Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-26470

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what changes have been made to the (a) work bank and (b) volume of work for the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland for year one of control period 7 as a result of the Network Rail funding settlement for control period 7.

Question reference: S6W-26468

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated for the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland for year one of control period 7.

Question reference: S6W-26467

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what level of funding was provided for the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland in each year of control period 6.

Question reference: S6W-26466

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on (a) safety, (b) rail performance and (c) job security of bringing in-house the work and jobs contracted out via the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland.

The Scottish Government has not carried out an assessment of the potential impact of bringing “in-house” (assumed to mean wholly within Network Rail) the work and jobs contracted out via the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland.

Railway safety is a matter reserved to the UK Government and Network Rail is a wholly owned subsidiary of the UK Government. The independent rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), is responsible for rail safety, and it determines the appropriate funding for Network Rail. The Scottish Government has fully funded Network Rail Scotland to meet its funding requirements as specified by the ORR in its capacity as safety regulator for the next five-year rail investment Control Period, 2024-29, CP7.

Network Rail made a conscious choice to improve its approach to asset maintenance for CP7, relying less on renewals and more on maintenance. Whilst the workbank for the Rail Systems Alliance might reduce, Network Rail envisages more work delivered internally. This approach has been championed by the RMT union.

Question reference: S6W-26471

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on (a) safety, (b) rail performance and (c) jobs of the reported reduction in the work bank and volume of work allocated to the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland for year one of control period 7.

Question reference: S6W-22863

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 10 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government if it is content that the “annual out-performance incentive plan” awarded to the Chief Executive of Scottish Water and bonuses to other senior executives within Scottish Water sit within Scottish Government pay policy

Question reference: S6W-26416

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the ScotRail Club 50 discount for online purchases is 20%, but only 10% for tickets purchased at a staffed ticket office.

Question reference: S6O-03276

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that rail travel is safe.

Question reference: S6W-25964

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 20 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans for a revaluation of domestic properties in 2024 for the purposes of setting council tax rates.

Question reference: S6W-26048

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the ScotRail framework agreement specifies that it should give "particular attention" to "identifying efficiencies in staffing levels" at railway stations.

The Framework Agreement between Scottish Ministers and Scottish Rail Holdings confirms under the Stations, Operational Plan section that “particular attention should be given to identifying efficiencies in staffing levels as well as focus on elements which will be monitored through SQUIRE”. This provides ScotRail with the ability to ensure that staff are deployed appropriately across the rail network to deliver a high performing service that passengers rightly expect.

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