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-14359

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Caledonian Sleeper Franchise agreement has been subject to any alterations and, if so, who was consulted, and what alterations, including financial adjustments, were made.

Question reference: S5W-14363

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the Caledonian Sleeper will be an “iconic Scottish railway journey, available to all - from back-packers to business travellers”, as highlighted in the Transport Scotland publication, Caledonian Sleeper Rail Franchise, and what its position is on whether travellers on limited budgets are less favoured in the design, operation and pricing structure of the new fleet.

Question reference: S5W-14357

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the National Rail booking system not allowing a National Rail card discount for people who are not travelling together but who share a cabin on a sleeper service.

Holders of 16-25, Disabled Adult, HM Forces and Senior Railcards are currently able to obtain a discount when booking a berth in a shared room. Holders of these Railcards will be able to obtain a discount on the new sleeper trains when booking a room for solo use or when booking a reclining seat. The facility for single travellers to "share with a stranger" will not be available on the new trains.

Question reference: S5W-14361

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the provision of reclining seats was part of the Caledonian Sleeper Franchise agreement and, if so, whether it will be complied with.

Question reference: S5W-14358

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether couples with National Rail cards who share a cabin on a sleeper service (a) are and (b) will continue to be eligible for a concessionary fare.

Currently, couples holding "Friends and Family" or "Two Together" Railcards are eligible for a third off sleeper fares. On the new trains, tickets will be sold on a "per room" basis and all couples, whether holding a Railcard or not, will effectively be receiving a "per person" discount in excess of the normal 1/3 Railcard discount. Railcard holders will not be eligible for a further discount. Holders of "Friends and Family" and "Two Together" Railcards will continue to receive a discount when booking reclining seats or when purchasing an inter-available ticket with a room supplement.

Question reference: S5W-14362

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Caledonian Sleeper Franchise agreement regarding honouring Network Rail cards continues to apply.

The Caledonian Sleeper Franchise Agreement requires the provision of discounts to holders of Disabled Persons' Railcards, 16-25 Railcards, Senior Railcards and Scottish Youth Railcards. Holders of Family and Friends Railcards and of Two Together Railcards also receive discounts when booking accommodation on the existing sleeper trains. On the new trains, they will receive discounts when booking reclining seats and when purchasing inter-available tickets that they can use along with a sleeper supplement.

Question reference: S5W-14360

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether Caledonian Sleeper Franchise references to pod flat beds will be complied with.

The new Caledonian Sleeper trains will not contain pod flat beds. The reason for this is that simulated tests, conducted by the Transport Research Laboratory, revealed concerns over the crashworthiness of the proposed design in the event of a collision at high speed.

This necessitated a re-design of the vehicles that were originally to contain "pod" seats. These vehicles will now contain additional sleeping berths, including a small number of rooms with double beds and a significant increase in accessible rooms and toilets. Reclining seats with enhanced facilities will ensure that the Caledonian Sleeper continues to offer a quality product to travellers on a budget.

Question reference: S5W-14354

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of views reportedly expressed during the recent HiTrans conference that strangers sharing a cabin is not appropriate, which is possible on the Caledonian Sleeper, what the implications are for users of North Link Ferries, given both services are operated by the same company, Serco.

Question reference: S5W-14324

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-13520 and S5W-13948 by Keith Brown on 16 January and 1 February 2018 respectively, whether the cabinet secretary plans to examine the risk register for each body in the future and, if so, (a) when and (b) whether it will publish the findings.

Question reference: S5W-14319

Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-13520 and S5W-13948 by Keith Brown on 16 January and 1 February 2018 respectively, whether the cabinet secretary has ever examined the risk register for each body and, if so, (a) when and (b) whether it will publish the findings.