Chamber and committees

Please see the following table which provides the costs of maintaining the 2297 streetlights on the A90.

Transport Scotland’s Ancillary Assets Scheme Development Guidance provides direction on the identification, development and assessment of potential lighting schemes to ensure that funding is spent on the most deserving sites that offer best value with a demonstrable maintenance need. The protocol requires our Operating Companies to develop a 3 year programme that details all planned maintenance works. The following table lists the current draft A90 lighting maintenance plans.

Transport Scotland officials oversee the work of our contractors. They collaborate across disciplines and contractual boundaries to ensure work is completed in the areas of most need and that it represents best value.

Officials are supported by the Performance Audit Group (PAG). PAG is employed by the Scottish Ministers to provide independent auditing of the Operating Companies’ performance to ensure that the requirements of the contract are met, that work is carried out to the required technical specification, and that financial valuations are correct.

Officials work in partnership with PAG to manage contract risks in accordance with Scottish Government policy. The most significant risks are transferred to Roads Directorate’s risk register for completeness.

Following the incident, ecological surveys were required before detailed structural investigations and repair works could begin. These identified protected species in the vicinity of the bridge and as such, repairs could not commence until further surveys were completed. These processes cannot be circumvented as they are a statutory requirement, and Transport Scotland must ensure compliance with legislation.

All civil service appointments are governed by the Civil Service Commission (Civil Service Commission (independent.gov.uk)) whose remit is to ensure that selections for appointment to the UK Civil Service are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. The Commission’s Recruitment Principles (paragraphs 44 – 48) explain that Permanent Secretary competitions are chaired by the First Civil Service Commissioner (or nominee), who will be responsible for ensuring that Ministers are fully involved in competitions in which they have an interest and that their views are relayed to the panel, and taken into account.

In the case of the appointment of the Scottish Government Permanent Secretary, the process is run by the Cabinet Office, with close co-operation from the Scottish Government People Director. The First Minister is consulted throughout the process and makes the final selection decision from the appointable candidates, in consultation with the Head of the Civil Service and the First Civil Service Commissioner. The recruitment process is currently underway and is expected to be concluded by the end of February 2025.

The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 introduced a national ban on pavement parking, double parking, and parking at dropped kerbs, which came into effect on 11 December 2023. Enforcement of these prohibitions is the responsibility of local authorities.

Transport Scotland collates the number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued annually, now including those for pavement parking. The most recent figures were published in December 2024 and can be accessed at the following link:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/decriminalised-parking-enforcement-dpe-report-2023-2024

Figures for the current year (2024-25) will be published in December 2025.

Current installation costs for both cat’s eyes and emergency telephones relate to commercially sensitive information that would be inappropriate to share. It could be argued by incumbent Operating Companies and DBFO Companies that disclosing this information could provide competitors with a pricing advantage in future similar tendering exercises

It is for individual Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to set levy rates and to decide if a cap should be applied. BIDs must clearly set out in their BID proposal documents who is liable for the levy, the amount of levy to be collected and how it is calculated.

NHS Boards are not required to inform the Scottish Government of the number of Golden Hello payments that made to GPs in each financial year. NHS Boards are responsible for all contractual arrangements with their GP practices. The Scottish Government does not routinely monitor these arrangements.

On appointment, all Ministers are offered media training options as part of their induction. Civil servants who may carry out media interviews in the course of their duties can request media training through the Scottish Government’s Communications Division. Courses are provided by Communications Division staff at no additional cost. Executive Agencies are responsible for their own training provision and information is not held centrally.