- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 1 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what meetings were held at Bute House on 14 May 2017 to discuss the college lecturers' dispute, and whether it will provide a breakdown of all of the attendees.
Answer
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and myself met with representatives of the Employers Association and the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), at two separate meetings, on 14 May 2017 at Saint Andrews House Edinburgh. John Sturrock, QC was present at both meetings.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 1 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what type of (a) PR and (b) advice (i) Charlotte Street Partners and (ii) Graylings provides to Colleges Scotland; how much is charged for the service, and what role the firm is playing in the college lecturers' dispute.
Answer
This is a matter for Colleges Scotland. You may wish to contact them direct for this information.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2017
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it does not keep minutes of all meetings between stakeholders and ministers.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2017
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that ScotRail services that call at unstaffed stations comply with the legal requirement to have a member of staff available to operate ramps.
Answer
On board train staff will assist passengers who have booked in advance to board or alight at unstaffed stations. This service is provided by ScotRail, and all other train companies.
Transport Scotland monitors compliance of ScotRail obligations through the franchise contract agreement and can escalate any concerns around delivery with the Office of Road and Rail if required.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how the ScotRail fleet complies with rail vehicle access regulations, and whether it will list the (a) number and (b) type of rolling stock that (i) complies and (ii) does not comply.
Answer
The entire ScotRail and Serco Caledonian Sleeper train fleets will comply with the Technical Specifications for Interoperability for Persons with Reduced Mobility (the TSI PRM) standards by 1 January 2020 as required by the Equality Act 2010.
Currently, 75% of the ScotRail fleet meets the rail vehicle accessibility standards (previously RVAR introduced in 1999 and superseded by the TSI PRM in 2008)and a programme of refurbishment is in place that will ensure 100% of the ScotRail fleet will comply as required. Details by train type are as follows:
Train Type
|
RVAR Compliant
|
TSI PRM Compliant
|
C156 (Diesel)
|
Yes
|
Under refurbishment to comply by 1 January 2020
|
C158 (Diesel)
|
Yes
|
Under refurbishment to comply by 1 January 2020
|
C170 (Diesel)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
C314 (electric)
|
No
|
Trains off lease before 1 January 2020
|
C318 (electric)
|
Yes
|
Under refurbishment to comply by 1 January 2020
|
C320 (electric)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
C334 (electric)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
C380 (electric)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
C385 (electric)
|
Yes
|
Yes (to be introduced in 2017)
|
High Speed trains (Diesel)
|
Yes
|
Yes (to be introduced in 2018)
|
The Serco Caledonian Sleeper fleet currently complies with the RVAR standards and the new fleet of trains to be introduced in 2018 will comply with the TSI PRM standards.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) it and (b) Police Scotland (i) participates and (ii) has participated in the European Cooperation Group on Undercover Activities and, if so, what this participation involved.
Answer
Neither the Scottish Government nor Police Scotland participate in the European Cooperation Group on Undercover Activities.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) it and (b) Police Scotland was involved in discussions regarding the cross-border activities of the former police officer, Mark Kennedy, in particular at the presentation at the European Cooperation Group on Undercover Activities in 2011.
Answer
Neither the Scottish Government nor Police Scotland participate in the European Cooperation Group on Undercover Activities.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that contractors working on hub projects are paid on time.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2017
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Answered by Derek Mackay on 11 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-08517 and S5W-08880 by Derek Mackay on 19 April 2017 and 2 May 2017 respectively, for what reason it has not answered the question that was asked in both, which is what its position is on the veracity of the Government Expenditure and Revenue Figures (Scotland) (GERS) for (a) 2015-16 and (b) previous years, and whether it will now do so, and whether it considers that its responses to date are consistent with paragraph 1.2(d) of the Scottish Ministerial Code, which states that "Ministers should be as open as possible with the Parliament and the public, reflecting the aspirations set out in the Report of the Consultative Steering Group on the Scottish Parliament. They should refuse to provide information only in accordance with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and other relevant statutes".
Answer
As set out in response to questions S5W-08517 and S5W-08880, GERS is a National Statistics publication. This assessment covers a number of areas including the quality of the statistics and their suitability to the needs of users. GERS sets out estimates of revenue raised in Scotland and spending for Scotland, under the current constitutional arrangements. The estimates in GERS are the best available, produced using methods agreed with users, which are set out clearly in the GERS publication and associated methodology documents.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2017
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2017
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the sub-contractors who work on Scottish Futures Trust projects are paid on time by the main contractor.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2017