Seòmar agus comataidhean

Are there round tables or intergovernmental dialogues on the go? The cross-party discussion that we had was really supportive of the freight rail industry, but it felt as though there was a long list of things that need to happen strategically and in different locations?

My question follows on quite well, because it is about how we invest in the new technologies for our rail networks—whether in hydrogen or electrification—and the barriers that we need to overcome. That definitely came up from the Rail Freight Group when it came into the Parliament just a few weeks ago to talk about how we join up the infrastructure, ferries and rail, and how we enable the sector to make better use of our railways. Strategically, the central belt to Inverness and the port of Cairnryan were mentioned. There are blockages right across the country where we need investment in the opportunities to decarbonise our transport and take a lot of heavy goods vehicles off very busy roads, which would be good for a number of reasons. Martin, do you want to come back in on that issue?

My questions follow on well from that discussion. The issue is not only about ticketing; we also need to think about co-ordinating timetables, particularly when it comes to access to rail services. In our session with the previous panel, we spent a lot of time talking about how delayed and slow bus services are. Trains are a lot faster, but there is the issue of how people access stations. Could more be done by way of co-ordination across rail and bus services that would work to up the number of people who use the railways in Scotland?

It would be good to get feedback on numbers and what difference that could make in the future, particularly in relation to connections with bus and ferry services. I can see why it is complicated to do, but that would be a big benefit to everybody.

How big a priority is that? You said that discussions are on-going, but from the point of view of passengers, you are dispatching trains when you could fill up those trains more and generate more income for the sector.

I appreciate that, convener.

My question is about the infrastructure and how you keep it going. There was a comment earlier about the £400 million that is being invested in making the infrastructure climate resilient. At the weekend, I met a train driver, and he was saying that, when you carry out repairs and maintenance on the lines and the areas beside them, landslips can happen. For example, when you remove trees, it removes the resilience of the land beside the railway. I just wanted to flag that up.

Moreover, the rail unions have said that there has been a lack of investment in on-going infrastructure maintenance, and staff are being laid off by the major subcontractors. There seems to be a disconnect between the huge amount of money that you are putting in to make the network resilient and the fact that staff are losing their jobs. What are you doing to keep the set of skills and the knowledge that those staff have and ensure that the long-term future and safety of the rail infrastructure are not going to be compromised, because of short-term savings? The two things feel as if they are at odds with each other.

The other joined-up thinking issue concerns not tickets but timetables, in terms of linking different types of services. How can you make that information accessible to people? What work is being done with the different sectors, so that people have opportunities to use different services?

When you do that, you will generate more income, so it is a kind of win-win. Is your company having strategic discussions with other partners?

I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests, which notes my former work with the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.

It has been good to listen to the discussion this morning. The aim of amendment 1079 is to establish a national register of homeless households, which would help us to understand the scale of the national housing emergency. We do not currently have data that is detailed enough on those who are threatened with homelessness or those who are now experiencing homelessness.

I drafted the amendment following an excellent cross-party briefing from the City of Edinburgh Council, where there was a discussion on how we could improve the way in which we tackle the issue of people who are homeless or who are becoming homeless. It is a huge priority for the council to prevent homelessness and to support people who become homeless.

The aim of amendment 1079 is also to ensure that organisations are able to work together to allocate suitable housing. That would streamline the resources that are required for a household that has made homeless applications in multiple local authority areas. The amendment would provide more detailed information about the depth and breadth of the housing issues that are facing Scotland. It is also important that we understand the scale of the issue in order to identify how many new homes are needed.

Amendment 1079 aims to offer an opportunity to get exact information on the scale of housing need through a deliberative and preventative framework. Having a high degree of accuracy in the data on the number of homeless households and where they are will help us to be more accurate in building and planning for the homes that are needed to end homelessness.

I met with the minister several weeks ago and he told me that his amendment 1045 will go further and be more effective than mine. I am very interested in his offer of a follow-up meeting, so that I can also talk with stakeholders and reflect on his comments.

The concern is that we do not have enough information at the moment. My amendment would provide for regulations, so there would be capacity to fine tune that. This is a probing amendment, to allow for discussion, and I want to come back to reflect on the stakeholder feedback and have that follow-up discussion with the minister.

I very much welcome the support that Jeremy Balfour has offered. The meeting that we had in Edinburgh was on one of the top issues that the council is facing. We need only to walk around the streets in Edinburgh to see that people are physically homeless and understand the huge impact that that is having on them. I am keen to listen to comments from colleagues and to have a follow-up meeting with the minister. My intention is not to move amendment 1079 today but to reflect on the feedback that I get and to pick up on the details that other colleagues want to raise with me.