Chamber and committees

This is a matter for ScotRail. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

This is a matter for ScotRail. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

In FY 21-22 Forestry and Land Scotland employed thirty-eight apprentices, three foundation apprentices and seven mid-year students.

Of those completing their apprenticeships/placements, sixteen apprentices and four students have gone on to secure roles within Forestry and Land Scotland.

Eighteen apprentices are still completing their apprenticeship and are still employed as apprentices.

Four apprentices, three foundation apprentices and three mid-year students have sought employment or further education elsewhere.

The number of seasonal rangers employed by Forestry and Land Scotland are as follows:

The current ScotRail mobile app went live on 1 July 2019 and the following data, as provided by ScotRail, is relevant from that date until the present day:-

- App downloads: 1.4 million (this figure includes re-installs which ScotRail is unable to differentiate)

- Average users per month: 619,000 (average across last three months)

- Average sessions per user per month: six (average across last three months)

- Average session length: one minute, five seconds (average across last three months)

This is a matter for ScotRail. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

I had the pleasure of attending the launch event for this important report. The Scottish Government welcomes the Age Scotland report and recognises that living in the right home with the right support, including housing adaptations, can be the key to enabling older people to live safely and independently at home.

We know that there are issues with the way in which adaptations are being accessed and delivered locally, so we are considering how the process can be streamlined and made easier for people who need adaptations.

We are also working to increase the supply of accessible and adapted homes. Whenever possible, all new affordable homes are built to Housing for Varying Needs accessibility standards. Housing for Varying Needs offers good practice in the design of homes to help them achieve a good standard of accessibility and flexibility so that they meet people’s needs as they change over time.

We plan to launch a formal consultation on proposals to update the Housing for Varying Needs design guide, and on proposals for introducing the Scottish Accessible Homes Standard, over the coming weeks.

Information on the facilities available at ScotRail stations can be found on its website at the following link:-

Stations and facilities | ScotRail

The information on cycle storage at stations can be found under each station under the heading “interchange”. This confirms if the station has cycle storage available and how many storage spaces are available at that station.

The EPC for Strathbeg House in Thurso was completed on 20 May 2023 and has now been lodged with the Scottish EPC register. The EPC rating is D

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The following table provides detail on the revenue generated from telephone usage over the last 10 years within public prisons, measured against the expenditure associated with operating the prisoner PIN telephone system which is inclusive of contracted maintenance costs, line rental and call charges across all 13 public sector prisons. The detail below does not include any costs for prisoner mobile phones.