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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-33108

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what projects being considered for Transport Scotland funding are expected to have the largest economic impact.

Question reference: S6W-33160

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on maintenance and upgrades of the A90 in each of the last five years.

Over the last 5 financial years the following has been spent on the maintenance and improvement of the A90 trunk road.

2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24
£12,486,316	£20,673,965	£23,045,538	22,484,864	£21,571,032

The above figures exclude expenditure on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route / Balmedie to Tipperty section of the A90. The contract with the DBFO Company, Aberdeen Roads Limited (ARL) requires it to fulfil the contractual obligations in respect of maintenance at ARL’s own cost. These associated costs are not shared with Transport Scotland.

The Scottish Government also remains committed to delivering a new grade-separated junction on the A90 at Laurencekirk as part of the package of additional investment alongside the Aberdeen City Region Deal.

Transport Scotland has been taking forward the necessary design and assessment work, and the project is currently going through the statutory authorisation process, having recently published supplementary draft Orders for formal comment.

As with all infrastructure projects, delivery of the Laurencekirk scheme can only commence when the relevant statutory authorisation powers to do so have been secured. Following completion of the statutory authorisation process we will then be in a position to set a timetable for delivery of the scheme in line with available budgets.

In terms of spend for this scheme in the last five years we record £1,807,404.64

Question reference: S6W-33106

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to monitor and report on the economic impact of Transport Scotland-funded projects after their completion.

Evaluation is essential to the work of Transport Scotland to assess whether policies and interventions are being delivered as intended, and to help identify ways to improve them.

Transport Scotland follows published evaluation guidance for both rail and road projects. This includes frameworks for the evaluation of road and rail schemes and recommended timescales for each. These are typically at one-, three- and five-years following completion of projects. These reports and data sets are published on the Transport Scotland website and include evaluation of economic impact where relevant.

For projects out with rail and road schemes, Transport Scotland follows general evaluation guidance published by the UK Government which advises on evaluation following project completion. The evaluation approach is tailored to ensure it is proportionate to the scale of the project and will include evaluation of economic impacts where relevant. Reports and data sets from these evaluations are also published on the Transport Scotland website.

Question reference: S6W-32955

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures a coordinated multi-agency response to public safety threats, including those involving unexploded ordnance.

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (the Act) and the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Contingency Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 (as amended) (the Regulations) outline the key organisations responsible for responding to, and their duties to prepare for, civil emergencies within Scotland. Responders’ duties include to assess risk, maintain emergency and business continuity plans, communicate with the public, share information and co-operate. A co-ordinated multi-agency response to public safety threats, including those involving unexploded ordnance, is further supported by the ‘Preparing Scotland’ guidance. It is based on Integrated Emergency Management and outlines key activities and principles for effective multi-agency responses.

Question reference: S6W-33066

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has conducted of any impact of spectrum allocation on the development of digital infrastructure (a) across Scotland and (b) in Aberdeen.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-33057 on 22 January 2025.

The Scottish Government has not conducted analysis of spectrum allocation on the development of digital infrastructure at any specific geographic level in Scotland.

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

Question reference: S6W-32967

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action Police Scotland has taken to review historic military training sites for the presence of unexploded ordnance, and what progress has been made in decommissioning such sites.

It is for the Chief Constable, working with the working with the Scottish Police Authority, to determine how to allocate its budget to meet policing priorities.

You may wish to write directly to Police Scotland on this matter.. Alternatively, as this matter may better sit with the UK Government Ministry of Defence, you may wish to raise the issue directly with the Rt Hon John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence.

Question reference: S6W-33035

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on reducing incidents of theft from railway depots over the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-33065

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with the UK Government to ensure that Scotland’s needs are considered in spectrum allocation policies.

Spectrum allocation and management, as with all aspects of telecommunications policy, is a reserved matter and one in which the Scottish Government has no formal role.

The Scottish Government, however, maintains an active interest in the spectrum policy agenda, in particular, as it relates to digital connectivity and digital infrastructure rollout in rural areas.

Responsibility for spectrum allocation and management falls under the remit of Ofcom, the UK telecoms regulator. The Scottish Government has regular engagement with Ofcom at official and Ministerial levels. We also respond to any major consultations on spectrum strategy.

Our response to Ofcom’s 2022 discussion papers on mobile and spectrum policy can be found on Ofcom’s website at the following link:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/consultations/category-3-4-weeks/232316-meeting-future-demand-for-mobile-data/responses/scottish-government/?v=200806.

This response outlines the Scottish Government’s priorities in relation to spectrum. We continue to encourage Ofcom to consider the specific needs and characteristics of Scotland, Scottish geographies and Scottish markets when making decisions on spectrum and how these decisions subsequently impact 4G and 5G coverage in rural and underserved areas; commercial investment in digital infrastructure in rural and underserved areas; and, the development of 5G and other advanced wireless technologies in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-32966

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland has mapped the locations of known wartime military ordnance sites, and how this information is used to inform public safety measures.

It is for the Chief Constable, working with the working with the Scottish Police Authority, to determine how to allocate its budget to meet policing priorities.

You may wish to write directly to Police Scotland on this matter. Alternatively, as this matter may better sit with the UK Government Ministry of Defence, you may wish to raise the issue directly with the Rt Hon John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence.

Question reference: S6W-33041

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to prevent theft from railway infrastructure in and around Aberdeen.