Mike Rumbles

27 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is a legal requirement to keep navigable canals open.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Section 105 of the Transport Act 1968 sets out the duty of the British Waterways Board, now operating as Scottish Canals, regarding maintenance of the waterways. This provision states that, with a view to securing their availability for public use, Scottish C…

27 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with local businesses, organisations and community groups that may be impacted by the current closure of part of the Forth and Clyde Canal, and what information it has received in response.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Transport Scotland officials have met with local organisations and community groups including Keep the Canals Alive to discuss these issues. Officials also met with representatives from local authorities including East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, Falkirk and Wes…

5 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out studies on the impact on the (a) environment and (b) health and safety of staff of waste from on-board train toilets being dispersed onto rail tracks.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This is not work which the Scottish Government has undertaken. Network Rail as the track infrastructure operator must meet the environmental regulations in place and overseen by Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) .

5 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what volume of waste it estimates is dispersed onto rail tracks from on-board train toilets each year.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held by the Scottish Government. Network Rail owns and operates the rail infrastructure in Scotland.

5 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many trains in operation under public service contracts in each of the last 10 years have had toilets that disperse waste onto the rail tracks.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government do not hold this information. However all of the current fleet of around 300 trains with toilets, which are leased by Abellio ScotRail (ASR), have had tanks fitted to retain waste since the end of 2017. The fleet of 26 upgraded High S…

5 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) Network Rail and (b) ScotRail staff that work on or in the proximity of rail tracks are given training and protective gear and equipment to deal with waste from on-board toilets and, if so, (i) whether it will provide details of the training and equipment provided and (ii) wh…

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government do not hold this information. ScotRail and Network Rail has a statutory duty, overseen by the Railway Safety Regulator (the ORR), to ensure that their staff are given adequate information, training and equipment to mitigate risks to th…

5 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it took prior to concerns being reported on 29 October 2018 to reduce the amount of waste from on-board train toilets being dispersed onto rail tracks, and what further action it plans to take in response to these concerns.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government funded the fitment of retention tanks to 48 class 156 trains in 2016-17 and has specified that they are in place for all permanent train fleets as part of the ScotRail franchise contract. I challenged Wabtec, who are responsible for th…

5 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to end or significantly reduce the practice of on-board train toilets dispersing waste onto rail tracks and, if so, by (a) how much and (b) what date.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has directly funded previous installation programmes to eradicate this practice across ScotRail fleets. We understand this interim measure is regrettable, but necessary to support more services and jobs across the country while retaini…

5 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the level of training, protective gear and equipment given to staff to deal with waste that is dispersed onto rail tracks from on-board train toilets is adequate.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-19758 on 15 November 2018. 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/parliamentarybusine…

2 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which minister (a) was responsible for producing and (b) signed-off the original contract for the construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR).

Answer · Michael Matheson: Subject to the resolution of the legal challenges to the statutory processes for the scheme, Ministers indicated that the AWPR/B-T project would be progressed as a “non-profit distributing” (NPD) contract in the 2011 Infrastructure Investment Plan,. Followin…

31 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) concrete supports at Dyce are being dug out and replaced.

Answer · Michael Matheson: No concrete supports are being dug out and replaced as part of works on this project. On the River Don Bridge minor defects were identified in a localised area while post-tensioning a small number of concrete panels. These have subsequently proved to be more …

29 Oct 2018 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in light of ScotRail's performance falling to its lowest level since the current franchise began.

24 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the bridge carrying the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) over the River Don is presently in need of repair.

Answer · Michael Matheson: As I outlined in my statement to Parliament on 1 November 2018, during the rigorous quality control processes used on this project minor defects were identified on the River Don Bridge while post-tensioning a small number of concrete panels. These have subseq…

23 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-19038 by Christina McKelvie on 15 October 2018, what funding programmes are available to Abused Men in Scotland to support its work.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: Our main fund for services supporting victims of domestic abuse, Equally Safe Violence Against Women and Girls, is fully committed up until 2020. Abused Men In Scotland (AMIS) did not make an application to Equally Safe Violence Against Women and Girls fund i…

23 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-19038 by Christina McKelvie on 15 October 2018, whether Abused Men in Scotland has requested or applied for funding from it in each of the last two years and, if so, whether it will confirm how it responded and the reason for doing so.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: Abused Men In Scotland (AMIS) applied to the Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund for 2016-2017. Their application was received outwith the deadline for receipt and so it was not considered, which is standard practice for all late applications. This was commu…

23 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-19038 by Christina McKelvie on 15 October 2018, what funding it has allocated in each of the last two years to organisations that support (a) male and (b) female victims of domestic violence or abuse.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government recognises that all victims and survivors of domestic abuse deserve access to support. Funding for domestic abuse services includes support for services who work with male victims. Over 2017 to 2020, these include nearly £85,000 to ru…

23 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-19038 by Christina McKelvie on 15 October 2018, what its position is on providing financial support to charities that support male victims of domestic violence or abuse.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: Charities providing support to male victims of domestic violence or abuse are welcome to apply to the next round of funding for Equally Safe Violence Against Women and Girls Fund in 2020. By including domestic abuse in its definition of violence against wome…

1 Oct 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to continue the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme beyond 2019 and, if so, for what period, and whether grants under the scheme will be of similar financial value to those currently available to eligible farm businesses.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: LFASS is vital for our rural economy and remote communities throughout Scotland, providing support to over 11,000 farmers and crofters, which is why I have decided to continue with the scheme in 2019 even though the UK Government has stopped its support. With…

1 Oct 2018 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail and Police Scotland regarding arrangements for the League Cup semi-finals.

25 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much resurfacing work is required on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), and whether this will delay the opening of the road to traffic.

Answer · Michael Matheson: As part of the robust quality management system on AWPR, a number of minor defects have been identified in the surfacing. This is not unusual in projects of this nature and the repairs will be undertaken by the contractor at no cost to the public purse. Keith…

25 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to (a) Scottish Women’s Aid and (b) Abused Men in Scotland since April 2018.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government has provided funding of nearly £500,000 to Scottish Women’s Aid since April 2018. We do not fund Abused Men in Scotland.

19 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the appointment of a former SEPA compliance officer to the post of director of sustainability at the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Individuals have the right to seek new employment. It is for SEPA to agree what measures may be appropriate to manage the transition to a new employer, within the terms of the individual’s contract, where the move is to a regulated business or an organisation…

19 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the effectiveness of the powers that SEPA has to available to warn, censure and penalise polluters and other environmental offenders.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: SEPA has a range of powers including statutory notices, final warning letters and the option of referral to the Procurator Fiscal in the most significant cases. Since 2016, SEPA has been implementing new powers which include monetary penalties and enforcement…

19 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns regarding the recruitment of former regulators into industry, and what action it takes and contractual arrangements it has in place to prevent (a) conflicts of interest arising and (b) the new employers being given an unfair advantage from hiring…

Answer · Derek Mackay: Individuals have the right to seek new employment. It is the responsibility of the individual public body to establish what measures may be appropriate to manage the transition to a new employer, within the terms of the individual’s contract where the move is…

11 Sep 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the environment secretary last met representatives of Montrose Port Authority, and when she next plans to meet the authority.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I met officials from Angus Council, The Montrose Golf Club and the Montrose Port Authority in August 2017. This gave me the opportunity to listen to their concerns. Since then Angus Council has commissioned a flood study for Montrose to identify options to m…

4 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of a number of recent road accidents on a stretch of the A90/Newtonhill junction, involving vehicles leaving the carriageway and colliding with roadside ornaments, what action is it taking to prevent future accidents and the possible injury or death of road users.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Road safety is of paramount importance to the Scottish Government. The A90 at Newtonhill has been considered in our recent annual assessment of trunk road safety performance and has not been identified as an area for further investigation. There has been one …

27 Aug 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of information provided by SPICe that NHS Grampian has received the lowest share of public funding of any NHS board for each of the last nine years, how the new health secretary plans to reimburse NHS Grampian for a funding shortfall totalling £165.6 million over that period.

20 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06432 by Humza Yousaf on 1 February 2017, whether it will prove a breakdown of the elements of the CaSL measures that are not captured within PPM, and what indicators of this performance are not available to rail users because of this.

Answer · Michael Matheson: All the elements of the CaSL measure, are captured within the PPM measure.  

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what statistics are published regarding (a) cancellations and (b) significant lateness by ScotRail services and how this compares to other rail operators.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Office of Rail Regulation publishes the CaSL data for ScotRail’s services on its Data Portal, which can be found at this URL: http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/browsereports/3 Specific information for ScotRail can be found in Table 3.18, and data comparing …

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06432 by Humza Yousaf on 1 February 2017, in which railway control period the PPM was introduced; what preceded it, and what changes have been made since its introduction.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Public Performance Measure (“PPM”) is a composite measurement which combines punctuality and reliability. The former Strategic Rail Authority introduced the PPM measure in 2000, during the second rail Control Period. By-period measurements for the Scottis…