Parliamentary questions
Elaine Smith
1,153 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Sep 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether secondary legislation will be required in the UK Parliament to fully implement the provisions of the Railway Policing (Scotland) Act 2017.
Answer · Michael Matheson: As explained in the Policy Memorandum to the Railway Policing (Scotland) Act 2017, passage of that primary legislation by the Scottish Parliament now enables a substantial programme of work with key partners to deliver integration in practice. Key legislative…
28 Sep 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who the members are of each organisation represented on the Joint Programme Board overseeing implementation of the provisions of the Railway Policing (Scotland) Act 2017.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The members of each organisation represented on the Joint Programme Board overseeing implementation of the Railway Policing (Scotland) Act 2017 are: Department for Transport - Rail Strategy and Security Directorate: Dan Moore Scottish Government - Police Di…
28 Sep 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will provide an update to the Parliament on the merging of Police Scotland and the British Transport Police.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is working towards making a further report to the Parliament later this month.
21 Sep 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding trade union membership among (a) publicly- and (b) privately-owned ferry operators.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: CalMac Ferries Ltd recognises four trade unions for collective bargaining purposes, Nautilus International, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT), Unite and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA). Serco Northlink Ferries recognises Nauti…
21 Sep 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, what steps it takes to support greater partnership between employers and trade unions, including recognition agreements in the ferry industry.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government recognises the benefits to employees and to organisations of strong, effective and modern industrial relations. A progressive approach to industrial relations and to trade unionism is at the heart of a fairer, more successful society a…
19 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-10012 by Angela Constance on 18 July 2017, whether it will provide a breakdown of what specific action it is taking to address discrimination against Roman Catholics in response to the findings in the report; what outcomes it expects from this, and …
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Our ambition is to create cohesive, supportive and resilience communities where hate crime and prejudice is reduced and community cohesion is strengthened. In June, the Scottish Government set out a range of steps to tackle hate crime and prejudice in our act…
12 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether section 268(7) of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 should apply a combined total of a six-month period if a patient is changed from one order to another.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The position on when an application cannot be made under section 268 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 is set out in the legislation. In addition to the situation where the compulsory treatment order that authorises the patient’s d…
28 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the finding in the report, Religiously Aggravated Offending in Scotland 2016-17, that (a) 57% of all reported offences were directed at Roman Catholics and (b) there had been a 14% increase in offences.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government believes that there is no excuse for any form of hate crime. Scotland is a diverse multi-cultural society and this diversity is our strength. This Government is clear that there is absolutely no place for bigotry and prejudice in 21st…
28 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the decision to move the adult inpatient psychiatric ward at Monklands District General Hospital to Wishaw General Hospital was made by NHS Lanarkshire without a public consultation, and what its response is to reports that the decision was brought to the public’s attenti…
Answer · Shona Robison: The planning and provision of healthcare services is primarily for NHS Boards, in line with national standards, policies and frameworks. NHS Lanarkshire has confirmed that these operational changes will not change the current level of local service provision.…
28 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time has been for orthopaedic surgery in NHS Lanarkshire in each year since the Patient Rights Act (Scotland) 2011 came into force, also broken down by how many people waited longer than the 12-week waiting time guarantee.
Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is provided in the following table. Since the introduction of the treatment time guarantee on 1 October 2012 a total of 15,108 orthopaedic patients have received elective inpatient or day case treatment within the 12 weeks treatment …
5 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Abellio ScotRail is required to consult trade unions representing ScotRail staff when carrying out its commitment under Schedule 1.6, Part 1, reference 24.18 of the franchise agreement to train prisoners from Scotland.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Training for Scottish Prisoners is a Committed Obligation in the ScotRail Franchise Agreement, which was introduced by ScotRail in compliance with the specified date of 1 June, 2016 and is continuing to operate. As such, industrial relations issues, including…
5 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to ensure that work placements offered by Abellio ScotRail to newly released ex-offenders in Scotland, in line with the franchisee’s commitment under Schedule 1.6, Part 1, reference 24.18 of the current franchise agreement, are not used to fill pre-existing j…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: ScotRail is responsible for providing the specified services and all other functions necessary to support the delivery of train services required of an experienced train operator including operation of the train services, staffing levels, and the internal and…
5 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of Abellio ScotRail’s plan for meeting its commitment under Schedule 1.6, Part 1, reference 24.18 of the franchise agreement to train prisoners from Scotland, and whether it will provide copies of its recent correspondence with the franchisee regarding …
Answer · Humza Yousaf: ScotRail provide Transport Scotland with an update on progress with their Committed Obligations, including Committed Obligation 24.18 in their four weekly Franchise Performance Report. Transport Scotland also meet with ScotRail on a bi-annual basis to review …
5 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many visits to prisons in Scotland Abellio ScotRail officials have made since 1 June 2016, in line with its commitment under Schedule 1.6, Part 1, reference 24.18 of the franchise agreement to train prisoners from Scotland.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: For year 2016-2017 ScotRail completed the required visits to identify newly released ex-offenders who would be suitable for work placement, and who would be willing to undertake it. For year 2017-2018, two visits have been completed at Corton Vale prison, inc…
5 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many work placements have been offered by Abellio ScotRail to newly released ex-offenders in Scotland since 1 June 2016, in line with the franchisee’s commitment under Schedule 1.6, Part 1, reference 24.18 of the current franchise agreement, and how many of these work placements it e…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: For year 2016-2017 ScotRail completed the required visits to identify newly released ex-offenders who would be suitable for work placement, and who would be willing to undertake it. However, they were not successful in identifying suitable candidates. For yea…
30 May 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to strengthen relations between Scotland and Cuba.
18 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Network Rail regarding the possible exposure of (a) peak and (b) off-peak passenger rail services to increased (i) delays and (ii) cancellations from Network Rail’s changes to roster arrangements for overhead line maintenance and repair staff in the Porto…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Transport Scotland officials work with the regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, and Network Rail to ensure that matters impacting on the railway network`s performance are addressed and discussed on a regular basis.
18 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact Network Rail’s proposed changes to roster arrangements for overhead line maintenance and repair staff in the Portobello depot in Edinburgh will have on passenger rail services on (a) ScotRail routes and (b) the east coast main line.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-09329 on 31 May 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28…
18 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of Network Rail’s proposed changes to roster arrangements for overhead line maintenance and repair staff in the Portobello depot in Edinburgh, and what impact these changes will have on journey times for Network Rail staff in (a) Lanarkshire and (b) Glasgow in…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Network Rail is responsible for managing the delivery of its business, including the deployment of its staff and their operational arrangements and the Scottish Government has no direct role in this. However, Transport Scotland officials work with the regulat…
18 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents of overhead line failure there have been on the rail network in each year since 2014.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the specific number of incidents related to overhead line failure in each year since 2014.
18 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of Network Rail’s proposal to change roster arrangements for overhead line maintenance and repair staff based at the Portobello depot in Edinburgh from three shifts to two, and whether these changes will result in periods of the day when there will be reduced …
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-09329 on 31 May 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28…
18 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what Network Rail’s budget is for overhead line repair and maintenance in Scotland in each year of Control Period 5 (2014-19).
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Network Rail’s budget for overhead line repair and maintenance in Scotland is around £6 million in each year of Control Period five.
17 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to increase the number of staffed railway stations.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The levels of staff at ScotRail stations are a commercial matter for the Franchisee. The current Franchise Agreement ensured that from commencement of the contract on 1 April 2015, the number of staffed stations remained consistent with the previous ScotRail …
17 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of central belt ScotRail services arrived (a) on time and (b) within (i) one to two, (ii) two to three and (iii) three to four minutes of their booked time in each of the last eight reporting periods.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Performance of trains is reported according to the public-performance-measure (PPM), which reports the percentage of trains which arrive within five minutes of the timetabled arrival time. This is a sensible and balanced measure of punctuality; for example, i…
15 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the cost of the baby box project has risen to £35.3 million.
Answer · Mark McDonald: The Scottish Government is committed to providing a Baby Box of essential items to every newborn child and his or her family to help ensure they get the best possible start in life. We considered the views of parents in determining the contents for the initia…
15 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the competitive tender process for the baby box project was open to one candidate only.
Answer · Mark McDonald: The contract awarded to APS (Scotland) Group Ltd, takes the form of a call-off to the existing Publishing, Print, Design and Associated Services Scottish Government Procurement Framework. This is a single-supplier framework agreement to which APS Group (Sco…
15 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it cost to (a) develop and (b) run the trial of the baby box project in Clackmannanshire; what the cost was of each box, and how this compared with the initial estimate.
Answer · Mark McDonald: The cost for the pilot baby boxes was calculated as a total value contract for both Clackmannanshire and Orkney. Its upper value was £100,000 and the final cost of operating the pilot was £91,110.98 (excluding VAT). These costs included sourcing the box and …
12 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland has a duty to submit all evidence in its possession to the Procurator Fiscal Service prior to the fiscal's decision on whether to proceed with a case.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: There is an obligation on the police and other investigating agencies to submit all relevant information to the Crown to allow prosecutors to make the appropriate decision in a case. In the case Smith v HMA 1952 (JC) the court at pages 71 and 72 stated that …
12 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recourse is available to the public if they believe that the Procurator Fiscal Service has not considered all of the evidence when making a decision on whether to proceed with a case.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: The victim in a case reported to COPFS has a right to ask for a review of a prosecutor’s decision not to take action in a case, under the Lord Advocate’s Rules: Review of a Decision not to Prosecute, made under section 4 of the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland…
12 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Procurator Fiscal Service making a decison on whether to proceed with a case without considering all of the evidence.
Answer · James Wolffe QC: The Prosecution Code sets out the criteria for decision making in cases reported to COPFS. The Prosecution Code is published on the COPFS website at: http://www.crownoffice.gov.uk/images/Documents/Prosecution_Policy_Guidance/Prosecution20Code20_Final20180412…