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-07655

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the decision was made to transfer the Caledonian Sleeper franchise onto a Temporary Measures Agreement.

In February 2021, when the scale and pace of the recovery from the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic remained uncertain, a prior information notice (PIN) was published to preserve the Scottish Ministers’ ability to award a Temporary Measures Agreement (TMA) for the Caledonian Sleeper franchise from March 2022, following expiry of the Emergency Measures Agreement, should it be necessary at that stage to continue such support.

The TMA, signed on 28 February 2022, is an agreement between the Scottish Ministers and Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited (‘Serco’). The TMA does not represent a unilateral decision taken by the Scottish Government.

The necessity of a TMA with Serco, to continue Emergency Measures type support for the Caledonian Sleeper franchise, was considered by the Scottish Government at various points during 2021 and in the early part of 2022.

Thereafter, on 25 February 2022, the Scottish Government presented a draft version of the TMA to Serco for consideration. The TMA was finalised and agreed between the Scottish Ministers and Serco on 28 February 2022.

Question reference: S6W-07656

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government via what processes it has communicated to stakeholders the transfer of the Caledonian Sleeper franchise onto a Temporary Measures Agreement.

It was announced that the Scottish Government had agreed a new Temporary Measures Agreement with Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited in a letter to the Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 17 March 2022. An announcement was also published on the Transport Scotland website on the same day.

https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/net-zero-energy-and-transport-committee/correspondence/2022/20220317_jenny_gilruth_msp_to_convener_additional_funding_support.pdf .

https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/ministerial-statement-additional-funding-support-for-rail-services/ .

Question reference: S6W-07654

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescales are for the consultation on women’s safety on public transport, and how it will engage with (a) trade unions and (b) the public on this.

In addition to taking forward a National Conversation on rail, we will be consulting specifically on women’s safety when using public transport.

The specific means by which we carry out this engagement will be informed by initial discussions with women’s groups organisations, Trade Union partners and wider stakeholders. A range of options will be presented for how this engagement takes place. It is envisaged that these will include options for engagement that is open to all, focussed on specific groups or combines elements of both.

Specific timescales will be outlined following initial discussions with the relevant representative groups on the preferred approach for carrying out this engagement.

Question reference: S6W-07659

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to Transport Scotland's evidence to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 15 March 2022, on what rolling stock leases the Scottish Government has secured savings, and of what amount.

Question reference: S6W-07585

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 March 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) single and (b) return crossings have been made by (i) ministers and (ii) its officials on P&O Ferries between Cairnryan and Larne in each of the last three calendar years.

Question reference: S6W-07584

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 March 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any current contractual arrangements with P&O Ferries, and, if so, what they are.

Question reference: S6O-00980

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the joint letter reportedly signed by 111 University of Edinburgh academics expressing deep concern about the future of higher education in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-07582

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 March 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 31 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings (a) ministers and (b) its officials have had with representatives of DP World since January 2019.

Since January 2019, Scottish Government ministers have not had any meetings with DP World. In the same timeframe, no Scottish Government officials have had meetings with DP World.

On my recent ministerial visit to Dubai, I requested to meet with DP World in order to raise with them our serious concerns about the recent behaviour of P&O Ferries. They did not respond to this request, therefore no meeting took place.

Question reference: S6W-06689

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration is given to vessel procurement policy in its Market Assessment of all routes on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network.

Question reference: S6W-06688

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether public (a) subsidies and (b) contracts in the ferry industry are government intervention.

The Scottish Government ensures the continued provision of safe and efficient ferries that play a vital role in the economic, social and cultural life of our island and remote communities. Transport Scotland implements ferry policy on behalf of Scottish Ministers including by providing financial subsidies to the operators of ferry routes or networks that it considers to be lifeline and required for communities to be viable.

The operators on the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles routes provide ferry services under tendered contracts with Scottish Ministers, thereby ensuring sustainable and improving services will be provided to communities through these contracts until 2024 and 2028 respectively.