Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-19208

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 27 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a Rural Delivery Plan, as committed to in its publication, Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership – A fresh start.

Question reference: S6W-18579

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to add National Entitlement Cards to ScotRail ticket machines as an option to access concessionary train tickets for the card holder and their companions.

Question reference: S6W-18521

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of the planned reorganisation or closure of ChargePlace Scotland, what analysis has been undertaken that indicates that reorganising or closing ChargePlace Scotland would create the market conditions for greater private investment.

Charge points on the ChargePlace Scotland network are owned by a range of local authorities, businesses and third sector organisations. These organisations are responsible for procurement, maintenance and commercial decisions relating to their own charge point assets The ChargePlace Scotland contract provides ‘back office’ functions for these chargers, and has the option to run until at least 2025.

Scotland’s public EV charging network will evolve over the coming years to be less focussed on ChargePlace Scotland, while retaining the ability for drivers to seamlessly travel across a more diverse charging network with greater charging opportunities and offering an exemplar driver experience.

Transport Scotland’s joint report with Scottish Futures Trust published in July 2021 highlighted the opportunities to leverage the investment, skills and resources of the private sector to grow Scotland’s public electric vehicle charging network at the scale and pace required. This report also recognised the opportunities for partnership working between Scotland’s local authorities and private charge point operators, as well as the potential for existing ChargePlace Scotland assets to form part of future partnering arrangements.

Through the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund, Transport Scotland is supporting local authorities to develop public electric vehicle charge point strategies and infrastructure expansion plans, to identify and take forward the opportunities to work with the private sector to grow Scotland’s public charging network.

Question reference: S6W-18519

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement has taken place with local authorities in relation to the reported planned reorganisation or closure of ChargePlace Scotland.

In January 2022 the Scottish Government published its draft vision for Scotland’s future public electric vehicle charging network that meets the needs of the people of Scotland and which supports a just transition and the delivery of our climate commitments. It recognises the need to attract private sector capital, skills and resources to grow the public charging network at scale and pace. A range of public bodies and other organisations, including COSLA, have been engaged over the past year as part of our work to finalise the Vision.

COSLA have also been engaged throughout the development of the EV Infrastructure Fund through which Transport Scotland is supporting Local Authorities to develop public electric vehicle charging strategies and expansion plans. These plans will help to identify future public charging needs, investment requirements and operating models for existing and new local authority owned public charging points.

Question reference: S6W-18522

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any analysis has been undertaken that indicates the potential available private finance for investment in the electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Scotland, and, if so, how much this is estimated to be.

There is an established and growing number of well-capitalised private charge point operators in Scotland and across the UK. Transport Scotland’s joint report published with Scottish Futures Trust in July 2021 indicated that investment costs in growing Scotland’s public charging network could reach £100 million per annum by 2030. It is encouraging, therefore, to hear the recent pledge from industry body Charge UK that its members will invest £6 billion in public charging infrastructure across the UK by 2030. Our focus is on encouraging that investment to spread across all of Scotland. That’s why our Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund aims to draw in £60 million of public and private investment to double the size of the public charging network to 6,000 charge points by 2026, including areas of the network where private investment is less viable.

Question reference: S6W-18518

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm any planned changes to ChargePlace Scotland, and any costs associated with its reorganisation or closure.

Charge points on the ChargePlace Scotland network are owned by a range of local authorities, businesses and third sector organisations. These organisations are responsible for procurement, maintenance and commercial decisions relating to their own charge point assets The ChargePlace Scotland contract provides ‘back office’ functions for these chargers, and has the option to run until at least 2025.

Scotland’s public EV charging network will evolve over the coming years to be less focussed on ChargePlace Scotland, while retaining the ability for drivers to seamlessly travel across a more diverse charging network with greater charging opportunities and offering an exemplar driver experience.

Our draft Vision for the future of public charging emphasises the need to attract greater private investment to deliver infrastructure at scale and pace, as the public sector cannot deliver this alone. The organisations who own charge points on ChargePlace Scotland will ultimately determine which future delivery models are most appropriate to them.

Through our Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund we are supporting local authorities to develop public electric vehicle charging strategies and expansion plans. As part of the development of these plans, local authorities are considering the opportunities to roll existing ChargePlace Scotland charge points into alternative models of delivery.

Question reference: S6W-18520

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any additional duties will be placed on local authorities as a result of any planned reorganisation or closure of ChargePlace Scotland, and, if so, whether any additional funding will be provided to support the administration of any such additional duties.

Transport Scotland has made funding available to all local authorities in Scotland to develop public electric vehicle charging strategy and expansion plans. These plans will help to identify future public charging needs (at both a local and regional level), investment requirements and a suitable model for operation of public charge points in the future. The duties of a local authority related to operating public charge points will depend on the operational model they choose to adopt.

Through our Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund, Transport Scotland will continue to provide funding that supports local authorities in establishing partnerships with the private sector that will enable new operating models to be established and continued private sector investment in Scotland’s public electric vehicle charging networks.

Question reference: S6O-02402

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support grassroots sport in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02320

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what options it foresees for the future of Ferguson Marine after ferries 801 and 802 are built.

Question reference: S6F-02152

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2023

To ask the First Minister for what reason consultants have reportedly been hired to advise on the next Clyde and Hebrides ferry contract.

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