Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-26118

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when the Borders Railway will have its own rolling stock, and what class of train will be used.

Question reference: S4W-26117

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24607 by Derek Mackay on 6 March 2015, from which ScotRail services the Borders Railway rolling stock will be drawn, and how many of the class 158 trains that are based in Inverness will be included.

It is an operational matter for Abellio ScotRail to decide which trains from within its diesel fleet it allocates for Borders services. Those planned to be used on Borders services also work across other routes in central Scotland, including, predominantly, Fife to maximise the available capacity in and out of Edinburgh.

Borders services will be operated by class 158s and this fleet will begin a significant refurbishment programme in July 2015. When these upgraded units start to roll out they will operate on Borders services from September 2015.

Question reference: S4W-26123

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Marco Biagi on 25 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether local government staff earning under £21,000 receive the £250 flat rate public sector increase.

The current minimum award for staff under the public sector pay policy earning under £21,000 is £300 and has been since 2013-14.

The public sector pay policy directly applies to the Scottish Government, executive agencies and some non-departmental bodies. However, Scotland’s councils are independent corporate bodies with their own powers and responsibilities and are entirely separate from the Scottish Government. As such they are not directly subject to the public sector pay policy.

The Scottish Government therefore does not hold any information about whether individual councils do or do not pay a minimum award for workers earning under £21,000. It is for councils to decide whether to pay a flat rate award for workers earning under £21,000 as part of the pay settlement for their staff.

Question reference: S4W-26122

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to update the rolling stock serving the (a) Far North Line and (b) Highland Mainline.

The Far North line will be served by a refurbished class 158 fleet which Abellio ScotRail is obliged to deliver through the franchise agreement. These trains will be used on great scenic rail journeys routes (The Borders, West Highlands and North Highlands) offering an improved passenger experience, enhanced on board-facilities and a range of services aimed at attracting more visitors onto Scotland rural services.

This work will see improvements delivered such as new carpets, table-top maps, seating aligned with windows, power/USB sockets, wheelchair spaces, luggage storage, tourist information and external re-livery. The first unit is due to be released in September 2015 with all of the retained fleet of 40 c158s completed by December 2018.

Highland Mainline services will continue to be served by class 170 trains for now, with Abellio ScotRail due to introduce 27 High Speed Trains HSTs from mid-2018 onwards. This freshly-enhanced fleet will deliver significant improvements in passenger facilities such as more seating capacity, Wi-Fi, on train catering, new seating, lighting, wheelchair access and compliant toilets.

Question reference: S4W-26120

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 24 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reduce the number of class 158 trains on Inverness services.

Question reference: S4O-04495

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that secondary school pupils in the Highlands and Islands can study the subjects that they need to meet their career ambitions.

Question reference: S4W-26023

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the independent academic research that it has commissioned on the impact of the criminalisation of the purchase of sex; how the research will be conducted, and whether it will be carried out (a) in conjunction with a consultation and (b) from a gender analysis perspective.

It is planned that research findings will be submitted to the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament in early 2016.

The research will review the evidence on the impacts of a policy of criminalisation of the purchase of sex. It will also include an assessment of the impact on wider Scottish Government policy to address violence against women and gather evidence on the sex work industry in Scotland. The most appropriate research methodology will be established as part of the development process to ensure that relevant issues are included.

Any decisions on consulting on this issue will be taken after the research has been published.

Question reference: S4W-25964

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 11 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it will provide to Highland Council to help meet the costs of building a safer route to replace the Stromeferry bypass.

Question reference: S4O-04460

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to promote and support Gaelic culture.

Question reference: S4W-25350

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 April 2015
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 7 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing or plans to do to ensure that people with hearing loss have access to lipreading classes or tutors, particularly in the Highlands and Islands.

A Scottish Lipreading Strategy Group, chaired by Action on Hearing Loss and funded by Scottish Government, recently produced a report, Lipreading Classes in Scotland – the way forward which is currently being considered by Scottish Government officials.

One of the recommendations of the report is that a Scottish Lipreading Working Group should be established which will, among other things, improve access to lipreading services in the remote and rural areas by trying out, and evaluating, new technology-based ways.

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