Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-22038

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has updated the estimate set out in its consultation paper, Investing in and paying for your water services from 2021, that "between 10-15% of households pay more than 3% of net household income after housing costs on water charges", and, if so, what the revised figure is.

Question reference: S5W-21792

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government which projects were taken forward by the ScotRail Alliance during Control Period 5, and whether it will set out the spend and approval, start and completion dates for each.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-21791 on 13 March 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

The funding for Network Rail is planned and regulated by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and projects included in the ORR’s final determination for CP5 can be accessed via the following links:-

Scottish projects can be found on page 343 of the Control Period 5 Determination:https://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/452/pr13-final-determination.pdf .

In addition details on Scottish projects can be found in Network Rail’s Enhancement Delivery plan: https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/EDP-December-2018.pdf .

Question reference: S5W-21787

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many train delays and cancellations have been caused by failing axle counters at Craigendoran in each year from April 2017 to date.

Question reference: S5W-21794

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when the ScotRail Alliance will replace the axle counters at Craigendoran.

Question reference: S5W-21791

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what funding was available to the ScotRail Alliance during Control Period 5.

The ScotRail Alliance enables Abellio ScotRail and Network Rail to work together to deliver against their respective remits.

Abellio ScotRail, through their contract with Scottish Ministers have been allocated £1.5 billion in Control Period 5 (2014-2019).

Network Rail is regulated by the Office of Rail and Road and Scottish Ministers have invested £2.1bn via direct grant paid to Network Rail. They also have access to £3.3bn of public borrowing.

Question reference: S5W-21793

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been "quick spend" by the ScotRail Alliance in the last six months as a result of underspends during Control Period 5, and, if so, what these projects are and their value.

Towards the end of Control Period 5 an underspend was identified by Network Rail. This has largely been re-invested in a number of projects across Scotland for the benefit of passengers, freight users and communities. Examples of expenditure in the last six months include:

accessible lifts and footbridges on the Shotts line, value circa £9m
South facing connection to the proposed Blackford freight facility, value circa £8.5m
car park resurfacing at various sites across the network, value circa £3.5m.
Boundary fencing renewals at high risk locations across the network, value circa £2m.

The full level of the underspend will not be known until the end of this financial year, which coincides with the end of Control Period 5. It will be dealt with through normal Government processes.

Question reference: S5W-21876

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 12 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether any members of the national implementation group for the loneliness strategy have a learning disability, and, if not, whether it will ensure that such a person is appointed to the group.

The Scottish Government is not aware of whether or not any member of the implementation group has a learning disability.

Our work to address social isolation and loneliness will consider the needs of a range of groups including people with learning disabilities. The recently published national strategy for tackling social isolation and loneliness A Connected Scotland links to the updated Keys to Life strategy for people with learning disabilities, which is driving forward work to ensure that they live healthier lives, have choice and control over the services they use, and are supported to be independent and active citizens.

Our implementation group includes a range of third sector and public bodies as well as COSLA who will be looking closely at the issues and seeking to drive forward progress in an inclusive fashion. We are committed to engaging with a wide range of stakeholders – including learning disability organisations such as LDAS - who have an interest in this work, and we will work closely with the implementation group to develop our plans in this area.

Question reference: S5W-21612

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 11 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have received the drug, Orkambi, through the Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) since the announcement in December 2018 that the drug would be appraised by the Scottish Medicines Consortium.

Question reference: S5W-21877

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 11 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will organise and fund a social care recruitment campaign.

Question reference: S5W-21790

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the current pay claim by lecturers is in keeping with the current public sector pay policy and, if not, how it differs.