Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28245 on 10 July 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 .

This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28245 on 10 July 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 .

The final evaluation of the pilot will assess the effectiveness of the Pilot against the First Minister’s priorities of eradicating child poverty, growing Scotland’s economy, tackling the climate emergency and improving Scotland’s public services. The value for money assessment will take into consideration the impact on business travel costs in the normal manner.

Removing the timing restrictions on off-peak fares helps to simplify ticket options and supports flexible working practices which have grown in popularity. Such simplicity is also helpful in providing more flexible choices for families.

As announced by the First Minister in May, the Pilot was extended for a further three months until 27 September 2024. This was based on the existing data available and allows for a longer evaluation period to gather additional data on the pilot’s effectiveness at encouraging modal shift from car to rail while helping passengers facing cost of living pressures.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with the rail trade unions who have long campaigned for this Pilot and their members are key to the successful implementation of it to date.

Our vision is for Scotland to be a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025, where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and society. In the absence of powers over employment legislation, the Scottish Government encourages all employers in Scotland to adopt Fair Work practices and play their part in making Scotland a leading Fair Work Nation.

The Scottish Government expects public bodies to show leadership in that regard, and implement and promote Fair Work First in all relevant procurement processes (and suppliers delivering public contracts).

Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH) oversees the delivery of rail operations by ScotRail Train Limited and Caledonian Sleeper Limited, which moved into the public sector in April 2022 and June 2023 respectively. SRH has responsibility for engaging with its subsidiaries to promote fair work practices . In addition, the Scottish Ministers set out in their High Level Output Specification for the current 5 year railway funding period (2024 -2029) that they expect Network Rail in Scotland to follow the Scottish Government’s Fair Work principles.

Most cross-border passenger railway operators are the responsibility of the UK Government and this level of operational detail is not covered through Scottish Government engagement. The Scottish Government does not engage to this level either with ‘open-access’ operators which include all rail freight operators and rail charter operators.

Whilst we expect public bodies to implement and promote Fair Work First in all relevant procurement processes, (and suppliers delivering public contracts) Avanti West Coast is contracted by, and reports directly to, the UK Government and the Scottish Government does not have the details of Avanti West Coast’s employment practices. The Scottish Government has not had any communication with Avanti West Coast on this matter, it is an operational matter for Avanti West Coast as employer.

Our vision is for Scotland to be a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025, where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and society. Whilst the Scottish Government expects public bodies to implement and promote Fair Work First in all relevant procurement processes (and suppliers delivering public contracts) Avanti West Coast is contracted by, and reports directly to the UK Government and the Scottish Government does not have the details of Avanti West Coast’s employment practices.