Graham Simpson

23 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the future value of sustainable aviation fuel in Scotland.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16183 on 5 April 2023. 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-committees…

23 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that sustainable aviation producers choose Scotland, over the EU or the United Sates, to develop the future of aviation fuels.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is committed to publishing an aviation strategy. Our public consultation document on developing the strategy noted that sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) were most likely to deliver the biggest reductions in lifecycle emissions for avia…

21 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of ScotRail staff have received (a) first aid, (b) CPR and (c) defibrillator training.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: a) At ScotRail, First Aid requirements are assessed on a First Aid Needs Assessment that aligns with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance. This has highlighted the importance of engineering locations due to the level of risk of employee injury and likel…

9 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards achieving its commitment to roll out its national strategy for expanding 20 mph zones, as announced in its Programme for Government 2022-23.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: A multi-stakeholder task group has been established to progress the most effective route for implementation of the strategy. As well as a subgroup of experts to investigate and a define place criteria for roads that are appropriate for 20 mph speed limits. R…

9 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much compensation ScotRail has paid as part of its Delay Repay scheme since January 2022, broken down by month.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Abellio ScotRail was responsible for Delay Repay payments between January 2022 and March 2022. From 1 April 2022, ScotRail Trains Limited is responsible for considering and settling all new compensation claims. It is published on the ScotRail website here: …

9 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Network Rail regarding the use of any spare capacity on passenger trains to freight goods into Scotland's cities.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: There has been no recent discussions with Network Rail on this specific point. Rather discussions have focussed on futureproofing stations for potential dedicated express logistics services.

9 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that retaining the Network Support Grant base rate, which has remained at 14.4 pence per kilometre since 2012, amounts to a real terms cut for bus operators.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is investing in the bus network to support long term growth, with the 2023-24 budget allocating £425.7m for concessionary fares and bus. The aim of the Network Support Grant is to help commercial operators keep their fares lower, and e…

9 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Transport Scotland's target for rail freight.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15855 on 28 March 2023. 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-committee…

9 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Network Support Grant Plus coming to an end in March 2023, how it plans to keep bus fares “at more affordable levels and networks more extensive”, as committed to in its Programme for Government 2022-23.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Network Support Grant Plus was always a temporary fund to support operators to recover from the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic. It has been extended on two occasions since June 2022. Scotland, like the rest of the UK, operates a de-regulated bus market …

9 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the impact of ScotRail’s current fare freeze on the bus industry.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: As part of the Scottish Government’s response to the ongoing cost of living crisis, ScotRail fares were frozen until the end of March 2023 to support rail users. The ScotRail fares freeze has been implemented alongside the extended support for the bus indus…

9 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a comprehensive delivery plan for reducing car km by 20% by 2030.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The 20% Reduction in Car Km Route Map published on 13 January 2022, outlines the approach to meeting this commitment. Following a post-publication public consultation on the draft route map, Transport Scotland is currently working with local authority partn…

9 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many electric vehicle chargers currently make up the (a) public and (b) private network, in light of its commitment to increase the public charging network to at least 6,000 charging points over the next four years, as announced in its Programme for Government 2022-23.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: There are currently 3,758 electric vehicle charging devices which make up the public charging network in Scotland. There are no publicly available statistics on the number of private charging devices in Scotland, such as those in workplaces, fleet depots and …

9 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the amount of freight delivered by (a) water and (b) rail.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Scottish Ministers and officials have been working with industry stakeholders to explore the data on routes key Scottish exports take to market. Officials plan to annually update and publish this data on the modes and routes through which exports leave Scotla…

9 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the expansion of 20 mph speed limits will have on the police force, in light of reports that police in the Scottish Borders are not carrying out regular speed checks in the area’s new 20 mph zones.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Police Scotland is a member of the multi stakeholder task group for 20 mph speed limits and work closely with road authorities in determining, or considering, any changes to speed limits, reflecting the function of the road and the impacts on the local commun…

9 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the dualling of the A1 in its entirety.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government recognises the important role the A1 plays in providing access to key markets, jobs and services between the south east of Scotland and the north east of England, and beyond. The Borders Transport Corridors Study , identified interve…

9 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken on the financial impact of extending 20 mph speed limits.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government has provided local authorities with an additional £1.4 million in funding to undertake the necessary road assessments to identify the number of communities where a speed limit reduction is appropriate and the financial costs for implem…

7 Mar 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding an assessment of the impact of short-term let licencing on the rural economy.

5 Mar 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is on track to meet its commitment to reduce car km by 20% by 2030.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government agrees with the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee that we need plans to deter car use, to accompany current plans to encourage active travel and the use of public transport, the need for both is set out in the route map o…

21 Feb 2023 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to roll out Mobility as a Service across Scotland. 

13 Feb 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues and councils regarding improving connectivity for Scotland’s islands.

25 Jan 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it has received that the correct procedures were used by the board of South Lanarkshire College when it took the decision to dismiss its Principal.  

16 Jan 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has conducted on the effect of the rent cap on the number of homes available for rent in the private sector.

13 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12954 by Jamie Hepburn on 20 December 2022, which of the Good Governance Task Group’s recommendations on college governance that were made in 2016 (a) have been and (b) are still to be implemented.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Following the recommendations of the Good College Governance Task Group in 2016, my predecessor Richard Lochhead MSP Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science wrote to the Education and Skills Committee in 2019 outlining the 8 actions that …

20 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the National Records of Scotland will start publishing the Migration Statistics Quarterly Summary for Scotland again.

Answer · Angus Robertson: National Records of Scotland (NRS) are unable to confirm when it will be possible to resume publishing the Migration Statistics Quarterly Summary for Scotland as the data required is not currently available. The release is a summary of data sources from UK G…

20 Dec 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in closing the attainment gap.

13 Dec 2022 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures good governance in Scotland's colleges.

12 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the qualifying criteria are for recipients of the St Andrew's Award for exceptional acts of bravery.

Answer · Keith Brown: Thank you for your question. The criteria for emergency workers differ from that of the public. For emergency workers, the criteria are: The individual (or team) acted beyond the normal expectation of them and made a deliberate decision to do so in the knowl…

12 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the St Andrew's Award for exceptional acts of bravery can be awarded posthumously.

Answer · Keith Brown: Brave@Heart nominations which include the St. Andrew’s Award can be made posthumously for consideration by the independent validation panel.

12 Dec 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider recognising emergency workers who have been killed in the line of duty through the St Andrew's Award for exceptional acts of bravery.

Answer · Keith Brown: Thank you for your question. Emergency service workers who have been killed in the line of duty can be nominated by the emergency services through the First Minister’s Brave@Heart bravery awards which includes the St. Andrew’s Award. Brave@Heart and St Andrew…

6 Dec 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comments from the Auditor General in his 2021/22 audit of the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts that financial support for Burntisland Fabrications Limited, Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited, Prestwick Airport and the Lochaber Aluminium Smelter "has …