Parliamentary questions
Neil Bibby
1,029 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be a further round of support grants for bus operators as they continue to recover passenger numbers to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government continues to provide financial support for bus services to keep services more extensive, and fares more affordable than would otherwise be the case. On 1 April 2022, the Network Support Grant was introduced, with up to £93.5 million al…
17 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much in total has been allocated to bus operators to support them through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government has provided funding to bus operators through various funds since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of March 2020. The funding streams within this period that relate to Covid-19 support include the Covid Support Grant, Covi…
17 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is offering to bus operators that may be impacted by COVID-19 support subsidies ending in October 2022.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is supporting bus operators through the Network Support Grant and Network Support Grant Plus which started on 1 April 2022 and which replace the Bus Service Operators’ Grant and emergency Covid funding. I met with operators over the c…
15 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when its emergency budget review will be completed.
Answer · John Swinney: The cost crisis represents an unprecedented challenge to which the UK Government must respond. The Scottish Government is taking action to prioritise support for Scotland, within the constraints of its limited budget and powers. On 7 September I wrote to the…
8 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much government funding bus operators have received in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) operator and (b) fund.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government has provided funding to bus operators through a number of grants during the last five years. Information on the amount of funding provided to bus operators per year is provided for the following funds: Bus Service Operators’ Grant, Sco…
8 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any reports of bus operators that are in receipt of public subsidy being unable to deliver services in Scotland due to resources being diverted to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and, if this is the case, what plans it has to recoup any funding.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I am aware of reports about a bus operator deploying drivers to the Commonwealth Games, and my officials have raised this directly with the relevant operator, reminding them of the expectations in our Network Support Grant Plus funding about the service level…
8 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has attempted to recoup money from any bus operators that were in receipt of COVID-19 recovery funding but have since been unable to deliver services and, if this is the case, whether it will provide details, broken down by bus operator.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: COVID-19 recovery funding is provided via the Network Support Grant Plus and paid as a pence per kilometre rate for each kilometre actually run. Funding is provided by advance payment on forecasts and then payment is adjusted after the scheme ends in October …
8 Aug 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported decision by the Welsh Government to provide additional funding to support the recovery of the bus industry in Wales, which will run until April 2023, whether it will consider similar action in Scotland.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government continues to provide financial support for bus services to keep services more extensive, and fares more affordable than would otherwise be the case. On 1 April 2022, the Network Support Grant was introduced, with up to £93.5 million al…
4 Jul 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many rail replacement bus services ScotRail has provided on each day in May and June 2022.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The replacement (planned and unplanned) of train services with bus replacement services remains an operational matter for ScotRail. ScotRail advises that the breakdown for each day during May and June 2022 for planned and unplanned bus replacement is as foll…
29 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide updated figures on how many young people to date have received a free bus pass through the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme, broken down by local authority, based on the latest information available.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The following table shows the number of valid card holders in the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme as of close of business 11 July 2022, analysed by local authority. This information is based on live data as of 11 July 2022 and will exclude those who hav…
9 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many ministerial car journeys were made on each day in May and June 2021.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The number of daily Ministerial journeys for May and June 2021 are provided in the following table. Date Total number of journeys 10-05-2021 2 12-05-2021 2 13-05-2021 8 14-05-2021 10 18-05-2021 12 19-05-2021 19 20-05-2021 14 21-05-2021 12 2…
9 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many ministerial car journeys have been made on each day since 23 May 2022.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The number of daily Ministerial journeys for the period of 23 May 2022 to 18 June 2022 are provided in the following table. Date Total number of journeys 23-05-2022 9 24-05-2022 22 25-05-2022 33 26-05-2022 39 27-05-2022 7 28-05-2022 2 29-05-202…
9 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many rail replacement bus services ScotRail has provided on each day since it came into public ownership on 1 April 2022.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The replacement (planned and unplanned) of train services with bus replacement services remains an operational matter for ScotRail. Planned buses replace train services that have been impacted as a result of planned works on Scotland’s railway i.e. planned en…
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what salaries or fees are being paid to members of the new ScotRail board and its subsidiaries.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Information on salaries/fees of ScotRail Board members will be published by the end of June 2022.
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the roles and responsibilities are of members of the new ScotRail board and its subsidiaries.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Roles and responsibilities of the ScotRail Board Members and its subsidiaries are set out in the Grant Agreement between Scottish Ministers, Scottish Rail Holdings Limited and ScotRail Trains Limited and the Framework Agreement between Scottish Ministers and …
25 Apr 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the value for money of potential upgrade routes of the A82 between Tarbert and Inverarnan.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: As with all our major trunk road projects, Transport Scotland carried out a rigorous assessment process to establish the preferred line for the A82 Tarbet to Inverarnan scheme. This three-stage assessment process is based on the standards and good practice se…
25 Apr 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action will be taken to maintain a diversion route from the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful once the upgrade of the A82 between Tarbert and Inverarnan commences.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Since the significant landslides that occurred in August and September 2020, contractors have installed various landslide mitigation measures including drainage improvements, debris fences, a catch pit and material barriers to improve the resilience of the A8…
25 Apr 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the circumstances in which a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) appraisal must take place.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: As set out in the STAG Managers Guide , an appraisal using Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) is required whenever Scottish Government funding, support or approval is needed to change the transport system. It may also offer a suitable framework fo…
25 Apr 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to minimise disruption on the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government remains committed to an infrastructure solution to address the A83 Rest and Be Thankful landslip risks. Work continues on the design of the long term options along with data gathering. The Government recently awarded a £1.8 million gr…
25 Apr 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) appraisal of proposed enhancements to the A82 between Tarbert and Inverarnan has reportedly not been undertaken.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08101 on 11 May 2022. 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/…
31 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-06190 by Jenny Gilruth on 4 March 2022, whether it will provide updated figures on how many young people have now received a free bus pass through the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme, broken down by local authority, based on the la…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The following table shows the number of cards produced for the Young Persons Scheme (YPS) by close of business 25 April 2022, broken down to local authority level. This information was supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO). NECPO …
28 Mar 2022 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that decisions about the procurement of vessels 801 and 802 were rushed "for political purposes".
22 Mar 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what response it has received to the external affairs secretary’s letter to the Russian Ambassador on 26 February.
7 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what equality impact assessment has been undertaken in relation to the proposed ScotRail station ticket office closures and reduced opening times.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06852 on 11 March 2022. 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…
21 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any decision regarding rail booking office closures will be made before the consultation on women’s safety has concluded.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Transport Focus has recently published their ticket office opening hours consultation report along with ScotRail’s response. I will now consider these findings and discuss with the rail trade unions in the coming weeks before making any final decision on this…
21 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the consultation on women’s safety will be (a) open to all or (b) closed, with identified stakeholders only.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: In addition to taking forward a National Conversation on rail, we will be consulting specifically on women’s safety when using public transport. The specific means by which we carry out this engagement are yet to be determined and will be informed by initia…
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the £1 million funding for the Community Bus Fund in 2022-23 will be sufficient to significantly increase bus passenger numbers across the 32 local authority areas.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Budget allocated £1 million to develop the Community Bus Fund in 2022-23 to support Local Transport Authorities to improve public transport in their areas, and to explore the full range of options in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. We are curr…
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the projected spending on the Community Bus Fund will be for the next three years.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The 2022-23 Budget allocated £1 million RDEL to the development of the Community Bus Fund. Allocations for future financial years will be informed by policy development and future budgets determined through the outcome of the Scottish Government's Resource Sp…
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) what the timescale is and (b) which groups it will consult for its work regarding the experiences of women on public transport.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: In addition to taking forward a National Conversation on rail, we will be consulting specifically on women’s safety when using public transport. (a) Specific timescales will be outlined following the discussion underway with relevant representative groups o…
10 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) what the timescale is and (b) which groups it will consult for its “national conversation” about the future of ScotRail.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Due to the local elections period, it is expected that the national rail conversation will get underway after 5 May local elections. Decisions on a more definitive timescale will be arrived at when agreement has been reached with Trade Union partners and othe…