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-02120

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the electrification of the rail service between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Falkirk will be completed on time and on budget.

On 5 July 2016 I announced that Network Rail had informed Transport Scotland that the Edinburgh Glasgow via Falkirk High line will not be ready for the introduction of electric services until July 2017, seven months later than scheduled but still in advance of new electric trains arriving from September 2017. Network Rail have further advised that project cost will increase beyond the previous £742 million estimate.

At my instruction, Transport Scotland are undertaking an intensive review of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme. This work is expected to conclude in September 2016. I have also already made clear my intention to bring the review findings and senior Network Rail officials before the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee to answer any questions and to set out clearly when Network Rail will deliver the promised improvements and how much they will cost.

Question reference: S5W-02119

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland and, if so, when this will be carried out.

Question reference: S5T-00043

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the cost of the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme.

Question reference: S5O-00095

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what Scotland's deficit is, both as a percentage of GDP and in cash terms, according to the latest GERS figures.

Question reference: S5W-01678

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01080 by Humza Yousaf on 15 July 2016, what proportion of and how many services are permitted to run in a month without a second person on board before the operator incurs penalties.

No services are ‘permitted’ to run without a second person, all services are scheduled to have a second member of staff to be on board. This is reflected in the Franchise Agreement (Schedule 1.4) mandating ScotRail to use all reasonable endeavours to maintain a minimum staffing level for every train service of two members of staff. I refer the member to S5W-01680 on 23 August 2016 that related to the number of services planned to operate each period. 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

Question reference: S5W-01687

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of passenger train services operated with only one member of staff on board in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16, also broken down by class of rolling stock.

This is an operational matter for Abellio ScotRail for 2015-16 and First ScotRail who operated the franchise during 2014-15. Transport Scotland does not hold this information.

However, within the Service Quality Inspection Reporting Regime (SQUIRE) Transport Scotland Inspectors conduct audits on a random sample of approximately 180-200 trains per four weekly cycle during both the current franchise and the previous one. For Period 3 2015 to Period 3 2016 these sample audits have discovered an average of 0.9% of services audited were operating without a second member of staff. I refer the member to S5W-01080 answered on 25 July 2016 for the breakdown of results from the sample surveys conducted within the SQUIRE regime.

For 2014-15 we do not hold the information to that level of detail as the results are a combination of all sub-components recorded under the Service Schedule audited.The Franchise Agreement (Schedule 1.4) mandates ScotRail to use all reasonable endeavours to maintain a minimum staffing level for every train service of two members of staff. However, Transport Scotland are currently working with ScotRail to agree more detailed reporting and monitoring of this obligation. 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

Question reference: S5W-01680

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01080 by Humza Yousaf on 15 July 2016, how many (a) non-driver only control and (b) driver-only controlled trains were in service in each period.

During the period covered by the answer to S5W-01080, the following numbers of trains were booked to run:

		All trains booked to run	Trains run on a DCO- basis	All else
2015-16	Period 3	58,065	29,613	28,452
2015-16	Period 4	57,341	29,244	28,097
2015-16	Period 5	58,858	30,002	28,826
2015-16	Period 6	58,466	29,818	28,648
2015-16	Period 7	58,391	29,779	28,612
2015-16	Period 8	58,073	29,617	28,456
2015-16	Period 9	58,274	29,720	28,554
2015-16	Period 10	50,520	25,765	24,755
2015-16	Period 11	58,262	29,714	28,458
2015-16	Period 12	58,315	29,741	28,574
2015-16	Period 13	53,137	27,100	26,037
2016-17	Period 1	60,533	30,872	29,661
2016-17	Period 2	56,268	28,697	27,571
2016-17	Period 3	53,484	27,277	26,207

Question reference: S5W-01682

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01080 by Humza Yousaf on 15 July 2016, how it assesses the endeavours to maintain the minimum staffing level.

Question reference: S5W-01679

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01080 by Humza Yousaf on 15 July 2016, whether it will provide a breakdown of the fines incurred for each failure.

Question reference: S5W-01681

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01078 by Humza Yousaf on 15 July 2016, for what reasons the service quality incentive regime does not include the safety-critical operational duties of a second member of crew on driver-control operated routes.

Both Ticket Examiners and Conductors have identical passenger facing duties which are audited within SQUIRE (Service Quality Inspection Reporting Regime) under Schedule 33 and 36. The SQUIRE regime focuses on monitoring the performance of the franchisee from a passenger’s perspective with particular reference to front line customer service provision. Railway safety is a UK level reserved matter for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to manage across the UK. I recently wrote to the ORR for specific reassurance in a Scottish context that driver controlled trains are a safe method of operation. I have subsequently received that assurance from the rail regulator's Director of Railway Safety.