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: S6W-32767

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposals to reduce ScotRail ticket office opening hours at a number of stations, whether it will list the full range of fares, products and services that will no longer be available at these stations during the times that the ticket offices are proposed to be closed.

Question reference: S6W-32766

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposals to reduce ScotRail ticket office opening hours at a number of stations, what its position is on how these proposals represent an improvement for passengers, compared with current arrangements, in relation to (a) access to rail fares and products, (b) passenger assistance, (c) provision of information, including during disruptions, (d) safety, (e) penalty fare arrangements and (f) access to station facilities.

Proposed adjustments will enable a redeployment of some ScotRail staff to provide more and better assistance for passengers. Passenger assistance services will remain available across ScotRail as they are now and all ScotRail services are specified to convey a member of staff on-board to assist passengers.

ScotRail stations will continue to offer access to assets as they do at present. Facilities and toilets used by the public in most cases will remain open even when ticket office desks are shut. Additionally, help with ticket selection is now available at help points at stations. This help is available whenever the station is open, which is longer than current ticket offices opening times.

ScotRail does not impose penalty fares.

Question reference: S6W-32071

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, in relation to the proposed reduction in ticket office opening hours in the evenings on the ScotRail network, what further details it can provide in response to the reported concerns of passengers travelling at night, particularly women, regarding safety and antisocial behaviour.

The passenger safety, especially women and girls’, is one of the Scottish Government’s priorities. The Scottish Government expects that, once ScotRail’s plans have been implemented, the improved staff visibility and ScotRail having ability to deploy staff more flexibly will not only improve feeling of safety for all passengers, including women and girls, but also maintain an environment, which helps to deter any potential anti-social behaviour.

Question reference: S6W-32074

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, in relation to the proposed reduction in ticket office opening hours on the ScotRail network, what further details it can provide in response to the reported concerns of passengers and staff that the proposals will introduce uncertainty about the presence of staff who can provide support and address any antisocial behaviour at stations.

Question reference: S6O-04191

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential impact on the Scottish economy of the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery.

Question reference: S6W-32073

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, in relation to the estimate that ScotRail’s proposed changes in staff deployment will deliver an additional 11.5 million opportunities per year for interactions with passengers, how this figure has been calculated, and where it is anticipated that those interactions will take place.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32072 on 7 January 2025.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.

It is incumbent on ScotRail and Scottish Rail Holdings to demonstrate that aims set out it their proposals to adjust the opening hours of some of ScotRail ticket offices can be achieved.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-32075

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has decided not to consult with the public on the recent proposed changes to ticket office opening hours on the ScotRail network.

Question reference: S6W-32076

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent consideration has been given to increasing the number of staff based across ScotRail's station network.

Question reference: S6W-32072

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, in relation to ScotRail’s proposed changes in staff deployment that will make "60 staff actively more available" to support passengers in tackling concerns around antisocial behaviour, at which stations these 60 staff are currently located, and what certainty can be provided to passengers regarding staff presence if it is the case that the booking office is not open at any of those stations.

Staff deployment is an operational matter for ScotRail as the employer.

It is incumbent on ScotRail and Scottish Rail Holdings to demonstrate that aims set out it their proposals to adjust the opening hours of some of ScotRail ticket offices can be achieved. This includes any improvements that can be delivered, which would enable ScotRail staff to help British Transport Police tackle anti-social behaviour.

Question reference: S6W-32077

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, in relation to ScotRail’s experience of targeting antisocial behaviour through proactively planning a more visible staff presence at the right locations, what definition of the "right locations" has been provided by ScotRail when planning the deployment of staff to address antisocial behaviour.