- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2020
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Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 July 2020
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a progress update on the rail decarbonisation action plan.
Answer
I am delighted to announce that in meeting our Programme for Government commitment the Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan is being published today.
This action plan sets out in detail how the Scottish Government will ambitiously decarbonise Scotland’s rail passenger services by 2035, furthering our efforts to reduce emissions in transport, while helping contribute to a green economic recovery following the health pandemic. Our action plan will result in Scotland being the first area in the UK to have fully decarbonised passenger services.
Significant development work on the East Kilbride and Barrhead lines, is already underway, with other proposals in the rolling programme of electrification also being progressed. Innovative proposals are being developed by the rail industry to introduce alternative traction options which support the reduction in carbon emissions. Transport Scotland’s direct engagement with train manufacturers and owners continues with the aim to make rail travel in Scotland more attractive, improve connectivity and encourage greater modal shift across the country.
Further details can be found on Transport Scotland’s website.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 July 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of (a) Police Scotland officers and (b) Scottish Police Authority staff are from ethnic minority groups, broken down by rank and grade respectively.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not collect data on the ethnicity of Police Officers, Police Staff or Scottish Police Authority (SPA) staff. This is a matter for Police Scotland and the SPA.
Both Police Scotland and the SPA publish equality and diversity mainstreaming reports and these can be found at the links below:
https://www.scotland.police.uk/assets/pdf/138327/243045/mainstreaming-report-2017-2019?view=Standard
http://www.spa.police.uk/assets/128635/397026/551770
The Scottish Government supports Police Scotland and the SPA in their recognition that they need to have workforces that are valued, respected and more reflective of the communities they serve.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 July 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of (a) Police Scotland officers and (b) Scottish Police Authority staff are female, broken down by rank and grade respectively.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not collect data on the number of female Police Officers, Police Staff or Scottish Police Authority (SPA) staff. This is a matter for Police Scotland and the SPA.
Both Police Scotland and the SPA publish equality and diversity mainstreaming reports and these can be found at the links below:
https://www.scotland.police.uk/assets/pdf/138327/243045/mainstreaming-report-2017-2019?view=Standard
http://www.spa.police.uk/assets/128635/397026/551534
The Scottish Government supports Police Scotland and the SPA in their recognition that they need to have workforces that are valued, respected and more reflective of the communities they serve.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 4 February 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of school leavers in each of the last five years who then set up their own business, and whether this is recorded as a positive destination.
Answer
In school leaver destination statistics positive destinations include education, further education, training, employment, voluntary work and activity agreements. The employment category includes those who are self-employed and so those starting up their own business are recorded as being in a positive destination.
School leaver destination statistics show the number of school leavers in employment but do not currently include a separate estimate of the number who are self-employed.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2020
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Current Status:
Awaiting answer
To ask the Scottish Government what involvement it has in UK-EU talks.
Answer
Awaiting answer
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 21 January 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment set out by the UK Government in the paper, New Decade, New Approach, that it will ensure that representatives from the Northern Ireland Executive will be "invited to be part of the UK delegation in any meetings of the UK-EU Specialised or Joint Committees discussing Northern Ireland specific matters", whether it has been invited by the UK Government to send representatives to UK-EU talks, particularly in relation to matters specific to Scotland.
Answer
First and foremost, the Scottish Government welcomes the agreement reached and the return of the Northern Ireland Executive. Our First Minister has written to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to congratulate them both and to reaffirm the Scottish Government’s commitment to strengthen the relationship between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Scottish Government have been clear there must be a route for representation of all the devolved administrations in the Joint Committees and sub-committees established under the Withdrawal Agreement, especially in relation to the implementation and operation of the future relationship and dispute resolution processes. Despite the offer made to the Northern Ireland Executive by the UK Government the Scottish Government has not received any invitation to take part directly in EU-UK discussions, including in relation to matters which are either devolved or where there is a specific Scottish interest. It is vital that UK positions on such matters are agreed with involvement of the Scottish Government and other devolved administrations.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 21 January 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment set out by the UK Government in the paper, New Decade, New Approach, that "as part of wider work examining funding options to support preparedness for entering new trading arrangements with the [EU] and support for businesses, [it] will engage specifically with the [Northern Ireland] Executive", whether the UK Government has invited it to engage at a similar level.
Answer
The Scottish Government have been clear that, to date, engagement in relation to the future relationship negotiations has been woefully inadequate. Despite the commitment set out by the UK Government in relation to the Northern Ireland Executive, and previous commitments made by the UK Government to all devolved administrations in the context of the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations), we have not been invited to engage meaningfully or at the level now foreseen for Northern Ireland. At a recent meeting of that committee in London I reiterated the point that the Scottish Government must be involved in the negotiations in order to ensure that Scottish interests are adequately protected. The question around the role of the devolved administrations in the future relationship negotiations was raised as far back as February 2018 and yet remains unresolved almost two years later.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 21 January 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the report by the Institute for Government, Getting Brexit Done, which argues that the UK Government must involve the Scottish Government in its Brexit negotiations to “properly reflect” Scotland's interests.
Answer
In its recent report, the Institute for Government argued that the UK Government must engage the devolved administrations ” meaningfully and systematically ” and set out detailed plans on how it intends to do so. The Scottish Government have argued this very same point for the past three years. As reported by the Institute for Government, the next phase of negotiations will significantly impinge on areas of devolved competence and any deal will have substantial ramifications for the devolved administrations. I have consistently raised this point with the UK Government and reiterated it during a recent meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations), highlighting that current UK Government arrangements are unsatisfactory and that the role of the devolved administrations in the future relationship negotiations must be clarified as soon as possible. With the UK’s departure from the EU imminent, this question must be resolved urgently.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 19 December 2019
To ask the Scottish Government when the next Joint Ministerial Committee meeting will take place.
Answer
No dates have been set for a Plenary meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee, or for the European formats of the Joint Ministerial Committee. However, yesterday I spoke with my Welsh counterpart, Jeremy Miles, and we both agreed there should be a meeting early in the new year. I intend to make this point during my call with Michael Gove later today.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2019
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Current Status:
Awaiting answer
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Migration Advisory Committee.
Answer
Awaiting answer
