- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether bridge repainting has been included in the scope of works for improvements to Anniesland railway station in Glasgow.
Answer
The development work delivered at Anniesland Station is led by Network Rail. Network Rail advises that painting of the adjacent bridge is not included in the scope for the current station accessibility improvements. Accessibility is a matter reserved to the UK Government.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 June 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the East Kilbride line will have an all-day, four-train-per-hour "turn up and go" timetabled service.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27876 on 12 June 2024. 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/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Transport Scotland being cited as a co-lead for a number of actions in the Glasgow City Centre District Regeneration Framework for Cowcaddens, published in November 2022, what Transport Scotland is doing to support work to (a) "undertake an accessibility audit of streets leading up to the M8, ensuring fair access for pedestrians and cyclists from all walks of life, and making sure connections across the barriers are prioritised", (b) undertake "junction assessments with the express aim of simplifying the connections between the M8 and the city and humanising streets connecting to the junctions through conducing a Junction Rationalisation Study", (c) "design up interventions and test/model in order to identify additional measures needed to ensure successful delivery, rather than allowing the modelling to steer or dictate the design process" and (d) "snip the motorway junctions and humanise city streets leading to and from the motorway" and "undertake design and delivery of new uses and programmes on now available land to further stitch the city back together".
Answer
Transport Scotland continues to engage with Glasgow City Council regarding their aspirations for Glasgow City Centre, noting it is they who are responsible for bringing forward land use changes and the associated planning duties. The interests of Transport Scotland lie in the safe and effective operation of the M8.
Transport Scotland has communicated to Glasgow City Council that to take forward potential proposals identified in its District Regeneration Framework for Cowcaddens, a robust assessment of the potential impacts on the M8, access roads and adjacent facilities should be carried out. Officials from Transport Scotland are currently scoping an assessment on the future of the M8.
I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27301 on the Broomielaw District Regeneration Framework on 17 May 2024.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what the oil and gas sector supply chain employment levels have been in Scotland in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), a representative membership body for the UK offshore energy industry, estimated in their 2024 Economy and People report that the oil and gas sector supports around 206,000 jobs across the UK in total, including supply chain and wider induced activity.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 June 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 20 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what it can do to extend the scope of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 to cover all public procurement of goods and services.
Answer
The Scottish Government cannot extend the coverage of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 as it applies to England and Wales only.
The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 applies a sustainable procurement duty on Scottish public bodies which whilst similar to the general duty found in the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, is more far reaching The sustainable procurement duty requires a Scottish public body to consider and act on opportunities to: improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of its area; facilitate the involvement of SMEs, third sector bodies and supported businesses; and promote innovation.
The legislation in Scotland also includes provisions for oversight, requiring public bodies with an annual procurement spend of £5 million or more to set out in annually reviewed procurement strategies how they will comply with the Act and to publish annual procurement reports setting out how they have complied with their strategies. The content of these reports forms the basis of the Scottish Ministers Annual report on procurement activity in Scotland. For example - Procurement activity: annual report 2021 to 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will urgently allocate the reported £450 million of European structural and investment funding, due to be returned to the European Commission by the end of the current financial year, to so-called shovel-ready bids within currently suspended capital programmes, including the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme.
Answer
The media reports suggesting that £450 million of European Structural and Investment Funds will be returned to the European Commission by the Scottish Government are wrong. As I stated in Parliament on Thursday 13 June, all projects supported by this funding must have concluded by December 2023 to be eligible. The criteria for projects supported by European Structural and Investments Funds is set by the European Commission - it cannot be used to replace core government funding. For further information, I include a link to the related Scottish Government webpages which provide more detail on how these funds have been administered in Scotland: https://www.gov.scot/policies/european-structural-funds/
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 June 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 18 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a national licensing provision to allow pubs to trade until 1.00 am during EURO 2024 fixtures, as has been done in England.
Answer
Decisions about whether to allow for extended hours under alcohol licensing law are for independent local Licensing Boards.
Unlike the Home Secretary under the England and Wales alcohol licensing regime, the Scottish Ministers do not have a power within the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 to grant a general extension of licensed hours.
The 2005 Act provides that the administration of the alcohol licensing regime is devolved to independent local Licensing Boards – in effect the 32 Scottish Local Authorities.
Licensing Boards can grant general extensions of licensed hours if they consider it appropriate to do so in connection with a special event of local or national significance. Whilst these are matters for Licensing Boards in their areas, the Scottish Government is supportive of Licensing Boards having these powers.
An example where an independent local Licensing Board has indicated it will use their powers is Scottish Borders Licensing Board. If Scotland reach the semi-finals of EURO 2024, local media reporting has indicated that the Licensing Board will give permission for opening beyond the normal terminal hour of 23:00.
Late booze licences will be agreed – if Scotland reach the Euro 2024 Semi-Final - Midlothian View
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland and Scotland's Railway are actively promoting a policy of increasing population density in the vicinity of railway stations in Glasgow, in conjunction with local authorities, to underpin the business case for Clyde Metro.
Answer
As previously advised in answer to question S6W-26346 on 9 April 2024, the current phase of Clyde Metro is being led by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, working alongside Glasgow City Council and with Transport Scotland providing support in a project assurance role.
SPT have recently appointed consultants to undertake some preliminary work, with procurement of a framework for multi-disciplinary consultancy services for later phases of the case for investment currently ongoing.
As such, Transport Scotland is not promoting a policy aimed at increasing population density in the vicinity of railway stations in Glasgow.
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/written-questions-and-answers .
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 31 May 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB) on 14 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, in light of reports of a group of protesters forcing entry into a parliamentary constituency office in Glasgow on 21 February 2024 and intimidating parliamentary staff in their place of work, and Police Scotland's subsequent description of the incident as a "peaceful protest", what discussions it (a) has had and (b) plans to have with Police Scotland to clarify whether such incidents are considered acceptable.
Answer
In the wake of the protest at Mr Sweeney’s office, the Parliament’s Security Office engaged with the ‘Operation Sandbed’ team within Police Scotland on behalf of the SPCB. Protest activity can cause alarm and the Security Office shared Mr Sweeney’s concerns, and the experience of his staff, that this protest had been unsettling and upsetting for those involved.
Taking into account the issues experienced by Mr Sweeney’s office, the Security Office will undertake further engagement with Police Scotland on behalf of the SPCB to discuss additional support and training that can be provided to local office staff, and Members, should protest occur at a local office.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when East Kilbride will have an all-day, four-train-per-hour "turn up and go" assisted travel service.
Answer
ScotRail’s passenger assist service provides assistance to those who need help when travelling on the ScotRail network. Passengers who require assistance when travelling can turn up and use the help point to request assistance. For those who want peace of mind assistance cab be booked in advance with one hour’s notice, which compares favourably with the 2 hours required by other GB Train Operating Companies.
Currently ScotRail operates a half hourly service on the East Kilbride route, with additional services operating at peak times which gives four trains per hour. ScotRail keeps its services under continued review to ensure its services meet passengers requirements as much as possible.