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: S5W-09288

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 8 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what voluntary opportunities, which are accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, there are in schools for people who are opposed to the military’s involvement in education, and how these are promoted to pupils.

A range of volunteering opportunities are available to all young people in Scotland which they can choose to participate in either in schools or youth work setting, many of which are accredited. Participation in such youth awards can play a key role in helping young people to be successful, confident, effective and responsible citizens with a focus on non-formal, experiential learning and the development of personal and interpersonal skills and competencies. Examples include Youth Achievement Awards, Saltire Awards and The Duke of Edinburgh Award. They also include specific accredited SQA awards in Personal Development: Employability; and Leadership. The Scottish Youth Awards Network brings together a range of youth work organisations in the public and voluntary sectors which support youth awards. The Network reports that in 2015-16, more than 75,000 youth awards were achieved by young people in Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-01101

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what role it considers the arms industry should have in education.

Question reference: S5W-09285

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on whether any sexual assaults of cadets in the Ministry of Defence's care happened (a) in Scotland and (b) to Scottish children.

Question reference: S5W-09402

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the proportion of ScotRail services that are fully accessible to disabled people.

The Scottish Government has secured a range of services and improvements for disabled and other passengers through the Abellio ScotRail franchise. For example, £3m of funding dedicated to make small access improvements at stations throughout the network supported by ScotRail’s Minor works fund. ScotRail is also leading the rail industry by reducing the period of notice for assistance bookings from 24 hours to 3 hours by 31 December 2017, with a commitment to reduce to 1 hour within the franchise period. This will greatly enhance the flexibility and choice for disabled passengers who require help to use ScotRail services.

At present, 75% of the existing ScotRail train fleet meets rail vehicle accessibility standards. Investment in the refurbishment of rolling stock along with the introduction of new trains over coming years will ensure that 100% of the ScotRail fleet will meet the vehicle standards by 1 January 2020 as required under the Equality Act 2010.

These commitments are complemented by other investments specifically designed to improve access to rail services. For example, through partnership with the Department for Transport, the Scottish government has prioritised £60m of Access for All funding to make 25 Scottish stations step free and fully accessible.

Question reference: S5W-09403

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional staff would ScotRail require to ensure that all passenger services run with at least one additional onboard staff member.

The Franchise Agreement (Schedule 1.4) mandates ScotRail to use “all reasonable endeavours” to maintain a minimum staffing level for every train service of two members of staff.

It is for ScotRail to determine, in consultation with staff whether and how many additional resources are required to ensure that all passenger services run with at least one additional staff member on-board.

Transport Scotland continues to work with ScotRail to ensure compliance with the contractual obligations. We understand that ScotRail has recruited 20 additional Ticket examiners since December 2016.

Question reference: S5W-09286

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it was aware that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) reportedly paid out £2 million between 2011 and 2014 to cadets who experienced sexual assaults while in the care of the MoD and, in light of this, what its position is on the appropriateness of the cadet experience syllabus for Scottish schools.

Question reference: S5W-09407

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to disabled people who want to make a train journey from an unstaffed station at short notice, and what action it is taking to increase this support.

On board train staff will assist passengers who have booked in advance to board or alight at unstaffed stations. This service is provided by ScotRail, and all other train companies, as a condition of their operating licence issued by the Office of Road & Rail. ScotRail also aim to provide assistance to those who need help when travelling on the rail network whether this has been booked in advance or not.

Transport Scotland monitors compliance of ScotRail obligations through the franchise contract agreement and can escalate any concerns around delivery with the Office of Road & Rail if required.

Question reference: S5W-09401

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of ScotRail passenger services have run without at least one additional onboard staff member in each year since 2010-11.

From 2010-11 until April 2015 the ScotRail Franchise was operated by First ScotRail and Transport Scotland do not hold this information.

Information in the detail requested has been supplied to Transport Scotland by ScotRail from Period 1 - April 2016.

Period	No of services operated	Uncovered	%
Period 1 2016-17	59,985	856	1.42%
Period 2 2016-17	55,641	785	1.41%
Period 3 2016-17	52,808	1226	2.32%
Period 4 2016-17	52,501	1564	2.97%
Period 5 2016-17	55,817	1153	2.06%
Period 6 2016-17	58,435	1056	1.80%
Period 7 2016-17	58,482	1099	1.87%
Period 8 2016-17	58,047	1068	1.83%
Period 9 2016-17	57,889	923	1.59%
Period 10 2016-17	53,590	1368	2.55%
Period 11 2016-17	58,405	265	0.4%
Period 12 2016-17	59,183	363	0.6%
Period 13 2016-17	56,541	469	0.8%
Period 1 2017-18	60,459	250	0.4%

Question reference: S5W-09284

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) regarding the cadet experience syllabus in Scottish schools, and whether it was made aware of the reported sexual assaults of cadets while in the MoD's care.

The Cadet Experience is not being rolled out in Scottish schools. Instead community based Cadet Linked Detachments are working with a number of schools to deliver learning which supports Curriculum for Excellence, rather than following the UK Government model of Cadet Units ‘hosted’ in schools.

The Scottish Government has not been made aware of any reported sexual assaults of cadets while in the MoD’s care.

Question reference: S5W-09456

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-00937 by John Swinney on 3 May 2017, by what date it will publish the scope and timeline for the review, and what areas will be covered in the review’s remit.