Douglas Lumsden

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve road safety at identified accident hotspots along the A90.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Road safety is of paramount importance to the Scottish Government. The safety performance of the trunk road network is assessed on an annual basis by screening all locations where three or more personal injury accidents have occurred in a three year period. A…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents of flooding have been recorded on the A90 over the last five years, and what measures have been taken to address this.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There has been approximately 175 flooding incidents recorded on the A90 between 1 Jan 2020 and 1 Jan 2025. Each flooding incident is assessed and appropriate action taken where required.Transport Scotland’s Approach to Climate Change Adaptation & Re…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many junctions along the A90 conform to current road safety design standards.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The A90 is a trunk road with considerable history having been periodically improved over the last 60 years to its current alignment and arrangement. The various improvements will have been designed in accordance with design standards that were in force at tha…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the maintenance priorities for the A90 over the last five years have been aligned with future infrastructure development plans.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Current best practice for the management of large infrastructure networks is set out in the international standard for the management of assets ISO 55001, which requires organisations to adopt a formal asset management approach. Transport Scotland is the firs…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it collaborates with local authorities to manage and maintain the sections of the A90 that pass through their jurisdictions.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Our Operating Companies hold regular meetings with neighbouring Local Authorities to share knowledge and consult on matters that will affect the operation of each road network. For example, road works, winter maintenance, major events and instance of severe w…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times sections of the A90 have been closed for maintenance in each of the last five years, and what the average duration of closure was.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The mainline of the A90 trunk road has been closed to facilitate road maintenance on 12 occasions over the following 5 full financial years:2019-20 - 02020-21 - 22021-22 - 02022-23 - 52023-24 - 5These closures took place overnight and averaged 13.5 hours per …

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS specialty training places are projected to be offered in the next five years.

Answer · Neil Gray: The allocation of medical specialty training places is made annually to ensure it meets the needs of the healthcare workforce, recognising that completion of specialty training can take a minimum of 3 to 8 years depending on the specialty. This process is ove…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS specialty training places have been available in each of the last 10 years, broken down by specialty.

Answer · Neil Gray: A copy of a table which shows how many NHS specialty training places have been available in each of the last 10 years, broken down by speciality, has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. Number 65598).

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it determines the number of NHS specialty training places offered annually.

Answer · Neil Gray: Recruitment to specialty training is undertaken on a UK-wide basis and managed by NES in Scotland. The number of posts advertised by NES each year is determined by two factors: (i) individuals who have vacated their post and whose posts are therefore availabl…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS specialty training places were unfilled in each of the last 10 years, and what steps it is taking to address unfilled places.

Answer · Neil Gray: The table referred to in PQ S6W-33144 on 21 January 2025, which is held in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (BIB number 65598), gives a breakdown of the numbers of specialty posts available for recruitment and vacancies after recruitment for the pas…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many Foundation Year 2 doctors have returned to NHS specialty training after a break from service in each of the last five years.

Answer · Neil Gray: The data below shows that 1083 Foundation Year 2 doctors have returned to training in Scotland since 2020.YearJoined programme later than same calendar year2020330202134120222502023152202410*Total1083*In 2024, the number joining a training programme later was…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure the availability of specialty training places to accommodate all Foundation Year 2 doctors who wish to progress directly into NHS specialty training.

Answer · Neil Gray: The number of established training places in each specialty is determined by anticipated future demand and workforce need for consultants and General Practitioners rather than foundation programme numbers.While resident doctors are eligible to apply to specia…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the reported reduction in Foundation Year 2 doctors entering NHS specialty training in the last decade has impacted on the availability of medical professionals, broken down by specialty.

Answer · Neil Gray: There is no evidence to show that the reduction in Foundation Year 2 doctors entering specialty training has had an impact on the availability of medical professionals. Progression data from the General Medical Council shows that 90% of trainees have obtained…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the overall cost is of training Foundation Year 2 doctors.

Answer · Neil Gray: The overall cost of training Foundation Year 2 doctors from August 2023 to July 2024 was £56,590,177.

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the distribution of NHS specialty training places aligns with (a) regional and (b) rural healthcare needs.

Answer · Neil Gray: The distribution of doctors in training is managed by NHS Education for Scotland (NES). This has traditionally worked within a distribution model of 50:25:15:10 for the West, South East, North and East respectively.Aligning to Scottish Government commitments,…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of NHS specialty training places was filled in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Neil Gray: Details are as follows: 2024202320222021202020192018201720162015PostsAdvertised1195122411491108107411311154120412821053PostsFilled1132115010681039103010429809681001976Fill Rate95%94%93%94%96%92%85%80%78%83%

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the reported trend in Scotland of Foundation Year 2 doctors delaying NHS specialty training compares with the rest of the UK, and what its response is to the findings of this comparison.

Answer · Neil Gray: UK data from the General Medical Council (GMC) shows that the reported trend of Foundation Year 2 doctors delaying NHS specialty training in Scotland is similar to the trend in the UK as a whole. There are a number of possible (and complex) explanations for t…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the reasons for the reported reduction in Foundation Year 2 doctors proceeding directly into NHS specialty training over the last decade.

Answer · Neil Gray: Progression data from the General Medical Council shows that 90% of trainees have obtained a specialty training post in the UK within three years of completing the Foundation Programme. It is likely that overall numbers taking up a specialty training place fo…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what review it has carried out of the adequacy of NHS specialty training places available to meet future workforce demands.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Shape of Training Transition Group undertakes an annual review of medical training establishments and makes recommendations to Scottish Ministers on the need to create additional training places in order to meet increased demand and future antici…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of Foundation Year 2 doctors who applied for NHS specialty training in each of last 10 years was offered a place.

Answer · Neil Gray: While exact data on the percentage of Foundation Year 2 doctors who applied for NHS specialty training who were offered a place is not available, the General Medical Council education data tool shows the proportion of doctors in training each year following c…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to expand the number of NHS specialty training places available, particularly in specialties that have high demand.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Shape of Training Transition Group undertakes an annual review of medical training establishments (the number of established training places in each specialty) and makes subsequent recommendations to Scottish Ministers around the need to expand i…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many vehicles that it owns are based in (a) Aberdeen and (b) the North East Scotland region.

Answer · Ivan McKee: Details are provided in the following table.LocationNumber of vehiclesAberdeen20Buckie1Elgin2Fraserburgh2Inverurie6Peterhead2

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the costs associated with maintaining and updating registers held by Registers of Scotland, and whether these are expected to change in the future.

Answer · Ivan McKee: Registers of Scotland is a non-Ministerial Public Body answerable to the Scottish Parliament.The work of the Registers of Scotland is demand led, depending on the volume of activity in the housing market. RoS is continuously working to improve its efficiency …

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what projects being considered for Transport Scotland funding are expected to have the largest economic impact.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-33099 on 22 January 2025. 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-an…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many serving justices of the peace there are, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Angela Constance: Justices of the Peace are appointed to sheriffdoms not local authorities. The current number of serving Justices of the Peace broken down by sheriffdom is as follows:SHERIFFDOMNUMBER OF JUSTICESGLASGOW & STRATHKELVIN20GRAMPIAN, HIGHLAND & ISLANDS46LOT…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support and training is provided to justices of the peace to ensure consistency in their decision-making.

Answer · Angela Constance: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what current projects being funded by Transport Scotland are projected to have the largest economic impact in the future.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-33099 on 22 January 2025. 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-an…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the Transport Scotland budget over the last five years has been allocated to projects with a primary focus on economic development.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: All transport expenditure supports economic activity and development. This ranges from the maintenance and enhancement of the road, rail, air and ferry networks and our bridges, the impact of our sustainable travel and low carbon schemes, the support for publ…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to increase the availability of (a) bicycles and (b) other sustainable transport options for its staff.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government does not currently plan to increase the availability of bicycles for use by staff. We do not have any plans to increase the availability of other sustainable transport options.  Our staff already have access to cycle mileage expen…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what types of vehicles are included in its fleet, and what proportion of these are (a) electric and (b) hybrid.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government vehicle fleet, broken down by vehicle and fuel type, is provided in the following table.Vehicle typeElectric (EV)Plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV)Range extender electric (REV)DieselTotalCar489500143Light Commercial2633041Heavy Goods00033