Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19812 on‎ 1 August 2023. 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

Scottish Government is aware of community concerns and Scottish Forestry attended a public consultation drop in event held in Langholm on 4 th May this year, which was arranged by the land owners and their forestry agents with encouragement to do so by officials.

As a result of the drop in session, the proposal which is being developed by Gresham House Forestry on behalf of James Jones and Sons, a private sector sawmilling company, will incorporate ideas and suggestions provided by the local community. It is expected that Sitka spruce, in the final design, will amount to only 25-35% of the total area, with the rest of the tree planting being designed to incorporate other diverse conifer species, native broadleaves and open unplanted ground. In addition, more than 40 % of the area will be retained for agricultural purposes, with the protection and incorporation of existing and new footpaths and public access routes.

Teachers attain Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) status on completion of their teaching qualification.

Information on the number of UK domiciled students qualifying from Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes at Scottish Higher Education Institutions is published in the “Diversity Teaching Profession Annual Data Report”. The latest information, covering 2021-22 academic year, can be found here:

Diversity in the teaching profession: annual data report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

In the last 3 years surface dressing has been used in 5 locations on the Trunk Road Network. These locations are:

• A76 Bargower (South of Kilmarnock)
• A701 Boreland (North of Dumfries)
• A75 Hetland Hall (Between Annan and Dumfries)
• A75 Kinmount (Between Annan and Dumfries)
• A75 Bladnoch (West of Newton Stewart)

As of the morning of 1 August 2023 there were 2,275 people on remand. The following table shows the average (median) and longest (maximum) continuous time (expressed in days) spent on remand, by ethnic grouping.

The start date of this collection imposes an upper limit on the continuous time to date spent on remand of 1,225 days. Less than five individuals were at that limit, held under the Extradition Act 2003 (S8).

The allocation of places on the Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) is based on students selecting a preference of five local authorities in which they wish to undertake their probationary year. The system is set to ensure that all newly qualified teachers are, in the first instance, offered a place in one of their preferred choices.

As an alternative to selecting a preference of five local authorities, a student can opt for the Preference Waiver Payment whereby they waive their right to express a preferred local authority and will be prioritised to remote and rural local authorities in return for an additional payment.

TIS does not provide a guarantee of future employment within that council. The future employment of teachers is solely a matter for local authorities. While it is for councils to recruit and employ sufficient teaching staff to meet the needs and interests of children and young people living in their areas, we would expect them to fill posts in an open and fair manner.

As advised in the answer provided for S6W-12757 on 16 December 2022, phase 1 of the tactile paving at 18 stations was completed in March 2022.

Network Rail advise that, working closely with ScotRail, the aim is that all remaining stations owned and managed by Scotland’s Railway will have tactile paving installed by the end of 2023. These works are subject to sourcing materials.

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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19812 on‎ 1 August 2023. 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

The Scottish Government has no plans to provide funding for additional air services from the mainland to Scottish islands. The only mechanism for the provision of subsidised air services is through the imposition of a Public Service Obligation (PSO). In line with legislative requirements, when considering the imposition of a PSO, the adequacy of other modes of transport and the ability of such modes to meet the transport needs under consideration is assessed.

Through the Bus Partnership Fund, Transport Scotland has awarded an initial £26.47m of funding to Bus Partnerships to develop and deliver bus priority measures on both local and trunk roads. The Scottish Government remains committed to providing further funding for bus priority once Partnerships have identified further projects supported by completed business cases.

The second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) will inform the Scottish Government’s transport investment programme over the next 20 years and help to deliver the National Transport Strategy. STPR2 recommends bus priority is implemented in Scotland’s cities and towns where congestion is highest, many of which are being progressed though BPF. In the case of the motorway network, Transport Scotland would progress plans for the M8, M77 and M80, which includes looking at actively managed hard shoulders for buses like those already operating on the M90/M9 Queensferry Corridor and on the M8 eastbound approach to Hermiston Gait.

All these measures are aimed at reducing the negative impacts of congestion on bus services for passengers and addressing the decline in bus patronage.