- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-33091 by Ivan McKee on 14 January 2025, what the primary purposes are for which the cars in its fleet are used.
Answer
Pool cars are allocated to specific areas who have a business need for their use which cannot be met by public transport or other sustainable methods of travel. This includes conducting legislative and compliance inspections, animal and horticulture inspections, delivery of equipment and the transportation of Ministers.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many signs are located along the A90, and what proportion meet current standards for visibility and effectiveness.
Answer
There are a total 4,552 road traffic signs on the A90 trunk road network. Of these, a total of 185 signs do not meet the current standards for visibility and effectiveness and are on a works programme for future replacement. Where regulatory signage and warning signage are noted as defective they are categorised as Category 1 defects. These are required to be made safe when identified, following which a temporary or permanent repair must be undertaken as soon as possible and no later than 24 hours following first identification. Where possible, Category 2 sign replacement is coordinated with other works on the network to mitigate disruption to road users.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the current average road quality rating is for the A90, and how this compares with other major roads in Scotland.
Answer
Transport Scotland conducts machine-based surveys using specialist vehicles each year to gather information on the surface integrity of the road; the friction characteristics of the surface; and the structural capacity (strength) of the underlying road construction. The data obtained provides an annual snapshot of the road condition across the network and is used to determine a Road Condition Index for each section of road. The Index values can then be used to identify where detailed engineering investigations should be focused in order to determine maintenance requirements.
The proportion of the A90 that has been assessed as requiring further preliminary investigation to determine whether structural maintenance is required is currently 18%. This compares with 17% across the whole of the trunk road network.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it records the purpose of each journey taken by the cars in its fleet, and, if so, whether it will provide the most recent breakdown of such journeys by purpose, including business travel and any other categories.
Answer
We do not hold this information.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many passengers have been subject to the theft of their belongings (a) at railway stations and (b) on trains in each of the last five years, and what discussions it has had with the (i) the British Transport Police and (ii) Police Scotland regarding this.
Answer
This information is not held by the Scottish Government and responsibility for such rests with the British Transport Police and Police Scotland respectively.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 23 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the transparency and accountability of decisions made by the Energy Consents Unit, and what plans it has to enhance public reporting on how projects are evaluated.
Answer
Decisions on applications made under sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 are made by the Scottish Ministers. All information relating to applications to build, operate or modify onshore electricity generating stations with capacities exceeding 50 megawatts, as well as all applications to install overhead power lines, large oil and gas pipelines, and associated infrastructure, are published and searchable on our Energy Consents website, at https://www.energyconsents.scot/.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 23 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being implemented to deter organised crime groups from targeting railway depots and infrastructure.
Answer
Organised crime groups look to identify any opportunity to increase their wealth and the railway network is not immune from this threat. While it is for rail networks and British Transport Police to ensure that measures are in place to safeguard depots and the wider infrastructure, partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce continue to work together through the Multi Agency Tasking and Delivery Board, based at the Scottish Crime Campus, to take measures to disrupt this illegal activity.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on any incidents of theft from railway stations in Aberdeen over the last five years.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
The member may wish to contact the British Transport Police and ScotRail for this information.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how the condition of the A90 has changed over the last five years, based on its annual assessments.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-33162 on 23 January 2025. 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.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on what the cost of replacing stolen railway materials has been in each of the last five years.
Answer
This information is not held by the Scottish Government. The member may wish to contact Network Rail.