Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not collect demographic data specifically on the public transport workforce nor does it do so for each mode of public transportation. If collected, this data will be held by public transport operating organisations.

Data from the Annual Population Survey over the period Jan-Dec 2020 provides breakdowns on employment by industry sector which includes the category “Transport and Storage”. It shows that 4% of all those aged over 16 in employment were working in Transport and Storage.

Of those employed in transport and storage industries, 2% are of a minority ethnic background. This compares to a figure of 4% for those employed in all industries who are of a minority ethnic background.

The Scottish Seabird Conservation Strategy aims to optimise the conservation prospects of seabirds in Scotland through effective management of existing and emerging threats. We plan to consult on the Strategy in summer 2022.

In February 2022 two new marine special protection areas (SPAs) were designated in Orkney. The sites in Scapa Flow and North Orkney have been designated to protect rare and vulnerable migratory birds.

Transport Focus has recently published their ticket office opening hours consultation report along with ScotRail’s response. I will now consider these findings and discuss with the rail trade unions in the coming weeks before making any final decision on this matter.

Analysis of management information shows that the most common reason for Job Start Payment applications being denied is that the applicant did not meet one or both of the key eligibility criteria i.e. that the applicant was not out of work and in receipt of a qualifying benefit for at least 6 months prior to being offered a job.

An initial evaluation of the benefit is currently being carried out which may shed further light on why applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria apply for Job Start Payment.

The Government’s spending plans are set out in the budget. We are already investing £361 million in Scottish benefits above the level of funding to be received from the UK Government through Block Grant Adjustments.

Increases to Scottish Child Payment, Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment and Best Start Grant are made by Scottish Statutory Instrument under powers in the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018. Increases to Best Start Foods are made under section 13 of the Social Security Act 1988. The procedures for scrutinising proposed legislation are set out in the Standing Orders of the Parliament. Bridging Payments are made by local authorities on behalf of Scottish Ministers, the value of payments is set out in guidance to local authorities, published in April 2021.

In due course we will deliver the Scottish replacement for Winter Fuel Payment. It remains a reserved benefit until then.

The new vehicle entry system was one of several security enhancements to upgrade the security of the Service Yard.  These enhancements were identified in the Police Scotland review commissioned by the SPCB in 2017, following the tragic attacks on Westminster Bridge in London.

The main aim of the Service Yard project was to improve the security of the area by addressing vulnerabilities with the layout and replace ageing technology with a state-of-the-art hostile vehicle mitigation system.

There have been several assessments throughout the Service Yard project in relation to users’ safety.  These have included a review of the flow of vehicle traffic, the safety of the gates and barriers and an overall health and safety review of the arrangements in the Service Yard.

The results of these assessments are that the project to improve the Service Yard has delivered the desired outcomes of significantly improving safety and security at the vehicle entrance area.

The project to put in place the new Parliament website was a significant and complex change project.

The business case for the project was considered and agreed by officials on the Digital Strategy Board. This is the usual governance for digital projects undertaken in the Parliament.

The budget for the project was included in the SPCB’s budget process in each of the financial years that the project was running.

Water charges remain linked to the council tax banding of the house occupied. Higher banded houses are usually expected to be occupied by higher income households and so linking water charges to council tax band will frequently reflect ability to pay. But, importantly, the linkage to Council Tax also means that discounts and exemptions which apply to Council Tax are also available for water and sewerage charges. The present range of discounts is worth over £150m per year and helps to reflect an individual’s circumstances and ensure ability to pay.

There are a number of operators that provide ferry services on a commercial basis and their services are a matter for those companies.

The Scottish Government continues to support lifeline ferry services in Scotland and is committed to provide our island and remote rural communities with the services they need whilst achieving value for money.

The period a transport appraisal or business case, undertaken in accordance with STAG, is valid and relevant is dependent on the evidence and information provided in the report. The purpose of this evidence is to reflect the current conditions in the study area and other aspects of appraisal as set out in current STAG guidance, such as the problems and opportunities. Therefore, the appraisers and decision makers must take a view on whether that evidence base is sufficient to make the investment decision, which includes the relevance of the data used in the analysis.

As set out in the STAG Managers Guide , STAG is a key part of a transport related business case needed to inform decision making on transport interventions. A transport appraisal in accordance with STAG aligns with the Strategic Business Case (SBC) stage, the initial stage of business case development in line with Transport Scotland’s Guidance on the development of Business Cases .

If there is an intervening period between evidence gathering and decision making, appraisers would be expected to update an existing STAG report, where appropriate, to take into account any changes in the intervening period affecting the evidence and information in the report. Examples may include: changes in transport demand or provision in a study area; changes in demographics and needs of an area; newly published and relevant national policies, strategies and plans; and updates to STAG.