³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

The number of passenger complaints received by ScotRail, through their official complaints process, is set out in the following table for the period 1 and 31 May 2022. The complaints may involve incidents that occurred before 1 May 2022.

The average recorded number of complaints per period for previous years is as follows:-

2019-2020 - 1,664 complaints

2018-2019 - 2,064 complaints

The figure for 1 April to 30 April 2022 is 1,144. The figure of 2,006 complaints for May 2022 is higher than April 2022 as this May period was when several services were impacted due to driver shortages and the subsequent temporary timetable that was introduced on 23 May 2022. The temporary timetable that was in place until 20 July 2022 aimed to provide the best possible service to as many passengers as possible with the available resources.

ScotRail do not record staff complaints and therefore the information is not available.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-09455 on 27 July 2022 . All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

According to the latest published statistics (April 2022) there were 2953 electric vehicle charge points in Scotland at this time. This figure includes 2257 from ChargePlace Scotland, Scotland’s publicly funded electric vehicle charging network.

The replacement of train fleets in Scotland, including the HSTs, is aligned with the phases of the Decarbonisation Action Plan, a link to which is provided here:-

This timescale is of course subject to continuous review in line with delivering the decarbonisation of the rail network in Scotland affordably and practicably and any other relevant developments, including recommendations arising from the Steering Groups considering the recommendations of, and subsequent analysis from the recent RAIB report into the Carmont accident.

The Scottish Government has not allocated any money towards bidding to host the Eurovision song contest in 2023.

Hosting Eurovision 2023 would be a great honour for any country, and we look forward to seeing how plans for next year’s contest develop.

The overall financial model, is a commercial negotiation between Global Energy Group and Haizea Wind Group, but I can confirm that Haizea has received no public funding. This government is supportive of the efforts by Global Energy Group, owners of the port of Nigg to strengthen our domestic supply chain capacity, by developing manufacturing facilities at the port. Working alongside our Enterprise Agencies, we are committed to ensuring our supply chain is given all available opportunities to capitalise on the growth of the offshore renewables sector, sustaining existing skilled jobs and delivering new ones. The priority now for Global Energy Group is to develop a revised business case which continues with the aim to deliver a world class manufacturing facility at Nigg. This business case will of course take into account a revised financial model, both private sector and public sector funding and will seek to set out revised milestones with a target of delivering towers.

The current guidance for General Practice is which was first published on 29th June.

The pandemic has been the biggest shock our NHS has ever faced. It has necessitated the imposition of Infection Prevention Control measures in order to contain its spread, particularly prior to the vaccination programme being fully rolled out. These measures, which have recently been deescalated, changed the way GPs see their patients. As Covid has not gone away yet some precautions remain in place.

The Scottish Government wants to see greater availability of face-to-face appointments and is working with the BMA and RCGP to ensure this happens as quickly as possible. We are clear that where clinically necessary face-to-face consultations will always be available to those who need them.

We must continue to move toward a position where choice is being offered routinely, and the Scottish Government welcomes the GMC’s proposed changes to the Good Medical Practice guidance placing a greater emphasis on shared decision-making between GPs and their patients.

Many GP practices did offer patients video or phone consultations as well as in-person face-to-face consultations before the pandemic changed the balance and we expect a number of patients will wish to continue afterwards with video or phone consultations rather than travel to their GP practice. Ultimately, what is most important is that appointments are agreed through shared decision making, balancing patient choice and clinical judgement.

The 2019 Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) estimates that 56% of social housing is in EPC band C or better. This is the most recent data available from the SHCS.

Following the suspension of face-to-face interviewing in March 2020 to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, there was no SHCS data collection in 2020. The 2021 SHCS was carried out by an external-only inspection, supplemented with alternative sources of data (e.g. from the Energy Performance Certificate) and the householder providing information to surveyors via telephone.

This approach was designed to provide as reliable as possible estimates of key statistics, including on fuel poverty, energy efficiency and external repairs, while maintaining no contact with the household. No data was collected on internal aspects such as room repairs and aspects of housing standards.

It is expected that the key findings from the 2021 SHCS will be published in February 2023.

The 2022 SHCS returned to full in-home surveying in April 2022.

As set out in the Heat in Buildings Strategy, £33 billion is the estimated total gross capital cost of converting our entire building stock, domestic and non-domestic, to zero emissions heat. This estimate is purely indicative and based on a single technology pathway, with cost assumptions derived from the best available evidence including research published by the Climate Change Committee. The Scottish Government continues to keep cost estimates under review, incorporating new evidence as it becomes available.

Since the launch of the around 390,000 National Entitlement Cards (NEC) have been issued to young people across Scotland. The scheme aims to embed sustainable travel behaviours, open social, education, employment and leisure opportunities and reduce household outgoings to aid young people and their families, particularly those living in poverty.

71% (approx. 277,000) of cards have been used at least once to access free bus travel. In comparison to 56% of older and disabled cardholders over the same period, more young cardholders are choosing to use free bus when they travel.
‎

62% (approx. 170,000) NECs have been used more than 10 times, and 16% (approx. 61,000) of NECs have been used to make smart journeys on more than ten occasions within at least one week.

149 NECs have been used by young people to make smart journeys on more than ten occasions every week since the scheme launched.

The figures have been produced using the data on number of journeys per National Entitlement Card and come from the secure ITSO messages (alerts from ticket machines when National Entitlement Cards are scanned) that come into Transport Scotland’s reimbursement system, which are used to pay operators.