Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-04951

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when the new Abellio ScotRail rolling stock will come into operation on the Edinburgh – Glasgow line and what plans there are to introduce new rolling stock on other services, broken down by (a) date of introduction and (b) cost.

ScotRail is committed to gradually introduce the new c385 trains on services operating between Edinburgh - Glasgow Queen Street via Falkirk High from September 2017 with all of the services on this route to be fully operated by the new fleet from December 2017.

During 2018 these will be rolled out onto services such as Dunblane/ Alloa/ Stirling, North Berwick/ Dunbar, south Glasgow suburban lines and Edinburgh - Glasgow via Shotts and by January 2019 the full fleet of 70 trains (46 three car and 24 four cars) will have been delivered. More detailed information is contained on the Abellio ScotRail website https://www.scotrail.co.uk/about-scotrail/new-trains

Question reference: S5W-04810

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the introduction of speed awareness courses in Scotland, similar to those that operate in the rest of the UK, and what steps would require to be taken to introduce these.

The Scottish Government supports the general principle of driver education as an alternative to prosecution, where this is appropriate and is committed through Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020 to consider if a Speed Awareness Course would make an effective contribution to road safety measures in Scotland.

Police Scotland are currently working with key road safety partners to develop potential options for the introduction of these courses. Partners include the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service as the approval of the Lord Advocate would be required before a speed awareness course could be introduced in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-04640

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 18 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the change in Scottish Water (a) domestic and (b) business charges will be for 2017-18.

Question reference: S5O-00389

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met industry and consumer stakeholders to discuss the regulation of private car parks.

Question reference: S5F-00452

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2016

To ask the First Minister what lessons have been learnt following two Chinese companies withdrawing from a memorandum of understanding with the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S5W-03473

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 31 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03132 by Fergus Ewing on 3 October 2016, whether it will provide a breakdown of the funding division between the loans recovered from the 2015 scheme and the underspends, also broken down by the origin of each underspend.

Question reference: S5W-03459

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 31 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03132 by Fergus Ewing on 3 October 2016, what the estimated net expenditure for the scheme will be at 31 March 2017.

Question reference: S5W-03565

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 25 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any assessment that it has made on the likely modal shift from rail to air should air passenger duty be reduced by 50%.

Question reference: S5W-03427

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what resources have been allocated to improvements to the A9/A85 junction in Perth and Kinross.

In order to assist Perth and Kinross Council with its project which links to the trunk road network, a Minute of Agreement (MoA) has been entered into by the Council and the Scottish Government. This Minute facilitates the involvement of Transport Scotland and its operating company (BEAR Scotland) in providing technical comment and/or approval to the Council (plus any site supervision requirements) for any works on, or linking to, the trunk road network.

These resources have been regularly deployed as and when required throughout the process in continuing to provide support to the Council in the delivery of its project.

Question reference: S5W-03426

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with Perth and Kinross Council regarding funding for improvements to the A9/A85 junction.

There have been many meetings between officials at Transport Scotland and Perth and Kinross Council to discuss the Council’s proposal to redesign the junction of the A85 Crieff Road and the A9, the primary purpose of the proposal being to enable development of land to the west of Perth.

These meetings have discussed a range of issues, including strategic land-use planning, road and bridge design standards, existing road networks and access and egress arrangements at McDiarmid Park. Transport Scotland and its operating company BEAR Scotland continue to work with Perth and Kinross Council on the development and agreement of the detailed design and delivery of the Council’s scheme as the works will take place on, adjacent to or tying into the trunk road network.

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