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-04663

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much will be spent on railway policing following the proposed transfer of responsibilities from the British Transport Police to Police Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-04055

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide updated estimates for the cost of each new ferry to be provided on Clyde and Hebrides ferry services up to 2025, which are set out in the Vessel Replacement Programme in Appendix 1 of the Scottish Ferry Services - Ferries Plan (2013 - 2022).

The estimated cost of a new small ferry is approximately £10m - £12m per vessel and for a new major ferry the estimated cost is approximately £45m - £50m per vessel. These reflect the prices of recently procured vessels.

The Scottish Ferry Services: Ferries Plan (2013-2022) sets out the indicative programme of vessel replacement. The Ferries Plan stated that projects would be taken forward when resources were available and funding prioritised according to need.

Since the publication of the Ferries Plan the following vessels have been delivered into the Clyde and Hebrides fleet;

MV Hallaig - August 2013 - £11.750m
MV Lochinvar - May 2014 - £11.750m
MV Loch Seaforth - November 2014 - £42m
MV Catriona - September 2016 - £12.3m

In addition, two large vessels are currently under construction by Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd in Port Glasgow for delivery in 2018.

Building on the Ferries Plan, a Vessel Replacement and Deployment Plan (VRDP) 2014 was published in October 2015 which considered historical and projected customer demand and the on-going provision of capacity to meet that demand. The VRDP indicates future priorities with additional vessels to replace vessels reaching the end of their working life. An updated VRDP is due to be published shortly.

Question reference: S5W-04179

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01092 by Humza Yousaf on 21 July 2016, whether Transport Scotland will assess all bids for the franchise if there is a public sector bid.

Question reference: S5W-04175

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government which Abellio representatives are on the Rail Delivery Group.

Question reference: S5W-04172

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland remained the operator of last resort for passenger rail services when the current ScotRail franchise agreement started.

Yes. Scottish Ministers are the relevant franchising authority for the rail passenger services provided under the ScotRail Franchise Agreement. If that agreement ended without a further franchise agreement having been entered into, Scottish Ministers would be under a duty to provide or secure the provision of those services. That duty, is set out in section 30 of the UK Government Railways Act 1993.

Question reference: S5W-04176

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01092 by Humza Yousaf on 21 July 2016, what stage it has breached with the preparatory work and whether it will publish regular updates on the progress of this.

Question reference: S5W-04173

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the ScotRail franchise allows Transport Scotland to recover operator of last resort costs from the franchisee, and what estimate it has made of what the cost would be of activating this.

Question reference: S5W-04174

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of the Rail Delivery Group, and what aspects of passenger rail operations were discussed.

Regular meetings take place between Scottish Government officials and the Rail Delivery Group. These include four-weekly meetings to discuss regulatory issues relating to the Office of Rail and Road’s 2018 Periodic Review progress - the last of these meetings was on 10 October 2016. The Scottish Government has representation on a number of Rail Delivery Group working groups and also meets with the Rail Delivery Group executive team as appropriate. These engagements cover a broad range of regulatory, rail passenger, and rail freight related topics.

Question reference: S5W-04171

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken since October 2014 to establish a public sector operator of last resort for ScotRail passenger services.

Question reference: S5W-04057

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when the Ardrossan Harbour Taskforce will next meet, and whether it will publish the terms of reference for the taskforce’s work.

No date has yet been set for the next meeting of the Ardrossan Harbour Taskforce pending the outcome of the STAG-style study currently being commissioned by Transport Scotland on the options for the mainland port for the Arran service.

This study will look at potential work to improve Ardrossan Harbour, as well as the proposal from Associated British Ports to use an upgraded facility at Troon.

We will engage closely with all relevant stakeholders in analysing the various berthing options on the mainland as well as wider socio-economic factors. I will travel to Arran to speak to the local community and hear their views on the service. I will also meet with both local councils and representatives of the local communities as well as Peel Ports and Associated British Ports

The terms of reference of the task force were published following the first meeting and can be found on the Transport Scotland website. http://www.transport.gov.scot/water/ardrossan-harbour-taskforce