Douglas Lumsden

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that international development funding is targeted at what it considers are the most effective projects it is invoved with in (a) Malawi, (b) Rwanda and (c) Zambia.

Answer · Angus Robertson: All overseas development assistance provided by the Scottish Government is guided by a rigorous process to ensure complete transparency and accountability focused on areas of need where Scotland’s aid can make an impact.Following a review in 2021, and i…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the impact of closing some international offices on Scotland’s ability to promote exports and attract investment.

Answer · Angus Robertson: No, we have not assessed the impact of closing some international offices on Scotland’s ability to promote exports and attract investment.The Scottish Government’s international network delivers tangible benefits to our people, businesses and inst…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there have been reported above-inflation increases in the budgets for most of its international offices at a time of reductions in the budget of some domestic services.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The increase in budget for our international network of 2.0% overall is primarily to fulfil the pay agreement applied across the Scottish Government. In most cases, programme budgets to deliver events and undertake outreach work were static or slightly reduce…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost-effectiveness of maintaining its network of international offices.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government’s international network delivers tangible benefits to our people, businesses and organisations, including higher education institutions and those in the cultural and creative sectors. From attracting overseas investment and growi…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to determine the budgets for its international offices.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The majority of the budget for each office in the international network is staffing costs. This comprises both Scottish Government civil servants posted on diplomatic assignment, and country-based staff employed by FCDO on terms appropriate for the local labo…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will measure the return on investment from its £27.5 million international and European relations budget for 2025-26.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The international and European relations budget principally comprises the International Development Fund, the budget lines for the international network offices, an advice and policy budget which includes operational costs for the Directorate for Culture and …

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the international and European relations budget for 2025-26 is allocated to each of its nine international offices.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The budget allocated to each of Scottish Government’s nine international offices is published in the Level 4 budget tables for the draft Scottish Budget 2025-26, and these figures are available at the following URL:https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role its international offices play in supporting Scotland’s export industry, and how this is measured.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government international network offices complement the work of trade specialists in Scottish Development International (SDI) in supporting Scotland’s export industries, as well as working alongside UK officials in the Foreign, Commonwealth…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what specific benefits have been delivered by its international office in Paris in the last year.

Answer · Angus Robertson: In 2024, the Scottish Government France Office continued to take forward the objectives of the Scottish Government’s International Strategy [Scotland's International Strategy - gov.scot] in bringing benefits to Scotland under our key themes of Economy, …

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that spending on international offices is (a) transparent and (b) accountable to taxpayers.

Answer · Angus Robertson: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32606 on 14 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-and-committe…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the effectiveness of the £1.73 billion in forecast export sales supported by its international offices is independently verified.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The £1.73 bn forecast export sales relates to details provided by Scottish Enterprise (SE) in the results against key performance measures section of its 2023-24 annual report. The figure is based on accumulated evidenced export sales forecasts directly…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how its international offices collaborate with UK embassies and High Commissions to promote Scotland’s interests abroad.

Answer · Angus Robertson: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32614 on 14 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-and-committe…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what projects were funded by the £12.8 million international development fund in the last year.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The budget for the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund was set in the Budget (Scotland) Act 2024 at £11.5 million for financial year 2024-25. The settlement of £12.8 million, as published on 4 December in the Scottish Budget…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what safety measures are in place to ensure the continued operation of older diesel trains, including High Speed Trains (HSTs).

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The ScotRail HSTs fleet is safe, and will continue to remain safe; this has been validated by an independent review of the HSTs’ design and construction, and endorsed by the industry safety regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.Operational safety is a …

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide financial support to manufacturers to develop decarbonisation technologies for Scotland’s railways.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Rail Cluster Builder is a specific example of Scottish Government supporting manufacturers to develop decarbonisation technologies. Funded by Scottish Enterprise, Transport Scotland and Skills Development Scotland, the Rail Cluster Builder Phase 2 is a th…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to engage with any communities impacted by railway electrification projects.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Consultation for railway electrification projects with affected communities is undertaken by Network Rail as the infrastructure owner and operator, and by ScotRail as the provider of services.

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the cost-effectiveness of continuing subsidies for ScotRail under the current operating model.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32583 on 14 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…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of Scotland's railway rolling stock it anticipates will still rely on diesel by (a) 2035 and (b) 2040.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Details of decarbonisation of the Scottish rail network will be outlined in the refreshed Decarbonisation Action Plan.

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the current subsidy per passenger is for ScotRail services, and how this compares with other rail operators in the UK.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The final subsidy for ScotRail for the financial year 2024-25 will be known when the accounts for this year have been finalised and published. Subsidy provided to other train operating companies is a matter for the UK Department for Transport, Transport for L…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how any delays to the decarbonisation of the railway network will affect passenger fares over the next decade.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There is no direct link between infrastructure upgrades and passenger fares.

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the long-term viability of the Caledonian Sleeper as a public service obligation.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Caledonian Sleeper services make a significant positive contribution to Scotland’s businesses, economy, communities and tourist offer, providing vital, low carbon connections to and from London. Demand for Caledonian Sleeper services continues to gr…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average ticket price currently is for passengers on Caledonian Sleeper services, and how this compares with the average subsidy per passenger.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The final passenger revenue and subsidy for Caledonian Sleeper for the financial year 2024-25 will be known when the accounts for this year have been finalised and published. The Office for Rail and Road publishes passenger numbers on its website.

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure that rail decarbonisation efforts support local supply chains and employment.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Decarbonisation infrastructure works are undertaken by Network Rail, who owns and maintains Scotland’s rail network infrastructure. Network Rail is major employer in Scotland, as are many of its supply chain partners. As recently at October 2024, Networ…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many passengers have used the Caledonian Sleeper in each of the last five years, and what the corresponding subsidy per passenger was.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Information on passenger numbers is publicly available on the website of the Office of Rail and Road.The subsidy for rail services has been published in TS accounts. This can be found here: Annual Accounts | Transport Scotland

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the reported decision to delay the decarbonisation of the railway network will impact Scotland’s wider climate targets for 2045.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Rail is already a very low carbon form of transport for passengers and freight, accounting for in the region of 1.2% of all transport emissions in Scotland.Therefore the principal contribution of rail to decarbonisation is secured through modal shift to rail …

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has consulted with (a) unions and (b) industry stakeholders regarding the reported delayed timeline for the decarbonisation of the railway network.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I meet with Trade Union representatives on a regular basis to discuss all matters pertaining to Scotland’s Railway, including investment plans.

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that public subsidies to ScotRail are delivering value for money for taxpayers.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Transport Scotland is working closely with Scottish Rail Holdings, who is responsible for overseeing ScotRail, to ensure that ScotRail services are delivered efficiently. This includes discussions on the regular monitoring of ScotRail financial performance an…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted a cost-benefit analysis of hybrid trains as an interim solution to the decarbonisation of the railway network.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: An individual business case, including socio-economic analysis, is prepared for each route being considered for decarbonisation. These business cases include technical and economic examinations of the case for of different types of rail traction including bi-…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the total annual subsidy provided to ScotRail has been in each of the last five years.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The subsidy for rail services has been published in Transport Scotland accounts. These can be found here: Annual Accounts | Transport Scotland

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered alternative funding models for the Caledonian Sleeper to reduce any reliance on public subsidies.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Caledonian Sleeper services are funded through a combination of passenger revenue and Scottish Government subsidy. This was true when operated by Serco and remains true under public ownership. There are no plans to change that funding model.