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: S6W-33160

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on maintenance and upgrades of the A90 in each of the last five years.

Over the last 5 financial years the following has been spent on the maintenance and improvement of the A90 trunk road.

2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24
£12,486,316	£20,673,965	£23,045,538	22,484,864	£21,571,032

The above figures exclude expenditure on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route / Balmedie to Tipperty section of the A90. The contract with the DBFO Company, Aberdeen Roads Limited (ARL) requires it to fulfil the contractual obligations in respect of maintenance at ARL’s own cost. These associated costs are not shared with Transport Scotland.

The Scottish Government also remains committed to delivering a new grade-separated junction on the A90 at Laurencekirk as part of the package of additional investment alongside the Aberdeen City Region Deal.

Transport Scotland has been taking forward the necessary design and assessment work, and the project is currently going through the statutory authorisation process, having recently published supplementary draft Orders for formal comment.

As with all infrastructure projects, delivery of the Laurencekirk scheme can only commence when the relevant statutory authorisation powers to do so have been secured. Following completion of the statutory authorisation process we will then be in a position to set a timetable for delivery of the scheme in line with available budgets.

In terms of spend for this scheme in the last five years we record £1,807,404.64

Question reference: S6W-33024

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an annual report on thefts from railways, detailing trends, financial impacts and mitigation measures.

Question reference: S6W-33019

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to involve local communities in efforts to reduce theft from railway stations and lines.

Question reference: S6W-32990

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports railway operators in introducing technologies, such as smart sensors or asset tagging, to prevent the theft of materials.

Question reference: S6W-33016

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with railway operators to explore innovative technologies for securing materials and equipment stored at railway depots.

Question reference: S6W-33025

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address theft from railway stations during operational hours.

Question reference: S6W-33531

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, on average, what percentage of surgeries currently performed at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary involve patients from rural areas.

Question reference: S6W-33114

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that there is an adequate number of justices of the peace to meet demand.

Question reference: S6W-33186

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what improvements have been made to lay-bys and rest areas on the A90 in the last five years.

The following improvements have been made to laybys adjacent to the A90 carriageway to improve the trunk road network in the last five years:

2020-21

A90 Glamis SB Layby 0309 – Concrete Plinth for HGVS

A90 South Tarbrax SB Layby 0309 Concrete Plinth for HGVs

A90 Layby improvement scheme which included resurfacing and vehicle deterrent on entry and exit tapers at -

Northbound	Southbound
Kinfauns	Longforgan
Glencarse	Prior to Inchture
Glendoick	Inchmartine Farm
North Lodge West	Glencarse
Inchmartine	Glendoick
Inchture	Prior to Friarton
Bullionfield	Longforgan

2021-22

A90 Spurryhillock Layby Embankment / Drainage – Drainage to stabilise the embankment and prevent slippage

A90 Dundee to Aberdeen Litter fences

Northbound	Southbound
All - New litter fences	All - New litter fences
Prior to Forfar	After Stoneheaven Rail Overpass
After Finavon	Prior to Fordoun
After Nether Carestone	Bogardo Exit
Castle of Fiddes	Oathlaw
Carron Water	Longforgan

2022-23

A90 Bogindollo Layby SB – 0309- New Litter Fence

2023-24

New Litter fences –

North of Kirriemuir Jct Layby NB
North of Kirriemuir Jct Layby SB
Fiddes Services Layby SB

Question reference: S6W-33136

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Lord Advocate on 22 September 2021 regarding diversion from prosecution, how many recorded police warnings were issued for possession of drugs for the three years (a) before and (b) after the statement, broken down by (i) type and (ii) class of drug involved, and what the impact has been on police time spent on dealing with people experiencing harmful substance use.