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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-08908

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what Scottish Water’s end-of-year cash balance has been at the end of each of the last 10 financial years, broken down by funds attributable to (a) the Scottish Water Group and (b) Scottish Water itself.

This information is provided in Scottish Water’s Annual Report and Accounts which is published on Scottish Water’s website and laid before Parliament each year. The information is copied in the following table.

2020-21

£m

2019-20

£m

2018-19

£m

2017-18

£m

2016-17

£m

2015-16

£m

2014-15

£m

2013-14

£m

2012-13

£m

2011-12

£m

Cash - Scottish Water Group

570.4

531.6

434.8

406.4

429.6

539.3

491.4

416.6

415.6

355.2

Cash - Scottish Water

428.7

391.4

310.9

270.6

235.2

368.6

345.5

270.3

245.5

241

Question reference: S6W-08910

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been transferred by Scottish Water to Business Stream with no requirement for repayment in each of the last three financial years.

Question reference: S6W-08922

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many investigations into government leaks to the media it has undertaken in each year since 1999, and how many people responsible for any such leaks have been identified.

Question reference: S6W-08836

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the changes in frequency to train services at (a) Shotts, (b) Airdrie, (c) Falkirk Grahamston, (d) Falkirk High and (e) Polmont railway station (i) from 23 May 2022 and (ii) as a result of the Fit for the Future timetable consultation.

The following table outlines the changes in frequency for the stations requested from ScotRail’s May 2022 Fit for the Future Timetable and ScotRail’s temporary timetable:-

Timetable data for standard weekday, correct as of 07 June 2022
Station	Timetable	Frequency (trains per hour [tph])
SHOTTS	May-22	To/from Glasgow - 1tph all day. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 1tph all day. ‎ Additional services at peak times.
SHOTTS	Temporary	To/from Glasgow - 1tph all day. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 1tph all day. ‎ Additional services at peak times.
AIRDRIE	May-22	To/from Glasgow - 4tph until evening, then 2tph. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 2tph all day. ‎ Additional services at peak times.
AIRDRIE	Temporary	To/from Glasgow - 4tph all day. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 2tph all day. ‎ Additional services at peak times.
FALKIRK GRAHAMSTON	May-22	To/from Glasgow - 1tph all day. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 2tph until evening, then 1tph. ‎ To/from Dunblane - 2tph until evening, then 1tph. ‎ Additional services at peak times.
FALKIRK GRAHAMSTON	Temporary	To/from Glasgow - 1tph all day. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 1tph until final gap of 4 hours. ‎ To/from Dunblane - 1tph all day. ‎ Additional services at peak times.
FALKIRK HIGH	May-22	To/from Glasgow - 2tph all day. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 2tph all day. ‎ Additional Services at peak times.
FALKIRK HIGH	Temporary	To/from Glasgow - 2tph until final gap of 2 hours. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 2tph until final gap of 2 hours.
POLMONT	May-22	To/from Dunblane - 2tph until evening, then 1tph. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 4tph until evening, then 3tph. ‎ To/from Glasgow - 2tph all day. ‎ Additional services at peak times.
POLMONT	Temporary	To/from Dunblane - 1tph all day. ‎ To/from Edinburgh - 3tph until final gap of 2 hours. ‎ To/from Glasgow - 2tph until final gap of 2 hours. ‎ Additional services at peak times.

Question reference: S6W-08834

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it was first informed of the changes by ScotRail to the train timetable that were introduced on 23 May 2022.

Question reference: S6W-08828

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal accidents involving (i) HGVs and (ii) other vehicles on the A77 there (A) were in 2021 and (B) have been in 2022, also broken down by section of the road that passes through South Ayrshire.

The following tables provide the provisional number of injury road accidents on the A77 in 2021 broken down by severity. Final figures for 2021 will be published in October 2022. Figures for 2022 are still being collected and verified and are therefore not currently available.

	A77 accidents within South Ayrshire Local Authority area
	HGV accidents	Other accidents	Total
Fatal	0	0	0
Non-fatal	0	11	11
Total	0	11	11

	A77 accidents within other Local Authority areas
	HGV accidents	Other accidents	Total
Fatal	1	1	2
Non-fatal	0	23	23
Total	1	24	25

	A77 Total accidents
	HGV accidents	Other accidents	Total
Fatal	1	1	2
Non-fatal	0	34	34
Total	1	35	36

Question reference: S6W-08865

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue it expects to be generated from ScotWind options payments in each of the next 10 years.

As outlined in my response to the answer to question S6W-08721 on 9 June 2022, the ScotWind lease option awards process has yet to be completed and the final figure raised through option agreements is still to be confirmed. The Scottish Government plans to draw down £660 million of lease option funding in the first two years of the Resource Spending Review period. 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 .

Question reference: S6W-08646

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support can be offered to young people in South Lanarkshire in applying for the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme, in light of reports that the area has the lowest uptake rate in Scotland.

The level of uptake in South Lanarkshire as of 7 June 2022 was 23%, this is an increase of 8% since 13 May 2022, however I recognise South Lanarkshire are not yet at the level of other Local Authorities in terms of application rates. Following my meeting with COSLA last week I will be writing to all new administrations in our local authority areas, including South Lanarkshire. Meantime I have asked my officials in Transport Scotland to contact the new administration in South Lanarkshire in relation to their work to support the implementation of the under 22s free bus travel scheme.

Question reference: S6W-09227

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 June 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Patrick Harvie on 14 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the second Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing will be reviewed, and when it will respond to the Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce report, published in August 2021.

The Scottish Government has today published its response to the Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce (ZEST) report which can be accessed at http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781804355176 .

The Scottish Government is grateful to ZEST for its work and welcomes the recommendations which will help shape Scotland’s just transition to net zero.

As was highlighted in the ZEST report, the second Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH2) is not fully aligned with net zero and Housing Associations’ and Local Authorities’ need for long-term certainty to plan investment appropriately.

The Scottish Government today confirms that the review of EESSH2 will be brought forward to commence this year for completion in 2023.

While the review is underway the current EESSH2 2025 and 2032 milestones will be put on hold temporarily to ensure that any investment is targeted toward long-term solutions that deliver net zero and support the eradication of fuel poverty. Whilst the review is underway, social landlords should continue to invest in energy efficiency measures to help reduce running costs, and in zero emissions heating systems where appropriate.

The Scottish Government’s Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund supports projects to deploy zero emissions heat, improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel poverty. The fund will make £200 million available over the course of this parliament - investing in a sector already leading the way in the heat transition.

The Scottish Government is committed to, and looks forward to, working jointly with the social housing sector on both the EESSH2 review and as we take forward next steps from the ZEST report.

Question reference: S6W-08918

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much debt on school meals has been written off in each local authority in each of the last five years.

The information you have requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. It is for local authorities to decide whether to write-off outstanding debts for school meals, ideally by taking into account the needs and circumstances of any affected families.

The Scottish Government recognises the work which has been undertaken by Aberlour on this issue and the First Minister has committed that officials will work with COSLA to understand this issue more fully.

Local authorities also have the flexibility to offer free school meals to families who do not meet the regular eligibility criteria but are experiencing financial hardship. I would encourage any family who thinks that they may have become eligible for free school meals to apply for them as soon as possible.