Chamber and committees

Railway Safety is a matter reserved to the UK Government, and regulated by the UK Office of Rail and Road. The Scottish Government has funded the determination of the ORR for the current regulatory control period. The determination provides an increase in 21% in the funding available to Network Rail for the safe operation, maintenance and renewal of the Scottish Railway network.

Transport Scotland has not been provided with detailed information regarding particular asset inspections or impacts associated with weather related impacts as Network Rail is responsible for maintaining and renewing the rail network in Scotland, with railway safety being a reserved matter.

Following the Stonehaven rail accident on 12 August 2020 Transport Scotland received a copy of the Network Rail Interim Report in September 2020 and continues to press Network Rail in terms of improving resilience relating to climate change.

My officials are in regular contact with Skills Development Scotland although, as I understand it, there are no immediate, live concerns around Scotland’s ability to meet future demand for seafarers, but I agree this is something that would be important to keep under review.

The Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council’s (SOWEC) Skills Group is led by Jim Brown, Director of Energy Skills Partnership, who has a wealth of expertise and invaluable knowledge of the key skills specific issues in Scotland. One of the Skills Group’s areas of focus at SOWEC meetings has been, and will undoubtedly continue to be, understanding the Skills demand in Scotland and, moreover, how colleges and the sector-at-large can best meet this demand. Energy Skills Partnership is also a member of the Energy Skills Alliance and the Offshore Wind Industry Council’s Investment in Talent Group.

I am aware that the Energy Skills Partnership has established a Marine and Maritime Training Network to consider this issue and I would encourage the sector to engage with our Skills Agencies and SOWEC to ensure that it receives appropriate coverage.

The £1 billion cuts decision was taken by the UK Government for its funding of enhancements in England. This decision was taken without consultation with the Scottish Government and will therefore have no effect on current plans for protecting Network Rail infrastructure assets from weather-related impacts in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has not held discussions with the UK Government regarding seafarer welfare on drill ships currently moored in the Port of Hunterston. Shipping safety and seafarer welfare are matters reserved to the UK Government.

Transport Scotland officials recently consulted with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Statutory Harbour Authority regarding a drill ship at the Port of Hunterston which had become adrift.

As a consequence of the incident, the MCA undertook General Inspections on the Ensco DS-8 vessel and on the Valaris DS-4 vessel. During these inspections, a number of deficiencies were noted and enforcement notices issued. Full and separate investigations have been completed by Clydeport as the Statutory Harbour Authority and by the ships’ management companies.

The Harbour Authority has been liaising closely with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) and its report on the investigation has been submitted to the MAIB.

The Scottish Government expects the highest shipping safety and crew welfare standards and for these to be applied in the case of those vessels and personnel accessing our ports and coastal areas.

While the Scottish Government seeks to promote our Fair Work Framework and fair work principles in respect of all ferry services for which we are responsible, we have not held specific, recent discussions with the UK Government regarding employment conditions for merchant seafarers working on ferry routes between Scotland and Northern Ireland, although we are aware, due to ongoing engagement with trade unions, of concerns that unions have on these matters.

Shipping safety, seafarer welfare and employment conditions are matters reserved to the UK Government. The Maritime Labour Convention came into force in the UK on 7 August 2014. It sets out the minimum working and living rights for seafarers with the onus on operators. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which is accountable to UK Ministers, is responsible for auditing vessels to ensure compliance.

The Scottish Government expects the highest shipping safety and crew welfare and employment conditions and for these to be applied in the case of those vessels and personnel accessing Scotland’s ports and coastal areas.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-36192 on 23 March 2021 . In addition, Transport Scotland is aware of the ongoing recovery works as a result of land slips in the Largs area which Network Rail advise are progressing well and to programme.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Independent Prescriber (IP) community optometrists, as with all community optometry practice staff, are a key and valued part of the frontline NHS workforce and have significantly contributed to the safe management of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Twenty five percent of community optometrists now hold the IP qualification, meaning that they can prescribe and manage a wide range of eye conditions within their practices. Their role prevents the need for patients to access care and/or treatment elsewhere and supports the role of optometry as the first port of call for eye conditions within the community.

Sixteen IP optometrists in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lothian, NHS Fife and NHS Grampian have just been accredited to manage lower risk glaucoma and treated ocular hypertension patients discharged from hospital, and this number will increase further as this service is rolled out across Scotland.

With unprecedented waiting times pressures in hospital eye services, the Scottish Government will work with stakeholders to consider further options to utilise IP optometrists to manage more patients in the community.

As planning and consenting authorities we regularly engage with counterparts in the UK Government and The Crown Estate. We have recently liaised with them on offshore wind and the leasing process managed both by The Crown Estate and by Crown Estate Scotland.

Railway Safety is a matter reserved to the UK Government, and regulated by the UK Office of Rail and Road. The Scottish Government has funded the determination of the ORR for the current regulatory control period. The determination provides an increase in 21% in the funding available to Network Rail for the safe operation, maintenance and renewal of the Scottish Railway network.

Network Rail is therefore responsible for maintaining and renewing the rail network in Scotland and as such Transport Scotland has no locus in these matters and does not hold information relating to the proportion of inspections and works undertaken in this regard.

Railway Safety is a matter reserved to the UK Government, and regulated by the UK Office of Rail and Road. The Scottish Government has funded the determination of the ORR for the current regulatory control period. The determination provides an increase in 21% in the funding available to Network Rail for the safe operation, maintenance and renewal of the Scottish Railway network.

Transport Scotland has no information nor has Transport Scotland been updated on the progress of the work by these two taskforces other than what is known publicly.