year of its operation.

The following table shows the level of Mode Shift Revenue Support grants awarded by the Scottish Government since the introduction of the scheme plus details of the committed traffic.

Year	MSRS - Grants Awarded	Containers Moved by Rail or Water
2010-2011	£753,751	121,100
2011-2012	£739,280	115,740
2012-2013	£759,801	114,930
2013-2014	£751,575	121,280
2014-2015	£727,327	132,453
2015-2016	£636,899	103,148
2016-2017	£638,157	122,565
2017-2018	£688,480	129,537
2018-2019	£776,484	140,441
2019-2020	£597,714	124,143
2020-2021	£574,903	151,224
2021-2022	£477,423	85,099
2022-2023	£539,853	129,872

The Scottish Government has a range of annualised data on the uptake and outcome of the Mode Shift Revenue Support Scheme including the value of Grants Awarded and the number of containers moved by rail or water. In total, between 2010-11 and 2022-23, £8,661,647 of awards were made leading to 1,591,532 containers moved by rail or water.

Question reference: S6W-27679

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much public funding it has provided to ScotRail in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S6W-27754

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many adverse incidents have occurred at, or within a half mile radius of, the Toll of Birness in each year since 2010, including the period from January to end of May 2024.

Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Transport Scotland does not hold information relating to damage only accidents or adverse incidents generally (i.e. not involving an injury).

Since Amey took over the Operating Company contract in 2022, incidents such as flooding (7 times), potholes (3 times), fallen trees (twice) and dead badgers (twice) have prompted Amey to visit the location.

According to Transport Scotland’s accident database, there have been 14 personal injury accidents which have occurred at or within half a mile radius of the A90 Toll of Birness junction between 1 January 2010 and 5 March 2024. These are tabulated below:

Accidents by Year
Year	Total
2010	1
2011	1
2012	0
2013	1
2014	3
2015	0
2016	1
2017	1
2018	2
2019	1
2020	1
2021	1
2022	0
2023	1
2024*	0

* data available until 5 March 2024

Source: Transport Scotland Accident Manager Database

Notes:

Statistics for Police Scotland

Date Period: 01-01-2010 – 05-03-2024

Date Extracted - 21/05/2024

Please note that the personal injury accident information provided above is based on the current figures available. The following are potential reasons for an accident not appearing on our system:

Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Transport Scotland does not hold information relating to damage only accidents (i.e. not involving an injury).

Transport Scotland only holds accident information for the trunk road network.

The accident information Transport Scotland holds is subject to change. E.g. we receive late returns from Police Scotland, who are responsible for recording details of injury accidents.

Annual Scottish accident figures are published by Transport Scotland on a yearly basis and can be found by entering Reported Road Casualties Scotland into your search engine.

From summer 2019, Police Scotland introduced a new system for recording traffic collisions. Due to improved recording and categorisation processes, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of casualties and accidents on Scottish roads that are classified as serious.

Question reference: S6W-27755

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government at what time, or during what time periods, road traffic accidents, including all reported adverse incidents, have been recorded as having occurred at the Toll of Birness in the last 10 years.

Personal injury accidents occurred at the following time periods at A90 Toll of Birness between 1 January 2014 and 4 May 2024. Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Transport Scotland does not hold information relating accidents or incidents not involving an injury.

Day	Date	Time
Monday	10-02-2014	16:04
Saturday	12-04-2014	08:10
Friday	04-07-2014	07:00
Monday	26-09-2016	12:39
Wednesday	05-04-2017	18:00
Thursday	04-01-2018	08:45
Wednesday	11-07-2018	15:45
Thursday	05-12-2019	18:00
Tuesday	18-02-2020	14:51
Thursday	03-06-2021	07:20
Sunday	15-01-2023	03:32

* data available until 5 March 2024

Source: Transport Scotland Accident Manager Database

Notes:

Statistics for Police Scotland

Date Period: 01-01-2014 - 05-03-2024

Date Extracted - 21-05-2024

Please note that the personal injury accident information provided above is based on the current figures available. The following are potential reasons for an accident not appearing on our system:

Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Transport Scotland does not hold information relating to damage only accidents (i.e. not involving an injury).

Transport Scotland only holds accident information for the trunk road network.

The accident information Transport Scotland holds is subject to change. E.g. we receive late returns from Police Scotland, who are responsible for recording details of injury accidents.

Annual Scottish accident figures are published by Transport Scotland on a yearly basis and can be found by entering Reported Road Casualties Scotland into your search engine.

From summer 2019, Police Scotland introduced a new system for recording traffic collisions. Due to improved recording and categorisation processes, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of casualties and accidents on Scottish roads that are classified as serious.

Question reference: S6W-27645

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the trial in 2020 of bringing timber out of Caithness by rail has not been meaningfully followed up, in light of it reportedly being successful.

The movement of freight is a commercial matter and the Scottish Government’s leadership in support for rail freight is outlined in our 2016 rail freight strategy, and put into practice with significant investment, a freight-first approach, and through our regulatory rail freight growth targets. The 2020 timber by rail trial in the Far North of Scotland proved the concept and provided lessons for the industry on the Scottish timber market, rolling stock/wagon capability and availability, operational considerations and the finances/economics of moving timber by rail. It is for the industry to lead on any follow up activities and Network Rail remains engaged with the industry through the Scotland Freight Joint Board and works with Freight Operating Companies and Freight End Users to enable modal shift to rail.

Question reference: S6W-27644

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) what the outcomes were of the Lifting the Spirit trial at Elgin in 2013 and (b) whether it was operationally successful, and what it did to build on that trial.

The movement of freight is a commercial matter and the Scottish Government’s leadership in support for rail freight is outlined in our 2016 rail freight strategy, and put into practice with significant investment, a freight-first approach, and through our regulatory rail freight growth targets. The Lifting the Spirit Trial at Elgin in 2013 was led by regional transport partnership HITRANS, in partnership with the Scotch Whisky Association, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Moray Council and the EU Food Port. Their report is publicly available with lessons learnt. It is for the industry to lead on any follow up activities and Network Rail remains engaged with the industry through the Scotland Freight Joint Board and works with Freight Operating Companies and Freight End Users to enable modal shift to rail.

Question reference: S6W-27735

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 3 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of attacks by dogs on people that have been committed by dogs in harnesses as opposed to with leads.

Question reference: S6W-27736

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 3 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consequences a dog might face where it attacks and physically injures a pedestrian.

There are powers available under a range of legislation that can be used depending on the specific situation. This is ultimately a matter for those involved in enforcing the law to decide based on the facts and circumstances of each individual case.

However, a dog that attacks and injures someone faces being seized, and could ultimately be destroyed. For example, where a dog owner has been found guilty of possessing a dangerously out of control dog under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, the court has a range of options available to it when sentencing. This includes imposing a destruction order in relation to the dog in question. These are matters for the independent court to decide upon in any given case.

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Chamber and committees