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-03838

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 16 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-35919 by Humza Yousaf on 24 March 2021, whether it will provide figures for each month from March 2021 to date.

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

The following tables detail the (a) Average Occupancy (b) Design Capacity and (c) the Occupancy Rate of each prison between March 2021 to September 2021.

The Occupancy Rate and the Design Capacity rate are the average for each calendar month.

MARCH 2021

Name	Average Occupancy	Average Design Capacity	Average Occupancy Rate
Addiewell	641	702	91%
Barlinnie	1219	987	124%
Cornton Vale	58	109	53%
Dumfries	162	176	92%
Edinburgh	874	867	101%
Glenochil	664	668	99%
Grampian	445	552	81%
Greenock	197	218	90%
Inverness	102	93	110%
Kilmarnock	504	501	100%
Low Moss	824	784	105%
Open Estate	147	284	52%
Perth	651	631	103%
Polmont	352	758	46%
Shotts	543	538	101%

APRIL 2021

Name	Average Occupancy	Average Design Capacity	Average Occupancy Rate
Addiewell	601	702	86%
Barlinnie	1205	987	122%
Cornton Vale	57	109	52%
Dumfries	179	176	102%
Edinburgh	860	867	99%
Glenochil	694	668	104%
Grampian	446	552	81%
Greenock	192	218	88%
Inverness	97	93	104%
Kilmarnock	532	501	106%
Low Moss	831	784	106%
Open Estate	149	284	52%
Perth	647	631	103%
Polmont	346	758	46%
Shotts	544	538	101%

MAY 2021

Name	Average Occupancy	Average Design Capacity	Average Occupancy Rate
Addiewell	689	702	98%
Barlinnie	1113	987	113%
Cornton Vale	56	109	51%
Dumfries	185	176	105%
Edinburgh	835	867	96%
Glenochil	694	668	104%
Grampian	439	552	80%
Greenock	194	218	89%
Inverness	105	93	113%
Kilmarnock	538	501	107%
Low Moss	828	784	106%
Open Estate	152	284	54%
Perth	633	631	100%
Polmont	338	758	45%
Shotts	542	538	101%

JUNE 2021

Name	Average Occupancy	Average Design Capacity	Average Occupancy Rate
Addiewell	710	702	101%
Barlinnie	1155	987	117%
Cornton Vale	57	109	52%
Dumfries	185	176	105%
Edinburgh	859	867	99%
Glenochil	694	668	104%
Grampian	439	552	80%
Greenock	199	224	91%
Inverness	102	93	110%
Kilmarnock	526	501	105%
Low Moss	805	784	103%
Open Estate	156	284	55%
Perth	650	631	103%
Polmont	345	758	46%
Shotts	545	538	101%

JULY 2021

Name	Average Occupancy	Average Design Capacity	Average Occupancy Rate
Addiewell	717	702	102%
Barlinnie	1246	987	126%
Cornton Vale	53	109	49%
Dumfries	187	176	106%
Edinburgh	876	867	101%
Glenochil	716	668	107%
Grampian	438	552	79%
Greenock	198	224	91%
Inverness	101	93	109%
Kilmarnock	539	501	108%
Low Moss	782	785	100%
Open Estate	150	284	53%
Perth	635	631	101%
Polmont	337	758	44%
Shotts	544	538	101%

AUGUST 2021

Name	Average Occupancy	Average Design Capacity	Average Occupancy Rate
Addiewell	723	702	103%
Barlinnie	1216	987	123%
Cornton Vale	63	109	58%
Dumfries	187	176	106%
Edinburgh	881	867	102%
Glenochil	716	668	107%
Grampian	435	552	79%
Greenock	196	224	90%
Inverness	114	93	123%
Kilmarnock	538	501	107%
Low Moss	839	785	107%
Open Estate	148	284	52%
Perth	637	631	101%
Polmont	335	758	44%
Shotts	541	538	101%

SEPTEMBER 2021

Name	Average Occupancy	Average Design Capacity	Average Occupancy Rate
Addiewell	723	702	103%
Barlinnie	1183	987	120%
Cornton Vale	58	109	53%
Dumfries	183	176	104%
Edinburgh	877	867	101%
Glenochil	728	668	109%
Grampian	430	552	78%
Greenock	190	219	87%
Inverness	115	93	124%
Kilmarnock	540	501	108%
Low Moss	857	785	109%
Open Estate	147	284	52%
Perth	650	631	103%
Polmont	334	758	44%
Shotts	540	538	100%

Question reference: S6W-03850

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) diesel or petrol-fuelled cars and (b) electric vehicles are currently included in its vehicle fleet.

Question reference: S6W-03848

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on (a) the resumption of work on its Fuel Poverty Strategy and (b) the appointment of the statutory Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel.

Question reference: S6W-03852

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the system operator for electric vehicle charging was changed in July 2021.

Question reference: S6W-03849

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that owners of electric vehicles can easily charge them in Scotland.

Since 2013 we have invested over £50 million in Chargeplace Scotland (CPS), Scotland’s public charging network, which now has more than 2000 publicly available chargepoints. Figures show that Scotland is leading the way on electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The latest figures show that Scottish electric vehicle drivers benefit from almost 40 public charge points per one hundred thousand people, compared to fewer than 30 in England, Just over 20 in Wales and less than 20 in Northern Ireland.

We also provide funding for the Domestic Chargepoint fund which supports the people of Scotland by providing grant funding of £250 (£350 for those in remote parts of Scotland) to install a Domestic Chargepoint at their home. To date this fund has supported the installation of almost 12,000 Domestic Chargepoints to a value of just over £4m.

Our Business (non-Public) Chargepoint fund has helped almost 1300 businesses to install chargepoints for the sole use of occupiers, staff and visitors to a value of just under £10m.

We are currently consulting on draft policy options for the installation of electric vehicle charge points in a number of different buildings types, including an option that sets out a minimum requirement for all new residential buildings with parking spaces.

Transport Scotland are working with Scottish Futures Trust and industry to consider the most appropriate structures and approach to growing and developing charging infrastructure, lever commercial investment and engaging commercial operators to develop the public electric vehicle charge point network at scale and at speed across all of Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-03836

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) rolling stock and (b) seating capacity is required on the ScotRail network to meet its net zero ambitions.

In order to meet our net zero ambitions on Scotland’s Railway, 147 diesel trains, comprising 390 carriages with a capacity of approximately 25,000 seats in total, will be replaced by 2035 by a mix of electric, battery and hydrogen powered fleets.

The total number of vehicles and seats required will depend upon the changed travel behaviour of ScotRail passengers over that period as they respond to the rolling programme of rail investment consistent with the Scottish Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan.

Question reference: S6W-03826

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of jobs that will be supported by the Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) contract for two new ferries for the Isle of Islay.

The responses to the invitation to tender (ITT) for the two new ferries are expected in December 2021. The responses to the ITT will be evaluated with the preferred bidder identified by February 2022, numbers of jobs that will be supported can be advised when the preferred bidder and the programme is finalised. The investment in these vessels does of course support the communities served by the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service and the jobs associated with the economies on these islands.

Question reference: S6W-03823

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) regarding tendering of the contract for new ferries for the Isles of Islay and Jura, and on which dates (a) Ministers and (b) Transport Scotland officials have met CMAL officials to discuss the tendering process for this contract since 1 January 2019 to date.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) is a public body and, as such, are bound by the Scottish public procurement regulations and must competitively tender projects of this value. CMAL ensured they followed the procurement regulations; considering quality, value for money and the timely delivery of vessels to serve our island communities.

In line with normal procurement practice, Scottish Government Ministers had no role in the process or in assessing the bids. No meetings between CMAL and Ministers have taken place specifically to discuss the tender process for the new ferries earmarked to replace current vessels serving Islay.

Transport Scotland officials hold regular working group meetings with CMAL along with CalMac and have done so from January 2019 when the project was initiated. These regular meetings are still ongoing.

Question reference: S6W-03721

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, what the anticipated benefits were of the double-tracking and electrification of the East Kilbride line in relation to (a) modal shift, (b) rail passenger numbers and (c) any potential increase in timetabled services, and how each of these have been impacted by its reported decision not to proceed with double-tracking.

The benefits of the project, post Covid-19, remain the same in terms of delivering a carbon free journey for rail passengers along the entire length of the route and has been improved by the inclusion of a range of accessibility improvements at key stations. This includes a new station at Hairmyres which will also be an active travel and interchange hub.

This preferred option was recommended by and agreed with rail industry partners Network Rail and ScotRail following detailed consideration of a wide range of options, the business case appraisal of which has followed appropriate Scottish Government processes. This analysis took account of ScotRail’s pre-covid passenger count data and the industry’s forecasted post-Covid demand patterns, which the preferred combined electrified double and single track option will be able to serve fully and more reliably than the current diesel train operation.

Question reference: S6T-00293

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of a legal opinion stating that local authorities cannot use their byelaw powers to implement buffer zones at NHS reproductive health facilities, how it will ensure that women have access to these services free from harassment.

Vehicle type	Diesel	Petrol	Hybrid	Plug in Hybrid (PHEV)	Electric (BEV)	Range extender	Total
Car	36	17	5	70	23	2	153
Light Commercial (LCV)	33	0	0	9	5	3	50
Heavy Goods (HGV)	4	0	0	0	0	0	4
Total	73	17	5	79	28	5	207