Chamber and committees

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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-26472

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on the wider rail infrastructure supply chain of the reported reduction of £315 million to the rail renewals budget for control period 7.

Question reference: S6W-26470

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what changes have been made to the (a) work bank and (b) volume of work for the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland for year one of control period 7 as a result of the Network Rail funding settlement for control period 7.

Question reference: S6W-26471

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on (a) safety, (b) rail performance and (c) jobs of the reported reduction in the work bank and volume of work allocated to the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland for year one of control period 7.

Question reference: S6W-26467

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what level of funding was provided for the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland in each year of control period 6.

Question reference: S6W-26468

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated for the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland for year one of control period 7.

Question reference: S6W-26466

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on (a) safety, (b) rail performance and (c) job security of bringing in-house the work and jobs contracted out via the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland.

The Scottish Government has not carried out an assessment of the potential impact of bringing “in-house” (assumed to mean wholly within Network Rail) the work and jobs contracted out via the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland.

Railway safety is a matter reserved to the UK Government and Network Rail is a wholly owned subsidiary of the UK Government. The independent rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), is responsible for rail safety, and it determines the appropriate funding for Network Rail. The Scottish Government has fully funded Network Rail Scotland to meet its funding requirements as specified by the ORR in its capacity as safety regulator for the next five-year rail investment Control Period, 2024-29, CP7.

Network Rail made a conscious choice to improve its approach to asset maintenance for CP7, relying less on renewals and more on maintenance. Whilst the workbank for the Rail Systems Alliance might reduce, Network Rail envisages more work delivered internally. This approach has been championed by the RMT union.

Question reference: S6W-26473

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to protect the 42 jobs at Babcock Rail that are reportedly at risk of redundancy under the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland contract with Network Rail.

Question reference: S6W-26469

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the projected funding is for the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland for control period 7.

Question reference: S6W-26416

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the ScotRail Club 50 discount for online purchases is 20%, but only 10% for tickets purchased at a staffed ticket office.

Question reference: S6W-26656

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it anticipates that it will be able to provide certainty to Skills Development Scotland regarding its budget for 2024-25.