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.

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Question reference: S6O-00883

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that all apprentices are paid the real Living Wage.

Question reference: S6W-06396

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of any reductions to the maintenance budget by Network Rail on rail services in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-06708

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05360 by Graeme Dey on 21 January 2022, on what date it expects to issue a draft of the Islands Connectivity Plan for consultation.

Question reference: S6W-06710

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the target dates are for (a) ferry procurement and (b) harbour infrastructure improvement on the Clyde and Hebrides network in (i) 2022, (ii) 2023, (iii) 2024, (iv) 2025 and (v) 2026.

The Scottish Government announced investment of £580m in ports and vessels to support and improve Scotland’s ferry services, as part of our wider five year Infrastructure Investment Plan, in February 2021. This investment is in addition to the delivery of MV Glen Sannox and Hull 801 which are currently under construction at Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow. Infrastructure Investment Plan for Scotland 2021-2022 to 2025-2026

On new vessel procurement, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has progressed two projects. The most advanced of these is the Islay vessel procurement. CMAL is currently assessing bids submitted by the four shipyards who met the initial assessment criteria. The contract award is expected to be made by the end of March 2022, subject to agreeing suitable terms, with anticipated vessel delivery dates around late 2024 for vessel 1 and early to mid 2025 for vessel 2. The second vessels project, which is currently at its early stages, is phase one of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme (SVRP), considering up to seven new vessels for Clyde and Hebrides services. Design development is underway with potential vessel delivery from late 2025.

A number of infrastructure upgrade projects are currently in the design and construction stages to support the arrival of new tonnage to the fleet and the associated cascade redeployment impact of these new vessels. For example, infrastructure upgrade works at Uig (Skye) will replace life expired infrastructure and improve the capacity, reliability and resilience for the longer term benefit of the Skye Triangle routes; and works are well underway at Troon to facilitate the use of the port during the construction period at Ardrossan and to allow its use as an alternative mainland port during any periods of disruption on the network.

I include a list of “Live projects” below with expected completion dates currently ranging between 2023 to 2028. All completion dates for these and any future projects remain subject to funding; procurement and contractor award. Some projects also may feel the impact on any changes to the Vessel procurement programmes and any subsequent associated vessel cascades.

Lochboisdale/Gasay Infrastructure project

Islay Vessel Enabling :

Kennacraig

Port Ellen Terminal Development Project

Port Askaig in Islay

Colonsay

Gourock/Dunoon/Kilcreggan Vessels- power supplies and associated works

Skye Triangle :

Tarbert Terminal Building

Lochmaddy infrastructure works

Uig infrastructure works

Craignure-Oban (Mull) New Vessel project

Question reference: S6W-06705

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) value and (b) duration is of each contract that it currently holds with (i) Mott MacDonald and (ii) BMT for (A) infrastructure and (B) vessel design work in connection with the Scottish ferries network.

The Scottish Government does not currently have infrastructure or vessel design contracts with either company; Mott MacDonald or BMT; that is overseen or is directly managed by Transport Scotland, however both companies are used by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) as part of their Professional Consultancy Services Framework.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) awarded a £155,000 contract to international design and engineering firm BMT to provide consultancy services for the concept design of a new passenger ferry for the Gourock, Dunoon and Kilcreggan routes as part of the Gourock Dunoon Kilcreggan Infrastructure and Vessels Programme.

Following a public sector procurement process, in August 2020, CMAL appointed engineering firm Mott MacDonald to draw up high-level options for the redevelopment of Gourock harbour.

Mott MacDonald was also awarded a £1.5 million contract which covers design consultancy services for vessel enabling works at Port Ellen and Port Askaig in Islay, Kennacraig and Colonsay.

Further details of these projects can be found here - CMAL Caledonian Maritime Assets LtdHome - CMAL Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (cmassets.co.uk) .

Question reference: S6W-06706

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the recommendations of the Project Neptune review of ferry governance will inform the delivery of the (a) National Transport Strategy, (b) National Islands Plan, (c) Infrastructure Investment Plan, (d) Strategic Transport Projects Review and (e) Islands Connectivity Plan.

Question reference: S6W-06707

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) value and (b) duration is of each contract that it has signed with Ernst and Young in connection with the Scottish ferries network since 1 January 2015.

Question reference: S6W-06395

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of any staff reductions by Network Rail on rail services in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-06709

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what changes, if any, have been made to the Routes and Services Methodology applied to Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service routes since it was first used to draw up the Ferries Plan (2013-22).

Question reference: S6W-07041

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a long-term funding strategy for community-based adult learning provision.

Our Adult Learning Strategy will be launched in May. It has been co-produced with adult learning stakeholders, including senior staff from adult learning organisations and adult learners themselves, and aims to improve life chances for adult learners across Scotland. We want to create the conditions for connected adult learning opportunities that link Scotland’s communities, local authorities, third sector organisations, colleges and universities around an offer of learning for adults, particularly those furthest from inclusion and experiencing disadvantage.

To improve the lives of adult learners we need to ensure that there is a strong, well-understood, well-connected and well-resourced system of adult learning in Scotland. The strategy will set out our commitment to evaluating the suitability and levels of future funding arrangements for community-based adult learning. Through the delivery of the strategy we want to ensure that appropriate levels of funding are available to engage and support adult learners across Scotland to meet their needs.