Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31010 on 27 August 2020. 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 .

On 17 August we published our revised/updated Testing Strategy: https://www.gov.scot/news/scotlands-covid-19-testing-strategy/ .

The Strategy sets out the circumstances in which people who are asymptomatic would be tested. This includes those identified (via our Test and Protect scheme) as contacts of people who have tested positive, and those working with vulnerable people in high risk settings such as care homes.

This strategy also includes improvements in access to testing and innovation in how we test.

The Scottish Government remains committed to achieving our ultimate road safety vision of zero fatalities and a significant reduction in the number of serious injuries on our roads. We are continuing to liaise with a range of key stakeholders, including Police Scotland, as we develop our world-class road safety framework to 2030. Throughout the life of the framework we will be considering a whole range of measures which have the potential to further enhance the safety performance of Scotland’s road network.

I recognise how difficult it has been for Scotland’s faith communities to be unable to come together in places of worship at this challenging time, and understand the important role of congregational worship in supporting spiritual wellbeing. We do not want any restrictions to last any longer than is necessary but must ensure that people who enter places of worship to undertake congregational activities will be safe.

Our guidance on safe capacities for places of worship reflects evolving scientific and health advice and has been developed in discussion with our faith communities and we will continue to work closely with our faith communities as we move towards fully reopening places of worship as soon as it is safe to do so.

The 50 person limit will be reviewed on 20 August as part of our commitment to review restrictions every three weeks, as outlined in the Framework for Decision Making.

We are making changes at a pace and at a level that we think is right and safe for our current circumstances in Scotland. As we have taken decisions about what sectors and activities to re-open on our route out of lockdown, we have been guided by the principles set out in our Framework for Decision Making.

We are taking a partnership approach to create the conditions for business, trades unions and regulators to share expertise and work together to create safer workplaces. This partnership approach is also being used to develop sectoral guidance and endorse industry specific guidance. On 13 July we published guidance for small and micro businesses, across a variety of industries and sectors, to ensure the safety of staff and customers as they re-open.

We have already published guidance for over 25 specific sectors including manufacturing, labs and research, culture and creative industries, retail, transport, and energy. We will continue to prepare guidance in consultation with relevant stakeholders for sectors re-opening as we move through our Route Map out of Lockdown.

We are also working with partners to develop more comprehensive standalone guidance to provide a detailed set of health protection and Infection, Prevention and Control measures that could be applied to a different types of businesses.

The Scottish Government has provided financial support through allocating £30 million to the Spaces for People (SfP) fund. This fund helps local authorities to put in place temporary measures which support physical distancing whilst keeping people who are walking, wheeling or cycling safe from traffic during transition out of the Covid-19 lockdown. Since the announcement of the SfP fund, a number of local authorities have intimated that they are looking to introduce SfP measures including temporary 20 mph speed limits on certain trunk roads, as part of their wider SfP scheme proposals. As the roads authority for trunk roads, Transport Scotland is engaging with relevant local authorities to consider these measures.

As part of Transport Scotland’s annual road safety review, we engage with stakeholders including the public to understand local priorities for safer active travel. Where an active travel scheme is identified and progressed on the trunk road, we liaise with Sustrans and local authorities to ensure that this is consistent with strategic plans for walking, cycling and wheeling in their area.

Transport Scotland’s Strategic Road Safety Plan sets out how road safety improvements are delivered on the trunk road network. The Plan supports Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020, which includes cyclists and pedestrians as a priority action area.

The safety performance of the trunk road network is assessed on an annual basis in accordance with the Strategic Road Safety Plan. This robust, evidence-based approach ensures that the available funding can be prioritised for those locations that offer the greatest casualty reduction potential, and thus best contribute to our casualty reduction targets. This annual road safety review includes engagement with organisations such as Sustrans and local authorities on local priorities for active travel, to ensure that road safety improvements are considered for areas that require them most.

Since July 2019 a number of safety improvements in Fife with respect to active travel have been completed, or are ongoing. These include:

• completion of a footway/cycleway on the A92 at Freuchie (with a further two schemes, on the A985 at Hilton Road to West of Pattiesmuir, and at Tofthill junction to Balfarg Steadings, currently under construction);
• a new Toucan (signal controlled shared pedestrian and cycle) crossing was installed on the A92 at Balbirnie in October 2019;
• uncontrolled crossing point improvements are under construction on the A92 at the Balfarg junction in Glenrothes;
• schemes are currently being developed on the A92 at Freuchie and Balfarg which involve junction signalisation including controlled crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists;
• Improvements to dropped kerbing provision on the A92 at Forgan Roundabout and installation of bollards to improve visibility of pedestrian crossing points;
• A feasibility study into a new active travel route alongside the A985 between Waggon Road and Limekilns is also currently underway;
• our agents have also delivered an upgrade of four pedestrian crossings on the A985 to ‘Puffin’ crossing standard, and a road layout redesign in Kincardine Town Centre at High Street, North Approach Road and Toll Road as part of the ‘Places for Everyone’ scheme to improve pedestrian and cycling movements.

In addition to the above, interventions for other road users have included:

• two vehicle activated warning signs on the A985 at Clinkum Bank, and enhanced road markings and footways at the Admiralty Road roundabout;
• on the A92 the speed limit has been reduced between Halbeath and Crossgates, with upgraded warning signage for pedestrians crossing the trunk road coming into force in early August 2020;
• traffic signs have been upgraded at the Kettlebridge junction;
• upgraded road markings at Cadham and Balfarg junctions, carriageway resurfacing from the New Inn Roundabout to Balfarg;
• and an on-going investigation to assess options for re-profiling the carriageway to improve safety at the Crossgates slip road.

In addition to location-specific interventions, our trunk road operating companies also undertake weekly safety inspections of the network any to identify any safety defects that require prompt or immediate attention.

Lesser defects, and general deterioration which do not necessitate such an immediate safety-led response, are recorded and considered with findings from our annual condition assessments to help determine future maintenance schemes. These include assessments of road surface conditions (including skid resistance). Resultant schemes may include localised patching repairs or larger maintenance schemes, which are considered against competing priorities across the trunk road network and programmed accordingly. These maintenance programmes cover the whole of Scotland across a range of schemes and asset types.

As part of the Scottish Government’s vision to promote active travel, suitable provision for all road users, including cyclists, is also considered as part of our major trunk road projects. We work collaboratively throughout scheme development stages with cycling and other non-motorised user groups to help inform our proposals.