Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-29511

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment (a) Transport Scotland and (b) CMAL has made of comparative crewing levels for the Phase 1 contract in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.

Crewing levels will be comparable with existing small vessels to ensure safe manning and operation of the new vessels when they are introduced. CalMac Ferries Limited will continue to engage with crew and unions ahead of the vessels introduction. Further detail on particulars of the vessels is available in Q&A documents on CMAL‘s dedicated SVRP website - Small Vessel Replacement Programme | CMAL Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (cmassets.co.uk).

Question reference: S6W-29508

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to issue the invitation to tender for the Phase 1 design and build contract in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, and what it anticipates the value will be of this public contract.

Question reference: S6W-29289

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail to ensure that the technology partner it appoints to deliver “a state-of-the-art multi-channel e-commerce solution that redefines convenience, accessibility, and value for our passengers” will provide integrated ticketing with the Glasgow subway, Edinburgh trams and with the bus and ferry network across Scotland.

The Scottish Government has discussed with ScotRail and Scottish Rail Holdings its live procurement exercise for a technology partner to deliver an ecommerce solution to ensure it is compatible with our new Smart, Digital, Integrated Ticketing and Payments Delivery Strategy, published on August 21st 2024.

This strategy builds on the work delivered under the 2018 Smart Ticketing Delivery Strategy, setting out Scotland’s vision for smart ticketing. Reflecting on views from the public, local transport authorities, operators and the newly established National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board, it aligns with the National Transport Strategy and supports the delivery of the Fair Fares Review actions.

Question reference: S6O-03722

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support the retention of Scotland’s public libraries.

Question reference: S6O-03698

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support specialist neonatal intensive care units across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-29340

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its former senior (a) civil servants and (b) agency staff sought its approval in (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23 and (iii) 2023-24 to take up a position with another employer, also broken down by how many times this approval was granted.

Question reference: S6O-03669

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to implement Scotland’s National Transport Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-28501

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 1 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many contracts it has awarded to supported businesses in Scotland in each of the last five calendar years.

Supported Businesses make an important contribution to the Scottish economy. Not only through the goods and services they deliver, but also by providing meaningful employment, training, and social support for those who may otherwise be excluded from the workplace.

The following information is derived from the supported business suppliers included in Scottish national framework agreement for goods and services that was reserved for supported businesses. This framework was open to the whole of the public sector in Scotland, charities and third sector. The contract ran from 2018 to 2023.

A total of seventy-six contracts have been awarded to the supported businesses on this framework by the Scottish Government (including its agency organisations) over the last five calendar years.

Year	FY ‎ 2022-23	FY ‎ 2021-22	FY ‎ 2020-21	FY ‎ 2019-20	FY ‎ 2018-19	Five Year Total
Total number of contracts awarded to Supported Businesses	3	17	21	20	15	76

Question reference: S6W-28500

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 1 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many contracts have been awarded to supported businesses by public bodies in each of the last five calendar years.

Supported Businesses make an important contribution to the Scottish economy. Not only through the goods and services they deliver, but also by providing meaningful employment, training, and social support for those who may otherwise be excluded from the workplace.

The following information is derived from the supported business suppliers included in Scottish national framework agreement for goods and services that was reserved for supported businesses. This framework was open to the whole of the public sector in Scotland, charities and third sector. The contract ran from 2018 to 2023.

A total of 277 contracts have been awarded to the supported businesses on this framework by public bodies over the last five calendar years.

Year	FY ‎ 2022-23	FY ‎ 2021-22	FY 2020-21	FY 2019-20	FY 2018-19	Five Year Total
Total number of contracts awarded to Supported Businesses	43	54	56	66	58	277

Question reference: S6W-28390

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 June 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to (a) set funding levels for each phase of the Vessels and Ports Plan for the (i) Clyde and Hebrides and (ii) Northern Isles public ferry networks to 2045 and (b) publish the Islands Connectivity Plan in full.

As part of the Islands Connectivity Plan, the updated Vessel and Ports Plan was published for consultation on 1 February 2024. The Plan provides a long-term plan to 2045 for the vessel and port investment considered necessary to address the key challenges of reliability and resilience by modernising the fleet and reducing the average age to 15 years by the end of the decade.

The Plan also makes clear that the timing of the delivery of individual projects remains subject to Value for Money, prioritisation and affordability.

The final versions of the Islands Connectivity Plan’s Strategic Approach Paper and the Vessels and Ports Plan are expected to be published later this year.

Chamber and committees