Chamber and committees

There have been no discussions with UK Government regarding the deployment of the Army in Scotland. There are already strong arrangements in place through the Multi Agency Coordination Centre should Army input ever prove necessary in civil contingency circumstances. We are not in such circumstances . Police Scotland has already made clear that at the moment no military involvement is necessary, nor do they anticipate it will be needed.

We are supportive of the current policing approach to Covid-19 but will of course continue to regularly discuss this approach and the impact of the pandemic on policing.

Oversight of all HIAL capital projects, including the ATMS project, is provided through HIAL’s grant funding regime.

HIAL was asked to comment on the draft Parliamentary Question responses in order to ensure factual accuracy. This is standard procedure for any questions relating to HIAL and its operations.

Anybody is free to raise concerns about the Islands Impact Assessment once it has been published directly with the Company or its Board. As a public body HIAL is expected to respond to any enquiry within 20 working days.

Transport Scotland holds regular contractual and programming meetings with the Operating Companies to discuss delivery, including any performance issues identified.

Transport Scotland is supported by the Performance Audit Group (PAG). PAG’s role is to independently audit, monitor and report on the financial, technical and performance aspects of the Operating Companies to ensure standards are being met. This involves more than 60 detailed audits, 400 monitoring exercises and 150 site visits each year. PAG also reviews payment requests from the Operating Companies and carries out inter-unit comparisons.

Supported by this information, Transport Scotland can scrutinise Operating Companies’ performance and discuss and agree measures to be put in place to resolve issues. When deemed necessary, remedial measures available under the contract are employed, including financial deductions.

The Transport Scotland Road Asset Management Plan (RAMP), published January 2016, sets out how Scotland's trunk road network is maintained strategically and efficiently in order to protect our assets and ensure maximum value for money from our road maintenance activities. This can be found on the Transport Scotland website at https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/32978/j408891.pdf .

Chapter 5: Lifecycle Planning and Chapter 6: Programmed Maintenance set out the inspections and surveys undertaken on Scotland’s trunk roads and how maintenance schemes are prioritised.

Transport Scotland specifies requirements for regular surveys and inspections to ensure that the trunk road network is safe and fit for purpose, and to provide appropriate information to support maintenance decisions.

Operating Companies have a contractual obligation to inspect the trunk road network at 7-day intervals. These inspections are primarily to identify defects that require prompt attention (Category 1 defects) because they present, or could present, an immediate hazard to road users. For road surface Category 1 defects, the Operating Companies are required to carry out temporary repairs by 6 am the following morning and permanent repairs within 28 days.

Lesser defects and general deterioration which do not necessitate such an immediate safety-led response are then considered with findings from our annual testing of the network to determine future maintenance schemes. These schemes are programmed and considered against competing priorities across the trunk road network through our robust Value Management process.

We are satisfied that our Operating Companies have the necessary road marking resources and capability to meet contract requirements and deliver our programmes of road marking work on the trunk road network. Local roads are the responsibility of the local authorities.

In monitoring the performance of the Operating Companies in relation to their contractual duties, Transport Scotland is supported by the Performance Audit Group (PAG). PAG’s role is to audit, monitor and report on the financial, technical and performance aspects of the Operating Companies to ensure standards are being met. With these reports, separate monthly contractual and programming meetings are held with the Operating Companies where delivery or performance issues are discussed and measures put in place. Remedial measures under the contract are employed when deemed appropriate.

PAG also publishes an annual report which summarises the performance of the OCs in each reporting year.

Across the 3,500km of trunk road network, in the three years covering 2017-2020, a total of 28 Remedial Notices and 61 Notices of Non-Conformances were issued across five Operating Company contracts.

The business case for the Cairngorm funicular commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) takes into account the findings of a 2018 study - Cairngorm Ski Area Feasibility Assessment & Strategic Plan, November 2018 - which was informed by wide consultation with local and national stakeholders. HIE has also carried out detailed consultation this year to help shape a new vision and masterplan for Cairngorm. HIE will publish the business case in the coming weeks, when its decision around the next steps for the Cairngorm funicular will also be made known.

The conditions for connecting properties to the public mains are set out in the Water (Scotland) Act 1980, supported by the Provision of Water and Sewerage Services (Reasonable Cost) (Scotland) Regulations 2015. There are no plans to review the legislation at this time.