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: S6W-10046

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been diagnosed with long COVID in each NHS board area.

This is a matter for the NHS Boards. The information requested is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government recognises that accurate data on the number of people diagnosed with long COVID is needed to forecast and plan for the need for healthcare services arising from long COVID. Public Health Scotland will lead on surveillance of long COVID. It is currently anticipated that this surveillance will be undertaken via the EAVE II study, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh ( About EAVE II | The University of Edinburgh ). Funded by the Medical Research Council, the EAVE II study has used a pseudonymised patient dataset to track the COVID-19 pandemic across Scotland. In a separate project funded by the Chief Scientist Office, the EAVE II dataset will be used to create a tool to identify people at greatest risk of developing long COVID. The findings will in due course provide information about the number of people diagnosed with long COVID, including a breakdown by NHS Board.

Question reference: S6W-09528

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 June 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the ports industry in Scotland regarding the UK Government’s legislative response to P&O Ferries replacement of seafarers in Scotland with agency crew, reportedly being paid below the minimum wage, from 17 March 2022.

Question reference: S6W-09527

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 June 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government on the potential impact of the reported low-wage crewing model, imposed by P&O Ferries, on seafarers working for other ferry operators.

Question reference: S6W-09383

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the maximum performance fee for the Serco Caledonian Sleeper Temporary Measures Agreement is capped at 1.5% of the cost base of the franchise, as was the case for its previous Emergency Measures Agreement, and, if that is not the case, what level it is capped at.

Question reference: S6W-09526

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 June 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 12 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to exclude P&O Ferries owner, DP World, from the consortiums bidding for a Green Freeport in Scotland.

The Green Freeports bidding process closed on 20 June and five bids were submitted from: North East Scotland Green Freeport; Clyde Green Freeport; Forth Green Freeport; Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport; and Orkney Green Freeport. Neither P&O Ferries nor DP World are involved in any of these bids.

The Scottish Government has been clear that fair work practices sit at the heart of Green Freeports and any application which does not show a clear commitment to fair work practices will not be supported by the Scottish Government. We are determined to ensure that Green Freeports will create significant numbers of good, green jobs, and deliver positive benefits for Scotland’s businesses, workers and communities.

Question reference: S6W-08838

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it was consulted by ScotRail on the reduction in train services that came into effect on 23 May 2022.

Question reference: S6W-08835

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how long it anticipates the temporary timetable introduced by ScotRail on 23 May 2022 will be in place.

ScotRail’s temporary timetable aims to provide the best possible service to as many passengers as possible with the available resources. The major determining factor is driver availability by rostered hours, location and with the necessary competencies, which fluctuates daily.

ScotRail has regularly reviewed the temporary timetable to take account of stakeholder feedback, wherever possible, and changes to driver availability and just recently was able to add additional services. With the positive progress made on pay negotiations with ASLEF, I have tasked ScotRail with reintroducing the previous timetable as soon as possible.

Question reference: S6O-01275

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the role of Skills Development Scotland in delivering its economic recovery plans.

Question reference: S6W-08836

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the changes in frequency to train services at (a) Shotts, (b) Airdrie, (c) Falkirk Grahamston, (d) Falkirk High and (e) Polmont railway station (i) from 23 May 2022 and (ii) as a result of the Fit for the Future timetable consultation.

The following table outlines the changes in frequency for the stations requested from ScotRail’s May 2022 Fit for the Future Timetable and ScotRail’s temporary timetable:-

Timetable data for standard weekday, correct as of 07 June 2022
Station	Timetable	Frequency (trains per hour [tph])
SHOTTS	May-22	To/from Glasgow - 1tph all day. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 1tph all day. ‎ Additional services at peak times.
SHOTTS	Temporary	To/from Glasgow - 1tph all day. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 1tph all day. ‎ Additional services at peak times.
AIRDRIE	May-22	To/from Glasgow - 4tph until evening, then 2tph. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 2tph all day. ‎ Additional services at peak times.
AIRDRIE	Temporary	To/from Glasgow - 4tph all day. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 2tph all day. ‎ Additional services at peak times.
FALKIRK GRAHAMSTON	May-22	To/from Glasgow - 1tph all day. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 2tph until evening, then 1tph. ‎ To/from Dunblane - 2tph until evening, then 1tph. ‎ Additional services at peak times.
FALKIRK GRAHAMSTON	Temporary	To/from Glasgow - 1tph all day. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 1tph until final gap of 4 hours. ‎ To/from Dunblane - 1tph all day. ‎ Additional services at peak times.
FALKIRK HIGH	May-22	To/from Glasgow - 2tph all day. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 2tph all day. ‎ Additional Services at peak times.
FALKIRK HIGH	Temporary	To/from Glasgow - 2tph until final gap of 2 hours. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 2tph until final gap of 2 hours.
POLMONT	May-22	To/from Dunblane - 2tph until evening, then 1tph. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 4tph until evening, then 3tph. ‎ To/from Glasgow - 2tph all day. ‎ Additional services at peak times.
POLMONT	Temporary	To/from Dunblane - 1tph all day. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 3tph until final gap of 2 hours. ‎ To/from Glasgow - 2tph until final gap of 2 hours. ‎ Additional services at peak times.

Question reference: S6W-08834

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it was first informed of the changes by ScotRail to the train timetable that were introduced on 23 May 2022.