Chamber and committees

Transport Scotland, on behalf of Scottish ministers, manage the ScotRail franchise contract. The contract contains an obligation for ScotRail to plan for special events to ensure extra carriages are provided on services to meet the exceptional demand. ScotRail provides additional and/ or strengthened services for the special event from within its existing resources.

The Scottish ministers have not yet set the appraisal criteria for the next contract for rail passenger services. However, passengers and satisfaction levels will be a crucially important consideration when determining the content and specification of the new rail passenger contract.

As part of a Service Quality Incentive Regime (SQUIRE) inspection, train toilets are audited to establish whether they meet the requirements expected and detailed within the Franchise Agreement.

During each four weekly rail period, approximately 80% of the ScotRail train fleet are inspected throughout Scotland.

The process to renew the contract for rail passenger services in Scotland will consider the issue of the rolling stock used on particular routes.

The passenger fleet is leased from rolling stock companies and, with the exception of the new Class 380 Units, which will remain in Scotland, the leases will expire at the end of the franchise. The new contract will be let with sufficient time for the new operator to secure its fleet.

Representatives of Transport Scotland and ScotRail meet regularly to discuss all aspects of performance within the Service Quality Incentive Regime (SQUIRE).

Issues arising with train toilets on ScotRail longer-distance routes have been included at these meetings.

Customer satisfaction rates of rail users are obtained during the National Passenger Survey (NPS) carried out by Passenger Focus bi-annually.

Transport Scotland monitors the results and works with ScotRail in addressing areas highlighted in the survey as areas of concern highlighted by passengers.

The current ScotRail franchise agreement also contains an obligation for ScotRail to utilise the NPS results when considering the training needs of its staff.

The CRC’s first reporting year ended on 31 March. The UK Government estimates that UK emissions will be reduced by at least 4Mt CO₂ p/a by 2020 as a result of the CRC. But we don’t yet have participants’ footprint and annual reports, so it is not yet possible to assess the contribution that local authorities and public bodies in Scotland will make to the CRC, either in monetary or emissions terms. These reports will be published in the autumn.

The CRC is a largely devolved matter but Scottish ministers agreed to work in partnership with the UK Government and the other devolved administrations to implement the scheme in an undifferentiated manner across the UK. We did this following public consultation on the basis that it is in the best interests of Scottish participants because it best provides a level playing field, is simpler, more cost-effective and is more likely to achieve the desired level of emissions reductions.

There is no central comprehensive record of funding allocated to, or received by, district heating schemes in Scotland each year since 1999.

However, district heating schemes have benefited from around £23 million funding from UK Government and Scottish Government during this time. Some examples of the recorded programmes are detailed in the following tables.

UK Government Community Energy Programme

Under this UK Government Programme, in addition to the capital grants, Scottish schemes were awarded a total of £372,842 development funding between
2002-2005 to help with feasibility studies and business planning. Unfortunately, there is no record of how this is broken down between schemes.

Scottish Clean Energy Demonstration Scheme (SCEDS)

SCHRI Householder/Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant funding (specifically provided to owner occupiers connecting to the Lerwick District Heating Scheme)

Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (Community)

Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (Highlands and Islands)

Scottish Biomass Support Scheme

Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP)

Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme (SBHS)

Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES)

Energy Efficiency Design Awards

Energy Efficiency Budgets

As part of our engagement on the Scotland Bill in 2010 and 2011, the Scottish Government has repeatedly made the case to the UK Government for early devolution of Air Passenger Duty (APD). In our regular discussions over the last
3 years with the main Scottish airports and with airlines, we have also raised the devolution of APD and the opportunities that this would present for them and for Scotland.

There is no central comprehensive record of funding allocated specifically to support district heating. However, as highlighted in the answer to question S4W-01468 on 27 July 2011, district heating schemes have benefited from around £23 million funding from UK Government and Scottish Government sources during this time.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/MAQASearch/QAndMSearch.aspx.