- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 29 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many farm businesses applied for the basic payments loan scheme by the end of 2017, and how many of those have received a loan payment.
Answer
By the end of 2017 13,342 farmers and crofters had accepted the Scottish Governments offer of a National Basic Payment Scheme loan with 13,291 of them receiving payment by 29 December 2017.
I am conscious that some farmers and crofters have yet to take up the offer of a loan. Those who wish to do so, have until 9th February to confirm they wish to accept the offer that has been made to them. With two weeks until the scheme closes, I would therefore encourage all farmers and crofters, who are yet to accept the offer of a loan, to do so as soon as possible. This is their money. It does not take anything away from the NHS or other public services. Its theirs, they deserve it, and they should have it.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 29 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government when the IT system responsible for processing common agricultural basic payments is expected to be fully functional.
Answer
The system is working and making payments. We continue to add functionality as required, in-line with the CAP stabilisation plan published on 12 September 2018.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 29 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects all 2017-18 common agricultural basic payments to be paid.
Answer
In any year there are a small number of more complex cases that take longer to process, which could extend completion of all payments beyond the end of June. However, our intention is to complete all payments by the end of the payment period, that is 30 June 2018.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 24 January 2018
To
ask the Scottish Government, what action it is taking to correct the £165.6
million discrepancy in NHS Grampian's funding, which the Scottish Parliament
Information Centre has suggested has arisen because the board's NRAC funding
targets have not been met since 2009.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 24 January 2018
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 9 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported criticisms that a consultation held by NHS Tayside into local mental health services did not take into account the majority of views submitted, what consideration it has given to requesting that the consultation be re-opened.
Answer
We expect NHS Tayside and the local Integration Joint Boards (IJB) to provide high quality mental health care and support to patients in the area. The published consultation response on the future of Tayside mental health services takes into account all views and responses submitted during the process and we understand that a final decision on these services will be taken by Perth and Kinross IJB in the new year.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on ScotRail reducing on-board facilities such as catering in order to improve profitability.
Answer
ScotRail has confirmed it has vacancies in its hospitality team which were affecting its ability to provide the advertised catering service. In response to these issues I can advise that ScotRail is undertaking targeted recruitment to ensure that it can deliver the consistent service that customers expect. I understand that this should be complete within the next few weeks.
The Scottish Government is also committed to working in partnership with Abellio ScotRail and its alliance partner Network Rail to ensure the success of the ScotRail franchise, and that is why we insisted in “no compulsory redundancy agreement” during the life of the ScotRail franchise with all staff being paid at least the Living Wage.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether ScotRail should be a profit-making franchise.
Answer
The structure of rail franchising in the UK as determined by the Railways Act 1993 and as amended by the Railway Act 2005, recognises the right of the Franchisee to make profit. However, profit is not guaranteed for ScotRail, they must manage the services and meet our highly specified service requirements efficiently and effectively to make the profit they have forecast and where they do not, they will make much less, or a loss.
The Scottish Government ensured that the Franchisee is prevented from making excessive profits, whereby in the case where it achieves a revenue above a defined level, as committed to in its bid, the Franchisee must pay back any profit above that to Scottish Ministers.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that the present ScotRail franchise agreement was not correctly priced.
Answer
The competition previously held to procure the present ScotRail Franchise was evaluated rigorously on the basis of the most advantageous balance of quality (35%) and price (65%). Reviews by both Audit Scotland and independent auditors supported the process and the outcome of the competition.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what was the annual net (a) income, (b) expenditure and (c) profit has been each year under the current ScotRail franchise, and what the estimated figure is for 2017-18.
Answer
The current ScotRail Franchise made a profit of £9,519k for the 9 months of 2015 (Income of £485,703k, and Total Expenditure of £476,184k) and a loss of £3,370k for the full year of 2016 (Income of £610,118k, and Total Expenditure of £613,488k). Figures for 2017 or 2018 are not yet available.
- Asked by: Mike Rumbles, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many passenger journeys there have been each year under the current ScotRail franchise, and what the estimated figure is for 2017-18.
Answer
With respect to the number of passenger journeys in each year (2015-16; 2016-17) under the current ScotRail franchise, this information is available on-line, at the ORR Data Portal.
While the Scottish Government has sighted estimates for patronage within ScotRail’s Business Plan for 2017-18, this information is classified as commercially confidential, until the final patronage figures are confirmed and published. We would expect the patronage result for 2017-18 to be published in mid-2018.