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-00751

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has specified what Network Rail should do to deliver the 20-minute reduction in journey times on the rail line between Aberdeen and the central belt to which it has committed.

The Scottish Government has set out its aspirations for improvements in journey times and performance between Aberdeen and the central belt. It is a matter for Network Rail, working with its rail industry partners, to set out the choices available to the Scottish Government to realise those aspirations, including those set out most recently through the Scottish Government’s commitment to invest an additional £254 million in funding alongside the Aberdeen city region deal commitments. This industry advice will be provided in autumn 2016, informed by the final Network Rail Scotland route study which is due to be published in July 2016.

Question reference: S5W-00750

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when ministers instructed Network Rail to commence a feasibility study, as stated by Keith Brown on 9 June 2016 (Official Report, c. 4), into delivering the 20-minute reduction in journey times on the rail line between Aberdeen and the central belt to which it has committed.

Work has been progressing on options for improving the Aberdeen to central belt route since the publication of the strategic transport projects review inOctober 2009 with progress subject to budgets and resources available. Transport Scotland and ScotRail alliance officials met on 10 February 2016 to discuss options for potential interventions to deliver travel benefits on the line within the timeframe of the city region deal made possible by the additional £200 million commitment. Initial discussions have identified potential options for delivery between Aberdeen and Dundee, which will be developed further in line with Network Rail’s governance for railway investment projects process.

Question reference: S5W-00749

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates any minister has met Network Rail since 2008 to discuss the rail line improvements between Aberdeen and the central belt.

Potential improvements for the railway between Aberdeen and the central belt have featured regularly in general discussions and meetings between ministers and senior Network Rail officials since 2008. These discussions were subsequently reflected in the potential interventions set out in the strategic transport projects review, development requirements made in the June 2012 high level output specification, and most recently through the £200 million additional rail investment announced in January 2016 alongside the Aberdeen City region deal.

Question reference: S5W-00748

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which north-east business or stakeholder groups (a) are involved in the steering group for and (b) will be consulted as part of the feasibility study into improvements on the rail line between Aberdeen and the central belt.

Network rail’s own development work is being progressed using standard rail industry processes. This will help inform the development of options available to both respond to the growth in passenger numbers predicted for the route and to deliver the Scottish Government’s aspirations for improved journey times and performance. These will initially be set out in the final Network rail Scotland route study and subsequent rail delivery group advice on future investment choices, both of which are due for publication later this year.

Separate development work for the rail commitment made in the additional funding of £254 million the Scottish Government announced alongside the city region deal is being progressed by Transport Scotland, the remit of which is consistent with the announcements made in January. Key stakeholders will include council authorities and business groups along the line, regional transport partnerships and industry groups such as rail passenger and freight groups. The Aberdeen City region deal joint committee will be kept updated as the study and any emerging interventions progress.

Question reference: S5W-00752

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the scope of the feasibility study into the improvements on the rail line between Aberdeen and the central belt will be published and, if so, when.

Network Rail’s own development work is being progressed using standard rail industry processes. This will help inform the development of options available to both respond to the growth in passenger numbers predicted for the route and to deliver the Scottish Government’s aspirations for improved journey times and performance. These will initially be set out in the final Network Rail Scotland route study and subsequent rail delivery group advice on future investment choices, both of which are due for publication later this year.

Separate development work for the rail commitment made in the additional funding of £254 million the Scottish Government announced alongside the Aberdeen City region deal is being progressed by transport Scotland, the remit of which is in line with the announcements made in January 2016.

Full delivery is expected over the course of the 10-year city deal period, with specification of initial requirements to be set out in the Scottish Government’s high level output specification for control period 6 (period 2019 to 2024), which is due to be published by summer 2017.

Question reference: S5W-00421

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it will release the funding for the three research PhDs in (a) multiple sclerosis and (b) motor neurone disease that was referred to in the 2016 SNP manifesto; how much money will be made available for this work; how much of it will be new money, and from what budget line it will be drawn.

Question reference: S5W-00284

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 9 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to the major trauma centre at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, previously announced in April 2014, what recommendations were made to ministers following the meeting of the National Planning Forum on 28 April 2016; what other advice ministers have received or expect to receive on this issue, and when a final decision will be made.

Question reference: S5W-00283

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 9 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to the designation of four major trauma centres in Scotland, previously announced in April 2014, what recommendations were made to ministers following the meeting of the National Planning Forum on 28 April 2016; what other advice ministers have received or expect to receive on this issue, and when a final decision will be made.

Question reference: S5O-00029

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reductions to their budgets, whether it expects all of the national performing companies to continue to provide high-quality performances.

The Scottish Government is providing funding for the five national performing companies for 2016-17, which support their plans to ensure performances and outreach programmes continue to be of the highest quality and retain a wide national reach across our communities.

This can be demonstrated through the five star reviews recently received by National Theatre of Scotland for The 306: Dawn production in Perth and the Theatre for Schools Scotland initiative, which I helped launch in June 2016, aiming to ensure that every child in Scotland receives ‘a minimum of one performing arts production, per year, as part of their education'.

Question reference: S5O-00057

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what decisions it has made about the future provision of major trauma centres in the NHS.