- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of incidents involving illegal e-bikes that have resulted in injuries to pedestrians over the past three years.
Answer
Data on collisions which cause injury and take place on the road network, including adjacent pavements and cycle lanes, is collected by Police Scotland as part of the GB-wide dataset known as STATS19.
Within STATS19, vehicles involved in injury road collisions can be recorded as ‘bicycle’ or ‘electric motorcycle’. However, there is currently no systematic way of determining which of these vehicles would be described as illegal e-bikes.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 10 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it made any financial contribution to the Save the Belmont Cinema campaign in Aberdeen.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32026 on 13 December 2024. 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: Friday, 13 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the £40,000 threshold for the additional dwelling supplement.
Answer
No review has been undertaken of the threshold for the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) threshold since its introduction. The setting of the threshold for the ADS reflects that The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland) Act 2013 provides that land transactions with a chargeable consideration of less than £40,000 are not notifiable and that no tax return is thus required.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the risks posed by illegally modified e-bikes to pedestrians, including vulnerable groups such as visually impaired people.
Answer
Legislation surrounding the use of e-bikes, their risk to the public and regulatory standards, is a reserved matter for the UK Government. For an e-bike to be legal for use in the UK, they must meet the criteria of an electrically assisted pedal cycle and the electric motor should not be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15.5mph, with a maximum power output of 250 watts. This ensures speeds similar to that of other bicycles.
In December 2024 Police Scotland issued a media campaign to warn members of the public of the growing trend in illegally modified ebikes and the risk these pose to riders, pedestrians, and other road and path user.
It is every road and path users responsibility to respect others and the Highway Code outlines both rules and guidance for everyone. Members of the public who are seeking clarity on the standards required to ride on public roads should visit https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the contract that is in place to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) for MV Glen Sannox, once the vessel enters service on 13 January 2025.
Answer
In May 2023 CalMac as operator announced that Molgas Energy Uk Ltd would be the supplier of LNG for the MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa. Please see aside link to the CalMac publication: https://corporate.calmac.co.uk/en-gb/news/calmac-award-of-lng-supply-tender/
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what enforcement measures are in place to ensure compliance with regulations on e-bikes, including (a) speed limits and (b) motor output restrictions.
Answer
Legislation surrounding the use of e-bikes is a reserved matter for the UK Government. For an e-bike to be legal for use in the UK, they must meet the criteria of an electrically assisted pedal cycle and the electric motor should not be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15.5mph, with a maximum power output of 250 watts. This ensures speeds similar to that of other bicycles.
From January 2024 and the end of September 2024 Police Scotland made 281 seizures of illegal ebikes. In December Police Scotland published advice on ebikes ahead of Christmas that provides clarity on the standards required to be permitted to ride on public roads.
It is every road and path users responsibility to respect others and the Highway Code outlines both rules and guidance for everyone.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 9 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital admissions, as a result of injuries to pedestrians caused by illegal e-bikes, there have been in each of the last five years.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many hospital admissions, as a result of injuries to pedestrians caused by illegal e-bikes, there have been in each of the last five years.
Incidents are recorded as either:
1. Pedestrian injured in collision with pedal cycle or;
2. Pedestrian injured in collision with two or three wheeled motor vehicle.
Due to coding practices, incidents including e-bikes cannot be determined.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what campaigns or public awareness initiatives are planned to educate the public about the legal requirements for e-bikes.
Answer
Legislation surrounding the use of e-bikes is a reserved matter for the UK Government. For an e-bike to be legal for use in the UK, they must meet the criteria of an electrically assisted pedal cycle and the electric motor should not be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15.5mph, with a maximum power output of 250 watts. This ensures speeds similar to that of other bicycles.
Prior to Christmas 2024 Police Scotland published advice on ebikes that provides clarity on the standards required to be permitted to ride on public roads. This received coverage across news outlets in Scotland and on Social Media.
Members of the public who are seeking clarity on the standards required to ride on public roads can visit https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the current subsidy per passenger is for ScotRail services, and how this compares with other rail operators in the UK.
Answer
The final subsidy for ScotRail for the financial year 2024-25 will be known when the accounts for this year have been finalised and published. Subsidy provided to other train operating companies is a matter for the UK Department for Transport, Transport for London and the Welsh Government.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it requested any changes to the A96 Corridor Review from earlier drafts.
Answer
As with all projects, Transport Scotland Officials regularly discuss and review draft documents prepared by its technical advisors on an ongoing basis as part of the process to finalise reports prior to seeking Ministerial approval to publish. No changes were made by the Scottish Ministers to the draft outcomes of the A96 Corridor Review that identified an optimal Refined Package of improvements.
The position of the Scottish Government has not changed – the current favoured position is to fully dual the A96, and we are already taking forward the dualling process from Inverness to Nairn, including Nairn Bypass.