Chamber and committees

This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26620 on 25 April 2024.

Scottish Water has committed to publishing annual reports on progress against the improving urban waters routemap.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

SEPA's River Basin Management Plan for Scotland 2021-2027 (RBMP) sets out a range of actions aiming to improve the overall condition of Scotland’s water environment from 66% currently classified at good condition to 81% by 2027.

The Scottish Government supports SEPA to deliver the RMBP and invested almost £5m last year in the Water Environment Fund, a key element of the plan. Work continues this year providing access to rivers for migratory fish and restoring urban rivers providing benefits for biodiversity, climate change adaptation and flood management.

The most detailed and up to date classification information for all parameters is available in the water classification hub .

The two most common contributory factors for accidents within half-mile radius of A90 Toll of Birness junction between 1 January 2014 and 5 March 2024 junction include: 'Failed To Look Properly' (indicated for 55% of accidents) and 'Failed To Judge Other Person's Path or Speed' (indicated for 45% of accidents).

Contributory factors also included 'Careless/Reckless/In A Hurry' (27%), 'Loss Of Control' (27%), 'Poor Turn Or Manoeuvre' (18%), 'Slippery Road (due to weather)' (18%), ‘Swerved’ (9%), ‘Vehicle Blind Spot’ (9%) and ‘Other’ (9%).

Please note that more than one contributory factor can be attributed to an accident.

Licencing for offshore oil and gas is a matter reserved to UK Government. With regards to development of an international treaty, we are monitoring this as part of a wider programme of ongoing engagement with a range of organisations and stakeholders.

SEPA are in regular communication with Petroineos and their consultant Adler & Allen regarding the continued containment and monitoring of Glen Fruin, the Fruin Water, and its tributaries.

Officers from SEPA were on site week commencing 20th May and have confirmed that the ground investigation is progressing well, hand auger samples are largely complete and borehole sampling has begun. SEPA expect to receive the ground investigation report by late June but have requested an updated timeline from Petroineos to confirm this.

The First Minister emphasised his Government’s commitment to Scotland’s independence in his first call with the Prime Minister earlier this month. The Scottish Government stands ready to engage at any point with the UK Government to begin talks about the change to the Scottish Parliament’s powers to allow the Scottish people to choose their future.

As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

The Armed Forces Pension Scheme and benefits including the War Pension Scheme are wholly reserved to the UK Government and are assessed and administered by Veterans UK on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. The Scottish Government is therefore unable to intervene on those matters. Nevertheless, the Scottish Government has previously been made aware of people experiencing issues with their pensions and Scottish Ministers wrote to former Ministers for Defence People and Veterans at the Ministry of Defence in 2021 and 2022 highlighting this. I will raise this again at my next meeting with the UK Minister for Veterans Affairs.