Chamber and committees

I will not; thank you.

Last September, in a debate on ScotRail led by Neil Bibby, the transport minister stated that our rail plans included rail becoming a go-to for freight. I would be interested to hear from the minister more detail about that, and the prominence that it will be given going forward.

Turning to the workforce, in preparing for today, I asked a very good friend, a train driver, for his thoughts. He highlighted the absolute professionalism of staff who, at the height of the pandemic, dealt with challenging members of the public unwilling to wear face masks. They went above and beyond. He described how ScotRail adapted well in providing greater areas for staff and was excellent at updating Government messaging through emails and social media. Staff remaining on full pay was also of huge importance. Hearing that, I urge the unions to get around the table with the management team to negotiate arrangements that will bring reassurance and stability for staff during a period of change.

On the long-term role of rail in our transport infrastructure, my friend welcomed the progress on electrification, and the potential role of hydrogen in rail travel.

The principle that publicly-run organisations, free from the motivation of profit, can deliver exceptional services, was exemplified during the pandemic by the NHS and emergency services. The Scottish Government’s commitments to our transport network demonstrate that there is much planned to ensure that ScotRail will provide a quality service to Scotland’s passengers, and I will be closely monitoring progress.

I absolutely agree. Coming from a provincial and rural area, I think that it is absolutely vital that the investment in and plans for rolling stock and infrastructure and the route to net zero extend to rural areas, in particular.

I will now bring in Russell Findlay, followed by Gillian Martin. Over to you, Russell.

I am afraid that I will have to jump in. I have been very reluctant to do that, but we could come back to you if there is time at the end, Miles. I am keen to keep to time so that everybody can come in. I want to bring in Elena Whitham, to be followed by Gillian Mackay.

I will hand on to Gillian Mackay, and then I will bring in Sue Webber. I ask that questions and answers are as succinct as you can make them.

We move to questions from Foysol Choudhury. If we have time, I will open the session up to a couple of supplementary questions before we finish.

I will bring in Gillian Martin, and then I will bring the session to a close.

I hand over to Gillian Martin.

Thank you very much, David. I will start off with a very general question. You mentioned that you were appointed as chair just a matter of weeks ago—I think that you said that it was three weeks ago—and you outlined the role of the task force in gathering evidence and making recommendations, and the milestones that the task force seeks to achieve. I am interested to hear your early views on, in particular, the remit and terms of reference of the task force. Are they fit for purpose? Is the focus of the task force the right one? Are the timescales for delivery that have been set by the Scottish Government achievable? That was a bit of a roll-up of questions, but I am interested to hear your views.

Thank you for that. I open up the questioning to members and will bring in Paul O’Kane.