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: S4W-18984

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-17626 by Keith Brown on 25 October 2013, how many trains run through the Winchburgh tunnel per hour at peak period, broken down by rail service.

The following services run through Winchburgh Tunnel, per hour, during both the morning and evening peak periods:

Service

No. of Trains per hour

AM Peak (0700-0900)

PM Peak (1600-1800)

Edinburgh to Glasgow	4	4
Glasgow to Edinburgh	4	4
Edinburgh to Dunblane	2	2
Dunblane to Edinburgh	2	2
Inverness to King’s Cross	0	1
King’s Cross to Edinburgh	1	0
Freight	1	0

Question reference: S4W-18983

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what rail services pass through, or stop at, Dalmeny railway station and how many services do so per hour at peak period.

The following services pass through Dalmeny Station:

Edinburgh to Perth

Edinburgh to Dundee

Edinburgh to Aberdeen

Edinburgh to Inverness

Fife Circle

Aberdeen to King’s Cross (operated by East Coast)

Aberdeen to Penzance (operated by Cross Country)

The following services call at Dalmeny during the morning and evening peaks:

Service

No. of Trains per hour

AM Peak (0700-0900)

PM Peak (1600-1800)

Fife Circle

Question reference: S4W-18986

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when the revised business case for the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme will be published.

Question reference: S4W-18559

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the status is of the Caledonian Sleeper Service franchise.

Question reference: S4W-18561

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that the pension arrangements of staff on the Caledonian Sleeper Service are not adversely affected by the separation of the franchise from the ScotRail franchise.

Discussions are at an advanced stage regarding the details of the Railway Pension Scheme that staff of the (future) Caledonian Sleeper Franchisee will have access to. Scottish Ministers have committed to continue to ensure that Franchisees will maintain pensions within the Railway Pensions Scheme for both Franchises and to ensure that the pension arrangements for staff on the future Caledonian Sleeper Franchisee are not adversely affected by the separation of the Caledonian Sleeper Franchise from the main ScotRail Franchise.

Question reference: S4W-18565

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the partnering relationship will be between Transport Scotland and the Caledonian Sleeper Service franchisee.

Question reference: S4W-18560

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what pension scheme the staff of the Caledonian Sleeper Service will have access to.

Question reference: S4W-18562

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what capital investment it will make for (a) rolling stock refurbishment and (b) stations in relation to the Caledonian Sleeper Service.

Question reference: S4W-18564

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government who, other than the franchisee, will receive Caledonian Sleeper Service investment funding and how much.

Question reference: S4W-18563

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how the £100 million investment for improved service provision on the Caledonian Sleeper Service will be allocated.

The precise mix of investment that delivers a transformative whole-journey experience will be determined by the winning bidder. However, at least £50 million of public money has been made available for rolling stock improvements. However, that is not fixed and we remain open to proposals of up to £60 million from bidders where the additional investment offers a financial return. Up to a further £6 million has been made available for investment in station facilities.

Significant enhancements to the rail infrastructure, including improvements to the Highland Main Line, have already been committed for delivery from April 2014. Totalling over £100 million alone, this investment in the infrastructure will support improvements to the operation of Caledonian Sleeper services. In line with the ORR’s Determination for CP5 the Scottish Government will also ensure payment of the proportion of track access cost charges allocated to the new, separate Caledonian Sleeper franchise.