Chamber and committees

Performance (reliability and punctuality) at Musselburgh, Wallyford, Prestonpans, Longniddry, and Drem on the North Berwick Line compare favourably with the ScotRail average, which in turn compares well with the GB average. Nonetheless, it is the responsibility of Scottish Rail Holdings and ScotRail to work in partnership with Network Rail in Scotland to continue to improve performance.

For Dunbar in East Lothian, many of the services are provided by LNER, Cross Country and Transpennine Express, which are UK Government train operating companies.

There has been no changes to the maintenance periods following these comments. Every vessel within the CalMac fleet requires regular maintenance work and CalMac are contractually obliged to ensure annual overhauls are completed successfully.

Planned maintenance will be carried out on each vessel on an annual basis in line with other vessels in the CHFS fleet. The timing of these inspections and necessary dry docks is for the operator to manage.

The expenditure by the Scottish Government in each of the last five years on TikTok is as follows:

2018: £0

2019: £0

2020: £71,179

2021: £127,372

2022: £112,508

2023: £27,474 (up to 31 March 2023)

Scottish Government continues to support practices in the Edinburgh area to maintain access to GP services for residents. The General Practice Access Group is working towards developing a set of principles to share with all practices this Spring.

The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Road/Balmedie-Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) section of the A90 is managed on behalf of Scottish Ministers/Transport Scotland by the Design Build Finance and Operate (DBFO) company Aberdeen Roads Limited (ARL). The associated landscaping areas are included in the Agreement with ARL. Around 1.5 million trees were planted. The project is in year 4 of the 5 year Establishment Period. As the name suggests the Establishment Period is designed to closely monitor plant development and take action if appropriate to address tree plant establishment failures.

During the Establishment Period ARL’s appointed specialist landscape architect is required to undertake inspections of the tree planting 6 times in year one, 4 times in year 2, and 3 times for each of years 3, 4 and 5. On completion of the Establishment Period the landscaping enters the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) phase when annual inspections are required. The O&M period ends in 2047.

Following each inspection the landscape architect makes recommendations which are carried out by ARL and which could include tree tube/guard removal as the trees develop as well as identifying opportunities to enhance biodiversity and reduce pesticide application. Other work carried out over the last 4 to 5 years includes weed control, grass cutting in amongst those trees, pruning of damaged branches and re-staking of trees.

The appointed Contracting Authority (Jacobs consultants) receive annual reports and undertake joint inspections to ensure the contractual requirements are being fulfilled. Jacobs subsequently advise Transport Scotland of progress and discuss any matters as necessary.

There are approximately 1.5 million new trees planted alongside the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. No further tree planting is planned other than replacement planting which may be required in future where insufficient numbers of trees have become established to satisfy the environmental objectives and the Indicative Landscape Design.

Scottish Government officials have met with the following groups and organisations on the minimum age of marriage and related matters:

AMINA- Muslim Women’s Resource Centre

Article 12 in Scotland

Association of Registrars of Scotland

Caledonian Humanist Association

Evangelical Alliance

Hemat Gryffe Women’s Aid

Humanist Society Scotland

IKWRO Women’s Rights Organisation

Independent Humanist Ceremonies

JustRight Scotland

Karma Nirvana

Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project

Scottish Council of Jewish Communities

Saheliya

Scottish Women’s Aid

Shakti Women’s Aid

Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)

UNICEF UK

They have also met with some Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament and with two Scottish family law academics.

I intend for these meetings to continue. My officials are planning to meet representatives of the following bodies, some of which will have received invitations to discuss the issues.

The Baptist Union of Scotland

The Church of Scotland

The Free Church of Scotland

The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland

Glasgow Central Mosque

Hindu Forum of Britain

The Methodist Church

The Muslim Council of Scotland

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers in Scotland)

The Roman Catholic Church (The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland)

The Salvation Army

The Scottish Association of Mosques

The Scottish Episcopal Church

Sikhs in Scotland

The Scottish Unitarian Association

The Synod of Scotland of the United Reformed Church

The United Free Church of Scotland

The member is welcome to write to me with details of other interested groups who want to be involved.

The Scottish Government is working with NHS Lothian on a range of capital investment projects, including the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, a National Treatment Centre, a replacement for the Edinburgh Eye Pavilion and a number of primary care projects and we are in the process of establishing a prioritised list, which can be taken forward in line with our capital budget expectations.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16183 on 5 April 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16183 on 5 April 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