Parliamentary questions
Douglas Lumsden
1,891 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to decarbonise the rail network between Aberdeen and the Central Belt.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: No date has been set for the decarbonisation of the lines between Aberdeen and Edinburgh, and Aberdeen and the electrified network at Dunblane. However, in line with the Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan, these routes are under consideration for future decarbo…
1 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the participatory budgeting awards from the Just Transition Fund for the north east and Moray on a just transition.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government works closely with the north east Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Fund partners who co-ordinate and deliver the fund. Officials carry out mid and end of year reviews to ensure the effective management of the fund and the princi…
1 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the ScotRail consultation on alcohol on trains will be completed, and when a decision will be made on reallowing alcohol at certain times.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6F-02532 on 16 November 2023. Which can be found at Meeting of the Parliament: 16/11/2023 | Scottish Parliament Website
31 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken an analysis of the total (scope 1, 2 and 3) carbon cost of replacing fossil fuel boilers in Scotland with air source heat pumps and heat networks.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: We monitor the operational carbon caused both directly and indirectly by the polluting heating systems used in the majority of Scotland’s buildings via the Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics ( Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)…
31 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, for what reason it decided to define a "clean heating system" as one that produces zero direct emissions, as opposed to a system that can deliver net zero emissions, such as BioLPG- and rDME-powered boilers.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The purpose of our proposals, as set out in our consultation for a Heat in Buildings Bill, is to regulate greenhouse gas emissions associated with heating buildings. We focus on direct emissions to ensure responsibility for eliminating emissions is allocated …
31 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding properties that cannot reasonably be retrofitted to allow for a heat pump to work efficiently, what decarbonised options will be available to (a) such properties in general and (b) the estimated 40,000 of the 170,000 off-grid homes in Scotland that are not suitable for a heat …
Answer · Patrick Harvie: Our Heat in Buildings Strategy recognises that different buildings will require different clean heat solutions and that some properties may have fewer technology options available as a result of location and property type, impact on the fabric of historic bui…
31 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted an analysis to determine the number of properties that are off the gas grid that it anticipates will switch to a heat network.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: In April 2022, the Scottish Government published the First National Assessment of Potential Heat Network Zones which identified and characterised potential heat network opportunities across Scotland. This independent analysis found that up to 340,000 homes a…
31 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its methodology for its estimate that around 40,000 of the 170,000 off-grid homes in Scotland are not suitable for a heat pump.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: In 2020 we commissioned Element Energy to assess the technical feasibility of Scotland's housing stock for low carbon heating. It produced a comprehensive set of housing archetypes considering characteristics such as property type, size, age, levels of insula…
25 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, of the 114,869 premises to be connected under the R100 scheme, how many will be connected with gigabit-capable broadband.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Of the 114,869 premises currently expected to be connected through the R100 contracts, only 1,600 will be connected through Fibre To The Cabinet broadband. The remaining 113,269 will be connected with Fibre To The Premises which is a gigabit-capable technolog…
25 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, of the 36,100 premises that have been connected under the R100 scheme to date, how many are gigabit-capable.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Of the 36,100 premises connected so far through the R100 contracts, 1,600 have been connected through Fibre To The Cabinet broadband which can provide a minimum of a superfast service. The remaining 34,500 connections have been delivered utilising Fibre To Th…
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of ScotRail’s digital tickets have been sold by (a) ScotRail and (b) third-party retailers in each year since 2020.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This is an operational matter for ScotRail and the previous Franchisee, Abellio ScotRail prior to 1 April 2022. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail, who might have the informatio…
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of rail tickets have been sold (a) onboard trains, (b) at railway stations and (c) digitally in each year since 2020.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This is an operational matter for ScotRail and the previous Franchisee, Abellio ScotRail prior to 1 April 2022. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail, who might have the informatio…
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of rail passengers have bought rail tickets (a) in person and (b) digitally in each year since 2020.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This is an operational matter for ScotRail and the previous Franchisee, Abellio ScotRail prior to 1 April 2022. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail, who might have the informatio…
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) highest and (b) lowest performing ScotRail route currently is in terms of passenger numbers annually.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Whilst this is an operational matter for ScotRail as the service provider, the Member might wish to note that Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes information on the most frequented stations on its website: Regional rail usage | ORR Data Portal Also, Sco…
17 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of rail fares have not been paid in each year since 2020, and what action it is taking to tackle this.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Whilst this is an operational matter for ScotRail and the previous Franchisee, Abellio ScotRail prior to 1 April 2022, ScotRail advises that, as part of the Grant Agreement, ScotRail conducts an annual survey of ticketless travel. The fieldwork for the most r…
15 Jan 2024 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what percentage of the premises contracted for delivery of superfast broadband under the R100 scheme have still to be connected.
10 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the premises contracted for delivery of superfast broadband under the R100 scheme have still to be connected.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: All homes and businesses across Scotland can currently access a superfast broadband service. The R100 contracts are going beyond that by extending access to gigabit-capable broadband – over 30 times faster than our original commitment. The contracts remain o…
9 Jan 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated in its Budget for 2024-25 for Changing Places toilets.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government knows that Changing Places Toilets make a real difference to disabled people and their families. We are committed to investing in Changing Places Toilets during this parliamentary term, in order to increase the provision of these funda…
19 Dec 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the total cost to date of its Building a New Scotland series of papers.
19 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £200 million that it committed to improve rail journey times between Aberdeen and the Central Belt by 2026 has been included in the Scottish Budget for 2024-25.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Specific allocations for the Rail Enhancement programmes and projects in 2024-25 continue to be considered. The 2024-25 budget allocation for the Aberdeen – Central Belt Journey Time Improvement Project will be made in the coming months before the end of the …
19 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £200 million that it committed to improve rail journey times between Aberdeen and the Central Belt by 2026 has been spent to date.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Over the next five-year investment period, the Scottish Government has committed to invest £4.2 billion in the Scottish rail infrastructure in line with our High-Level Output Specification. The total invested to 9th December 2023 on projects to reduce journe…
15 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when its ministers were first made aware of reported concerns raised by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency regarding aspects of the design of MV Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa in relation to escape routes.
Answer · Neil Gray: Ongoing engagement with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency(MCA) is standard practice with all shipbuilders. Officials notified ministers on 28 June 2023 that changes might be required to aspects of the original design of upper deck escape routes on vessel 80…
12 Dec 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the previously ring-fenced £33 million of funding allocated to the agriculture sector as a result of the Bew Review will be returned to its budget for the portfolio covering agriculture.
6 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of all grants that are currently available for the installation of heat humps in private homes.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: All domestic owner occupied householders in Scotland are eligible for the Home Energy Scotland grant and loan scheme, which offers householders up to £7,500 of grant funding for the installation of a heat pump or £9,000 for households which qualify for the ru…
6 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many heat engineer apprenticeships were available in the current financial year.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) are funded through Skills Development Scotland (SDS) via a competitive procurement process, with contracts issued to successful bidders on an annual basis. SDS contract with a wide range of providers for the delivery of MAs includ…
6 Dec 2023 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for ambulances in north east Scotland.
4 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) injury and (b) non-injury road accidents on the A90 north of Aberdeen have been reported in each quarter since 1 April 2021.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There have been 28 personal injury accidents on the A90 north of Aberdeen from where the A944 intersects with the A90 to where the A90 meets the A98 in Fraserburgh since 1 April 2021 . Year Quarter Date Range Number of Personal Injury Accidents 2021 2 …
4 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) injury and (b) non-injury road accidents on the A90 between Dundee and Stonehaven have been reported in each quarter since 1 April 2021.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There have been 49 personal injury accidents on the A90 between Dundee (Emmock Roundabout) and Stonehaven, where Slug Road crosses the A90 since 1 April 2021. Information on non-injury accidents is not held by the Scottish Ministers Year Quarter Date Rang…
4 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) injury and (b) non-injury road accidents on the A90 between Stonehaven and Aberdeen have been reported in each quarter since 1 April 2021.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There have been 2 personal injury accidents on the A90 between Stonehaven, where Slug Road crosses the A90, and Aberdeen, where Skene road (A944) intersects with the A90 since 1 April 2021. Information on non-injury accidents is not held by the Scottish Mini…
4 Dec 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been killed in road accidents on the A90 between Dundee and Stonehaven in each quarter since 1 April 2021.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There has been 1 fatality as a result of road accidents on the A90 between Dundee (Emmock Roundabout) to Stonehaven, where Slug Road crosses the A90 since 1 April 2021. Year Quarter Date Range Fatal Casualties 2021 2 01-04-2021 to 30-06-2021 0 3 01-…