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 MSPs 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-09606

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether Abellio ScotRail is required to consult trade unions representing ScotRail staff when carrying out its commitment under Schedule 1.6, Part 1, reference 24.18 of the franchise agreement to train prisoners from Scotland.

Training for Scottish Prisoners is a Committed Obligation in the ScotRail Franchise Agreement, which was introduced by ScotRail in compliance with the specified date of 1 June, 2016 and is continuing to operate. As such, industrial relations issues, including consultation with trade unions representing ScotRail staff in connection with this Committed Obligation is a matter for ScotRail and the unions involved.

Question reference: S5W-09608

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many work placements have been offered by Abellio ScotRail to newly released ex-offenders in Scotland since 1 June 2016, in line with the franchisee’s commitment under Schedule 1.6, Part 1, reference 24.18 of the current franchise agreement, and how many of these work placements it expects to have been taken up by 1 June 2017.

For year 2016-2017 ScotRail completed the required visits to identify newly released ex-offenders who would be suitable for work placement, and who would be willing to undertake it. However, they were not successful in identifying suitable candidates. For year 2017-2018, two visits have been completed at Corton Vale prison, including recruitment and selection workshops. Risk assessment meetings were held by ScotRail on 26 May 2017 at Greenock Prison, and on 31 May at Corton Vale Prison with a view to 2 offenders ready to commence work placement during June 2017.

Question reference: S5W-09607

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many visits to prisons in Scotland Abellio ScotRail officials have made since 1 June 2016, in line with its commitment under Schedule 1.6, Part 1, reference 24.18 of the franchise agreement to train prisoners from Scotland.

For year 2016-2017 ScotRail completed the required visits to identify newly released ex-offenders who would be suitable for work placement, and who would be willing to undertake it. For year 2017-2018, two visits have been completed at Corton Vale prison, including recruitment and selection workshops. Risk assessment meetings were held by ScotRail on 26 May 2017 at Greenock Prison, and on 31 May at Corton Vale Prison.

Question reference: S5W-09604

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to ensure that work placements offered by Abellio ScotRail to newly released ex-offenders in Scotland, in line with the franchisee’s commitment under Schedule 1.6, Part 1, reference 24.18 of the current franchise agreement, are not used to fill pre-existing job vacancies.

Question reference: S5W-09605

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of Abellio ScotRail’s plan for meeting its commitment under Schedule 1.6, Part 1, reference 24.18 of the franchise agreement to train prisoners from Scotland, and whether it will provide copies of its recent correspondence with the franchisee regarding this commitment.

ScotRail provide Transport Scotland with an update on progress with their Committed Obligations, including Committed Obligation 24.18 in their four weekly Franchise Performance Report. Transport Scotland also meet with ScotRail on a bi-annual basis to review evidence provided by ScotRail on a range of HR
commitments. The most recent of these meetings on 17 November 2016 included Committed Obligation 24.18.

Question reference: S5W-09248

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 1 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much it cost to (a) develop and (b) run the trial of the baby box project in Clackmannanshire; what the cost was of each box, and how this compared with the initial estimate.

Question reference: S5W-09247

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 1 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the cost of the baby box project has risen to £35.3 million.

The Scottish Government is committed to providing a Baby Box of essential items to every newborn child and his or her family to help ensure they get the best possible start in life. We considered the views of parents in determining the contents for the initial national roll-out of boxes.

Consequently, we have included more expensive items, including the digital thermometer and the baby wrap, which parents involved in the pilot have indicated that they found more useful than they originally anticipated. These are the sort of items that some families on low incomes might consider to be unaffordable, yet they are recommended by professionals as being helpful for babies’ wellbeing.

The value of this contract is estimated at £35.3 million over the potential life of the contract (four years).

The average cost of each Baby Box is approximately £160, with this total covering all contents as well logistics such as storage and delivery. The total cost of the £35.3million is over a number of years. We will keep the contents and costs of the box under constant review to ensure we continue to achieve effective value for money.

Question reference: S5W-09294

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of central belt ScotRail services arrived (a) on time and (b) within (i) one to two, (ii) two to three and (iii) three to four minutes of their booked time in each of the last eight reporting periods.

Performance of trains is reported according to the public-performance-measure (PPM), which reports the percentage of trains which arrive within five minutes of the timetabled arrival time. This is a sensible and balanced measure of punctuality; for example, it allows rail staff sufficient time to help disabled passengers requiring assistance.

The performance of trains in the Central Belt is reported to Transport Scotland in three service groups: the Suburban West group, which includes the trains serving the Glasgow area; the Suburban East Group, which includes the trains serving the Edinburgh area; and the Edinburgh and Glasgow Express.

The Public Performance Measure for each group over the last eight periods has been as follows:

	2016-17 Period 7	Period 8	Period 9	Period 10	Period 11	Period 12	Period 13	2017-18 Period 1
Express E&G	89.5%	86.4%	80.4%	89.0%	92.3%	91.2%	94.0%	94.7%
Suburban West	90.7%	87.6%	85.5%	90.5%	92.1%	94.0%	94.0%	94.2%
Suburban East	90.9%	87.5%	83.2%	88.9%	92.4%	93.2%	93.1%	93.9%

The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number or percentage of trains which arrived within one to two minutes; two to three minutes; and three to four minutes of their booked time, in the form requested, at a sector or route level.

More information on ScotRail’s performance can be found at these weblinks:

https://www.scotrail.co.uk/performance-and-reliability

http://www.orr.gov.uk/statistics/published-stats/statistical-releases

http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/

Question reference: S5O-01072

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to strengthen relations between Scotland and Cuba.

Question reference: S5W-09246

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the competitive tender process for the baby box project was open to one candidate only.