Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-04752

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 21 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Abellio will be able to report its experience of running the ScotRail franchise after the service has been nationalised.

Question reference: S6W-05337

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Kate Forbes on 21 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the future of Glasgow Prestwick Airport.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport continues to develop as a specialist airport, carving a niche in a very competitive aviation market. The challenge facing the aviation sector because of the Covid pandemic is a global one and, like all airports, Prestwick is adapting to that challenge. The Scottish Government is laying the annual report and accounts today in Parliament which show that the business continues in a positive direction with a profit posted for 2020-21.

In the current year, the team at Glasgow Prestwick Airport were heavily involved in supporting COP26, providing a professional and flexible service to its customers during this major event. Glasgow Prestwick Airport continues to provide essential services for the importation of cargo, including supplies for the NHS, as well as continuing to develop all other revenue streams in the business. Staff at the airport have played and continue to play a key role in the success of such activities and that is valued and recognised.

Scottish Ministers’ still intend for Prestwick Airport to return to the private sector at the appropriate time and opportunity. Having carefully considered bids received under a recent sales process, I can advise that Ministers have decided to not proceed with a sale at this time.

The Scottish Government remains supportive of the business. The airport has recently made several new appointments to the operating Board, including a new Non-Executive Chair. With a refreshed board and management in place, the Scottish Government is confident the business will continue to develop its strategy for growth.

Question reference: S6W-05058

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-03668 by Kevin Stewart on 10 October 2019, whether it will provide information on the level of readiness to comply with the delayed ban on waste to landfill, broken down by local authority.

Local authorities are responsible for the provision of local waste services and are, therefore, best placed to comment on their readiness to comply with the ban on sending biodegradable municipal waste to landfill in 2025.

However, we understand that 18 local authorities have contracts in place for 2025 that comply with the landfill ban, these are: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, City of Edinburgh, City of Glasgow, Dundee City, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Fife, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Renfrewshire, Shetland, and South Lanarkshire.

We are providing centrally supported procurement to help other local authorities secure contracts in preparation for the forthcoming ban. As part of this support, Zero Waste Scotland is working with local authorities to provide technical, legal and procurement advice on their contracts.

Question reference: S6W-05083

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Water will provide compensation for customers who were without supply as a consequence of Storm Arwen.

Storm Arwen was one of the most significant weather events we have experienced in decades and, unfortunately, the impact of Storm Arwen on Scottish Water’s infrastructure was very significant and widespread due to the loss of normal power supply to a substantial number of their sites as well as challenging conditions which caused delays and difficulty accessing some areas. Scottish Water worked round the clock to prepare for the storm, to restore water supplies and to support customers impacted by the storm.

Scottish Water has confirmed that they have issued apology letters, which include an offer of compensation, to those customers who had their water supply interrupted for greater than 24 hours. The payments being offered vary depending on how long a property was without water. They have also asked for feedback from these customers on the service provided during storm Arwen with a view to learning from this event and supporting future emergency responses.

Question reference: S6W-04896

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 21 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much compensation ScotRail has awarded to passengers in each month or four-week recording period since the beginning of 2019, and what the estimated unclaimed compensation has been in each of these months or periods.

ScotRail is required through the Franchise Agreement to provide a delay-repay scheme to passengers, which offers compensation when their journey is delayed by more than 30 minutes.

The Delay Repay scheme operates on a railway period reporting basis from April to March.

The following tables summarise the actual compensation ScotRail awarded to passengers in each four-week period since the 2018-2019 reporting period.

Year 2018-19	Total Paid £
Period 1	42,261.90
Period 2	44,924.23
Period 3	51,287.09
Period 4	107,277.52
Period 5	64,808.78
Period 6	54,628.81
Period 7	139,931.63
Period 8	130,002.42
Period 9	92,283.63
Period 10	142,333.06
Period 11	79,312.79
Period 12	69,881.40
Period 13	100,885.09

Year 2019-20	Total Paid £
Period 1	91,429.40
Period 2	73,875.72
Period 3	72,287.62
Period 4	86,505.59
Period 5	98,903.67
Period 6	133,842.09
Period 7	91,280.73
Period 8	91,614.16
Period 9	85,063.52
Period 10	80,166.92
Period 11	66,171.83
Period 12	91,144.58
Period 13	67,697.34

Year 2020-21	Total Paid £
Period 1	2,223.01
Period 2	883.04
Period 3	765.40
Period 4	3,833.78
Period 5	15,861.08
Period 6	16,983.27
Period 7	10,114.08
Period 8	9,499.96
Period 9	6,016.37
Period 10	5,845.59
Period 11	5,749.37
Period 12	9,705.36
Period 13	2,078.74

Year 2021-22	Total Paid £
Period 1	3,613.09
Period 2	10,988.17
Period 3	14,515.09
Period 4	18,907.19
Period 5	36,904.36
Period 6	25,300.68
Period 7	18,671.16
Period 8	34,179.00
Period 9 (to date)	52,951.00

Concerning an estimate figure for unclaimed delay repay is not something that is held by Transport Scotland or ScotRail.

Question reference: S6W-04915

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it recommends that cyclists wear a helmet.

Wearing a helmet is a matter of personal choice, not a requirement.

The wearing of cycle helmets is covered by the Highway Code and is a matter reserved to the UK Government. It recommends wearing a cycle helmet which conforms to current regulations, is the correct size and securely fastened, if cyclists choose to do so.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the safety of all vulnerable road users through a variety of means including the building of safe, high quality active travel infrastructure, providing training and encouraging good road user behaviour with mutual respect.

Question reference: S6W-04895

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what cycling projects it has supported in each of the regional transport partnership areas, and how much funding it has provided for these in each year since 2017.

Question reference: S6W-04911

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 21 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been killed in road accidents on the A90 between Dundee and Stonehaven in each quarter since 1 April 2018.

A90 Dundee to Stonehaven Fatal Casualties

(Between Emmock roundabout Dundee and where the A957 Slug Road crosses the A90 at Stonehaven)

Year - 2018	Number of Fatal Casualties
April – June	0
July – September	1
October – December	0

Year - 2019	Number of Fatal Casualties
January - March	3
April – June	0
July – September	1
October – December	0

Year – 2020	Number of Fatal Casualties
January – March	2
April – June	0
July – September	1
October – December	0

Year – 2021	Number of Fatal Casualties
January - March	0
April – June	0
July – September	0
October – 15 December	0

Source: Transport Scotland Accident Manager Database

Date data extracted: 15 December 2021

Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Please note that the information provided is based on the current figures available at the time of retrieving the data from Transport Scotland’s accident manager system. The following are potential reasons for an accident not appearing on our system:

• Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland.

• Transport Scotland does not hold information relating to damage only accidents (i.e. not involving an injury).

• Transport Scotland only holds accident information for the trunk road network.

• The accident information Transport Scotland holds is subject to change. E.g. we receive late returns from Police Scotland, who are responsible for recording details of injury accidents.

• Annual Scottish accident figures are published by Transport Scotland on a yearly basis and can be found by entering Reported Road Casualties Scotland into your search engine.

• From summer 2019, Police Scotland introduced a new system for recording traffic collisions. Due to improved recording and categorisation processes, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of casualties and accidents on Scottish roads that are classified as serious. The evidence from other police forces within the UK that introduced the same system is that this increase will be around 20%. This increase would not reflect an actual change in the severity of accidents occurring on Scottish roads, but would instead reflect more accurate recording.

• Statisticians within the Department for Transport have devised a method for adjusting the road casualty figures to ensure that they can be compared over time on a consistent basis. Transport Scotland’s Key Reported Road Casualties and Reported Road Casualties statistics publications will present both adjusted and unadjusted figures.

Question reference: S6W-04910

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 21 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) injury and (b) non-injury road accidents on the A90 between Dundee and Stonehaven have been reported in each quarter since 1 April 2018.

a) personal injury accidents

A90 Dundee to Stonehaven Personal Injury Accidents

(Between Emmock roundabout Dundee and where the A957 Slug Road crosses the A90 at Stonehaven)

Year - 2018	Number of Personal Injury Accidents
April – June	2
July – September	8
October – December	3

Year - 2019	Number of Personal Injury Accidents
January - March	7
April – June	0
July – September	7
October – December	10

Year – 2020	Number of Personal Injury Accidents
January – March	6
April – June	1
July – September	6
October – December	4

Year – 2021	Number of Personal Injury Accidents
January - March	4
April - June	6
July – September*	2

Source: Transport Scotland Accident Manager Database

Date data extracted: 15 December 2021

* Data for all accidents up to 07-09-2021 with the exception of fatal accidents which data is available up to 15-12-2021

(b) The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. The Scottish Government only holds personal injury accident data.