- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 August 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many train journeys have been cancelled for non-weather-related reasons in (a) 2025 to date and (b) each of the past five years, and what compensation was offered to passengers.
Answer
Details on cancelled rail passenger services, for each train operating company for the period until December 2024 are available on the Office for Rail and Road website, and can be found here: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/compendia/toc-key-statistics/. The Member may wish to contact train operating companies directly in order to obtain more recent and more detailed data, related to cancellations of their services.
Compensation that is offered to rail passengers is a matter for individual train operating companies. The Member may wish to contact them directly to obtain this information.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 August 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the total underspend has been in its housing capital budgets since 2007, and what assessment it has made of how any underspend has affected affordable home delivery.
Answer
Since 2008-09 we have published information on Affordable Housing Supply Programme budget and actual spend in our annual out-turn reports, available here: Affordable Housing Supply Programme - More homes - gov.scot. Reasons for variance in spend against budget can include lower activity in some demand-led programmes, project delays or, as seen from 2020-21 onwards, the impact of COVID and related construction supplies and workforce issues. We continue to work closely with partners to utilise our investment to help maximise the pace of delivery of affordable homes.
In 2007-08 Communities Scotland, an executive agency of the Scottish Government was responsible for housing throughout Scotland. Communities Scotland was disbanded on 1 April 2008, when most of its responsibilities transferred to the Scottish Government.
Financial Year | Budget (£ million) | Outturn (£ million) |
2008-2009 | 493.000 | 529.711 |
2009-2010 | 644.006 | 673.030 |
2010-2011 | 471.000 | 516.263 |
2011-2012 | 342.000 | 352.471 |
2012-2013 | 214.828 | 317.960 |
2013-2014 | 315.164 | 300.425 |
2014-2015 | 358.800 | 358.885 |
2015-2016 | 461.050 | 386.741 |
2016-2017 | 550.779 | 505.666 |
2017-2018 | 590.589 | 592.306 |
2018-2019 | 752.145 | 745.188 |
2019-2020 | 827.100 | 839.939 |
2020-2021 | 843.245 | 754.497 |
2021-2022 | 831.615 | 671.355 |
2022-2023 | 831.395 | 748.675 |
2023-2024 | 751.945 | 707.777 |
The 2024-25 Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts are currently being finalised and are due to be published later this year.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 August 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the average time has been between initial project approval and start on site for affordable homes in each year since 2010.
Answer
Prior to 2018-2019 site start dates were not collected as there was no requirement on our previous recording system for this information. Due to this, approval dates were used as a proxy for start dates. The following table provides an average time between approval and site start date for affordable homes between 2018-2019 and 2024-2025.
Financial Year | Average Time between Approval Date and Start Date (Working Days) |
2018-2019 | 107 |
2019-2020 | 124 |
2020-2021 | 92 |
2021-2022 | 91 |
2022-2023 | 68 |
2023-2024 | 50 |
2024-2025 | 27 |
Once a project has been approved, this does not necessarily mean an immediate progression to site start. Progression from project approval to a contractor being able to mobilise a site can take time. There are also instances where a project may face unforeseen delays due to planning or infrastructure constraints.
Homes acquired on the open market and those acquired through programmes such as the Home Owners’ Support Fund (HOSF) and Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) scheme may have the same approval and site start date as is the process when acquiring an affordable home in this way. These homes have been excluded from the figures above as have projects such as Local Affordable Rent Housing Trust (LAR) and PfP Capital Mid Market Rent Initiative, where an initial bulk approval was granted with homes to be delivered over a number of years. There are also instances where a project may be withdrawn after approval stage and we have excluded these projects. We have also excluded projects which have been approved but have not yet started on site.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 26 August 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much financial support it has provided to local authorities specifically to maintain or enhance rural bus services since 2019, broken down by local authority.
Answer
In 2025-26 the Scottish Government provided record funding of over £15.1 billion to local authorities, a real terms increase of 5.5%. It is, however, the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available, including on support for bus services, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled its statutory obligations. Ultimately, it is for locally elected representatives to make local decisions on how best to deliver services to their local communities.
Further information on the local government finance settlements, including allocations for each local authority is published annually on the Scottish Government website. The settlement for 2025-26 can be found at the following link - https://www.gov.scot/publications/local-government-finance-circular-10-2024-settlement-for-2025-to-2026/
The amount of funding local authorities provided for bus in Scotland is detailed in our annually published statistics that can be found at the following link - https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/ea2pp3vv/sts-chapter-02-bus-and-coach-travel-reference-tables-accessible.xls. Table 2.9 provides details of funding to Local Authority bus support, concessionary fares, Network Support Grant from 2004-05 onwards. We do not hold the level of detail required to break this down by local authority area.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 26 August 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many rural bus routes have been reduced or withdrawn in
each year since 2010, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
This information is publicly available on the Traffic Commissioner website under PSV notices and proceedings for Scotland. The address is https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notices-and-proceedings-for-scotland
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 August 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per unit has been to deliver an affordable home in each year since 2007, and what assessment it has made of how many additional homes could have been delivered if a greater share of investment had taken place during years when construction costs were lower.
Answer
We publish information on Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) average cost per unit in our annual out-turn reports, available here: Affordable Housing Supply Programme - More homes - gov.scot. The following table show the average cost per unit to deliver an affordable home in each year since 2007.
Financial Year | Average Cost per Home | Average AHSP Scottish Government Funding per Home |
2007-2008 | £127,131 | £76,507 |
2008-2009 | £126,972 | £70,814 |
2009-2010 | £120,511 | £63,963 |
2010-2011 | £112,003 | £57,013 |
2011-2012 | £117,678 | £44,411 |
2012-2013 | £95,426 | £37,691 |
2013-2014 | £109,445 | £45,661 |
2014-2015 | £114,890 | £50,559 |
2015-2016 | £115,697 | £52,352 |
2016-2017 | £126,250 | £61,058 |
2017-2018 | £137,100 | £61,032 |
2018-2019 | £143,839 | £65,645 |
2019-2020 | £152,646 | £71,630 |
2020-2021 | £158,262 | £85,553 |
2021-2022 | £168,121 | £75,454 |
2022-2023 | £187,341 | £90,429 |
Local authorities have responsibility for setting out the investment priorities supported through the AHSP, ensuring the delivery of the right homes in the right places. In support of these priorities the AHSP has been increased, with the budget for 2025-2026 now £768 million.
Since 2007 we have delivered more than 139,000 affordable homes, with 99,000 of those being for social rent. We continue to work closely with partners to utilise our investment to help maximise the pace of delivery of affordable homes.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 26 August 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many people are currently in apprenticeships in the digital and engineering and manufacturing subject areas and how many new newly qualified apprentices have entered the workforce in each of the past five years.
Answer
Data on the latest number of individuals currently undertaking modern apprenticeships in the digital, engineering, and manufacturing subject areas was published by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) on 5 August 2025.
Data on the number of modern apprentices in training by occupational grouping is available in table 3.3 of the 'Modern Apprenticeships in Quarter 1 Supplementary Tables' accessible via the SDS website modern-apprenticeship-supplementary-tables-quarter-1-2025-26.xlsx
It is important to note that newly qualified apprentices do not enter the workforce upon completion of their apprenticeship, as they are already in the workplace and employed throughout the duration of their training. Holding a job is a prerequisite for undertaking an apprenticeship.
SDS holds operational responsibility for all matters relating to apprenticeships. As such, it is responsible for this data and can provide further breakdowns if required.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 19 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed how devolved social security spending per capita varies across different local authority areas, and, if so, whether it will provide details for each of the last five years.
Answer
Answer expected on 19 September 2025
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 22 August 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) paramedics are currently working in Scotland, (b) newly qualified paramedics entered the NHS in each of the last five years and (c) individuals are currently in training to become paramedics.
Answer
Number of paramedics currently working in Scotland:
2,156.6 WTE
Number of Newly Qualified Paramedics who entered the NHS (in Scotland) in each of the last five years:
2020-21 = 24
2021-22 = 58
2022-23 = 47
2023-24 = 179
2024-25 = 181
You should note that the Scottish Ambulance Service received the first applications from Newly Qualified Paramedics with Scottish qualifications in April 2023. The numbers above include NQP applicants from across the UK.
Individuals are currently in training to become paramedics:
985
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 July 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 August 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that businesses, particularly small and medium-sized businesses, are equipped and supported to implement artificial intelligence into their work.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to supporting businesses, including SMEs, to harness the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI). As part of the Programme for Government, we have committed to launching AI Scotland, our national transformation programme, which is founded on a strong partnership between business, academia, public agencies, and government. This programme is designed to accelerate AI adoption across sectors and ensure access to AI tools and expertise.
To support SMEs specifically we are also delivering on:
- The AI Playbook, which is being delivered by the AI Alliance and has been updated to better serve business audiences, offering a one-stop-shop for practical guidance, case studies, and resources tailored to the needs of SMEs.
- The Scottish AI Alliance has hosted a series of workshops with SMEs to understand their challenges and opportunities in adopting AI. Insights from these sessions are informing future support mechanisms.
- We are working with a senior governance group, which includes business leaders, to ensure that the AI Scotland programme remains responsive to the needs of industry and delivers meaningful impact for businesses of all sizes.
Further support is also being explored through enterprise agencies and innovation centres to ensure that SMEs can access the skills, infrastructure, and funding needed to integrate AI into their operations.
